Programs

One of the principal goals of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies is to support independent research by Berkeley faculty, visiting scholars, and graduate students. CMES funds come from a variety of sources and are allocated competitively on an annual basis to academic personnel in a variety of disciplines for both collaborative and individual projects. CMES funds are also used to support general center operations and to conduct educational outreach.

The Al-Falah Program for Islamic Studies

Established in 1997, this endowment resulted from the generosity of Xenel Industries, Ltd., the family of Sheikh Salahuddin Yusuf Hamza Abdeljawad, Saudi Arabian alumni, and friends of Berkeley. The Al-Falah program supports better understanding of Islam, Muslim culture in the U.S., and economic development in the Islamic world, with a particular emphasis on the transfer of technology and knowledge between Saudi and the U.S.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

These annual fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis to incoming and continuing graduate students and provide for payment both of tuition fees and a generous stipend.

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Research/Travel Grants

An endowment from the Mellon Foundation permits CMES to offer travel grants to faculty, lecturers, visiting scholars, and graduate students. Small grants are offered in two categories: research/travel grants, and conference travel grants.

The Sultan Endowment for Arab Studies

This endowment gift from the Saudi-based Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud is dedicated to broadening understanding of the Arab Islamic World. It supports Center activities plus sponsors new initiatives by funding research, visiting scholars/graduate fellows, and outreach via conferences and Arabic media acquisition.

The Helen Diller Family Program for Israeli Visiting Scholars

This endowment gift from U.C. Berkeley alumna Helen Diller supports a multi-disciplinary visiting Israeli scholars program, and will fund fellowships and research grants in Jewish Studies on the Berkeley campus. The gift made to the campus by Helen and Sanford Diller came through the Jewish Community Endowment Fund of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma counties.

Center for Middle Eastern Studies Undergraduate Research Grant Program

Grants are available to defray the costs of domestic and international travel while conducting research for undergraduate senior thesis projects that focus on Middle East-related topics. This program is open to enrolled U.C. Berkeley undergraduate students only. Priority will be given to students with declared majors or minors in Middle Eastern Studies.

Afaf Kanafani

The Afaf Kanafani Scholarship Fund is made possible through a generous donation by Fay Afaf Kanafani from the proceeds of her autobiography, Nadia, Captive of Hope: Memoir of an Arab Woman. The grant will be awarded annually to eligible UC Berkeley students whose academic work focuses on women’s rights in the Arab World, in the hope that such scholarship will contribute to a better understanding of gender issues in the Middle East and beyond.