MES Organizations and Clubs
Below is a list of organizations and clubs related to Middle Eastern Studies that we encourage graduate students to join.
Bereket Middle Eastern Music Ensemble
The Middle Eastern Ensemble “Bereket” is a group of students, faculty, staff, and community members. The group meets once a week for rehearsals with occasional sectionals and/or individual coaching. There are no auditions, and the ensemble welcomes all levels from beginner to advanced. Reading notation is not required. For more information, please visit the group’s Facebook page or contact the ensemble leader, Dr. Sonia Seeman.
Brown Bag Lecture Series
Each semester the Department of Middle Eastern Studies hosts multiple lectures through which Ph.D. students can present their latest research. Brown Bag Lectures serve to bring our MES and UT communities together around emerging scholarship. Presenters have the opportunity to engage as an active audience and workshop their ideas in a supportive environment. Speakers have given talks on a wide range of topics, including gothic Hebrew literature, pre-Islamic Yemen, Iranian video distribution, and language use in Arabic and Turkish literature. We welcome participation across disciplines related to Middle Eastern Studies.
Middle Eastern Studies Graduate Student Association (MESGSA)
The Middle Eastern Studies Graduate Student Association (MESGSA) is a graduate student-run organization open to all students from CDMES. Currently, members are involved in various programs at UT with some studying Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew and others on a dual-degree track with LBJ. The organization is supported in many of its efforts by CMES, and is both a social and academic organization, undertaking the planning of activities such as film screening, career fairs, discussion panels, professionalization workshops, and community outreach.
Middle East Organized Writing (MEOW)
The Middle East Organized Writing group (MEOW) is a weekly session during which the MA and PhD students can gather to focus on their individual writing-based projects. The group setting encourages students to benefit from one another's company and to dedicate a few hours per week specifically to their writing. MEOW gives students a communal space for students to concentrate on the vital components of their education, namely, writing.
New Generations Conference
The New Generations Conference (formerly known as Jil Jadid) is a graduate student conference that aims to provide a forum for young scholars spread across a variety of disciplines to come together, share ideas and research, and discuss the future of their respective fields as they move forward in their careers and come to represent the eponymous new generation of scholars engaging with the Middle Eastern languages and its cultures. Since 2010, graduate students from a wide range of universities, both domestic and international, have assembled in Austin to set the tone for Middle Eastern studies in the twenty-first century.
Persian Film Club
Initiated in 2020, Persian Film Club presents Persian-language documentaries subtitled in English on a monthly basis throughout the long semesters. The UT students, staff, and faculty will have access to the streaming link of a documentary for at least a week, followed by an online meeting with faculty members from the Persian program to discuss the film in English and Persian. If you are interested in joining Persian Film Club, please contact the Persian Program Coordinator, Dr. Babak Tabarraee.
Persian Table
Run by upper-division Persian students, Persian Table is a monthly informal meeting between Persian learners at the University of Texas at Austin. Each meeting loosely revolves around a theme, including (but not limited to) Iranian dance, cooking, Afghan refugees/immigrants, te’arof, Persian stand-up comedians, fāl-e Hafiz, Shab-e Yaldā, Nowruz, etc. The objective of Persian Table meetings is to encourage students to form a community of Persian speakers and practice their language skills, regardless of their level of the language. If you are interested in joining Persian Table, please contact the Persian Program Coordinator Dr. Babak Tabarraee.
Refugee Student Mentor Program
The Refugee Student Mentor Program seeks to help refugee children adapt to their new lives in America and acclimate to their roles as students. While many of these schools have English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, these programs are not well-suited for teaching students who speak Arabic or other languages not long-established in the Austin area. If you would like to put your language training to use helping students in the Austin community, please contact the RSMP Coordinator, Asya Saydam. Student volunteers must complete AISD paperwork and attend a training session prior to volunteering.
Turkish Tea and Conversation Hour
Once a week, students meet for one hour to practice their Turkish language skills and enjoy some delicious Turkish tea. Intermediate, advanced, and native speakers of Turkish are all welcome to attend. Students interested in joining can contact the Turkish Language Coordinator, Dr. Jeannette Okur, to learn more.
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