WELCOME TO THE MIDDLE EAST STUDIES CENTER AT PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

The Middle East Studies Center (MESC) is an area studies center housed within the Office of International Affairs. Established in 1959, we promote the scholarly and cultural understanding of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia via outreach and campus events. 

MESC is an integral part of Middle East Studies at PSU. We organize lectures and public events to bring faculty and students from numerous departments and disciplines together with the community to focus on the cultural, economic, political, and societal aspects of this region. 

We engage PSU departments, centers, and academic units, as well as community organizations, businesses, and local government in collaborative activities that reflect the diversity of this region. We offer a wide range of tools, resources, and programs to support prospective and current students, public educators, and the general public. 

The mission of the Middle East Studies Center is to serve our students, city, and world through the creation of a diverse, inclusive community and the promotion and sharing of scholarship on the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asia.

Mosque in Morocco

Middle East Studies Certificate

The Department of Politics and Global Affairs offers a Middle East Studies Certificate that allows students to explore themes related to the continent’s history, politics, people, economy, and culture from a multidisciplinary perspective.

The Certificate will give students a variety of career opportunities in international affairs, public policy, journalism, governmental institutions, education, public health, humanitarian organizations, economic development, and security, or going on to graduate school and a career in academia. 

Upcoming events