News & Events

April 16, 2026, "As the World Order Collapses: Imperialism, Barbarism, and Resistance," An Emergency Virtual Panel Connecting Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine - Thursday, April 16, 2026, Spring 2026, 11 am Central
April 6, 2026, Spring 2026 Annual Paul Kardoush Memorial Lecture, "Embodied Decoloniality and the Refusal of Dismemberment: From Ashlaa' to Lamlameh" with Dr. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian.
Friday, April 3: "Against Resilience Expectations and Re-Imagining Academic Freedom: Voices from Gaza's Universities," a virtual panel in collaboration with the Middle East Studies Association Global Academy as two Gaza scholars present their research. Noon Houston time; 7PM Gaza time. Registration link here and on the QR code on the flyer: https://uh-edu-cougarnet.zoom.us/meeting/register/RBB5RoFZQfyAGQdX3xKGRQ
March 30, 6:00 PM: "On Sudan: Suad Abdel-Aziz of Decolonize Sudan," Room 150, College of Architecture and Design
The AAEF Center for Arab Studies Presents, “The Dawn is Too Far,” Reception, Screening, and Discussion, March 26, 2026, Reception: 5:30 PM; Screening: 6 PM.

September 10, 2025 - The Fall 2025 Nijad and Zeina Fares Distinguished Lecture in Modern Arab Studies Presents “Wounds of War: How Conflict Rewrites the Boundaries of Medicine” with Dr. Omar Dewachi, 5:30 pm, Alumni Room 104, UH Hilton

The AAEF Burhan and Misako Ajouz Endowed Professorship in Arab Studies Presents, “Sentimental Adjustment Programs: Empathy as the Emotional Style of Neoliberalism,” with Dr. Joseph Slaughter
“Dreams of Arab Modernity,” with Dr. Amale Andraos (2024 AAEF Nijad and Zeina Fares Distinguished Lecture in Modern Arab Studies)
“Narrating Humanity: Life Writing and Movement Politics from Palestine to Mauna Kea,” with Dr. Cynthia Franklin (2024 Dr. Burhan and Mrs. Misako Ajouz Distinguished Lecture in Literature)
“Postcards from the Underworld: Poems from Sinan Antoon,” Book Launch Discussion

Book Discussion of “Melancholy Act s: Defeat and Critique in the Arab World,” with Dr. Nouri Gana
"Beginnings and Endings: Palestine and the Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh," by Jennifer Zacharia (2023 AAEF Paul Kardoush Annual Memorial Lecture)
“The Black Study of an Old Matter: The Poetic Socialities of Africanité and Arabité,” with Dr. Ronald Judy
"From Adam to Murad: Universal History Through Ottoman Eyes" by Dr. Emine Fetvacı
“Methods and Concepts for Thinking About Social Diversity,” with Dr. Luis Tapia Mealla
“Sisters in the Mirror: A History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of Feminism,” Book Launch Discussion with Dr. Elora Shehabuddin
“A Tale of Two Cities: The Scales of Literary History and the Ends of Comparison,” with Dr. Samah Selim

“Contemporary Poetry: The Arab American Turn” with Drs. Fady Joudah and Hayan Charara (2022 AAEF Dr. Burhan and Mrs. Misako Ajouz Distinguished Lecture in Arab Literature)
“Gaza: The Longest Siege in Modern History - 2007 to the Present,” with Brown University
“You Can Be the Last Leaf: An Evening With Maya Abu Al-Hayyat”