Master in Middle Eastern Studies - MIMES

MIMES is articulated in five complementary levels, fostering multidimensional training and cross-fertilization, integrating scientific methodologies and operative competences.

1st level – Propaedeutic Phase: history, power and institution. The conceptual foundation of the Middle East

The first level provides students of different academic backgrounds with a broad knowledge of the Middle East, the rise of Islam and its characteristic, with an accurate analysis of the historical evolution of the region and its role within the international system. A dedicated course will offer a linguistic analysis of the political and juridical terminology and a glossary in Arabic.

- Methodological premise: discourses and debates on the Middle East

- History of the Middle East

- Religion, society and thought in the Islamic Middle East

- Islamic law and economy

- Study of political and juridical terminology - glossary in Arabic

- Middle East within the 20th century international order

2nd level – In-depth Analytical Phase: sub-regional contexts

Students, during the second level, acquire a detailed knowledge of different sub-regions of the wider Middle East, focusing on their peculiarities and connections with regional and international geopolitical trends. The program encourages the adoption of a comparative methodology, emphasizing the conceptual dichotomy continuity/change, within an historical-political narrative.

- Maghreb

- Mashreq

- Sub-Saharan Africa

- South-West Asia and the Gulf

- Central-Southern Asia

3rd level – Thematic and Contemporary Issues

During the final class term, the program offers a wide portfolio of specializing courses on the most relevant political, geoeconomic and security events and dynamics contributing to the current Middle Eastern unbalances. The program aims to underline in particular the role of the region within the larger international system, and the lesson learnt during the post –Cold War period.

- Politics in contemporary Middle East and the current International Relations context

- Global security: jihadism, violent activism, conflicts and nuclear proliferation

- Post-conflict institution-building and human security

- Gender, ethno-religious diversity and pluralism in the Middle East

- Energy and geopolitics of resources

- Contemporary economic trends

4th level – Research Project

Students are required to develop a personal research project on a topic related to Middle Eastern affairs, under the supervision of a MIMES professor and/or a professional from a partner institution. It is suggested to connect the research project to the internship experience.

5th level – Internship

The Master’s program is completed with an internship in Italy or abroad within one of the ASERI partner institutions or other entities whose mission and activities are consistent with the Master’s program. As an alternative, students who do not carry out an internship may choose to attend an Arabic language course. In any case, the course will have to be positively evaluated by the Master’s Direction (additional fee depending on the organizing institution may occur).