Spotlights
The Middle Eastern Studies programs bring together more than fifty scholars in over a dozen departments throughout the University, who offer nearly 300 language and area studies courses each year covering the Arab world, Iran, Israel, and Turkey.
Housed within the Department are five specialized programs:
Specializing in intensive Arabic instruction for students from all majors.
Serving scholars campus-wide, and the community beyond.
Furthering discussion of the role of media in representing the region.
Fostering the study of Israel in its historic and contemporary contexts.
Providing the equivalent of a year's instruction in Arabic or Persian over the summer.
News
Mahmoud al-Batal wins Texas Language Center Teaching Excellence Award
Internationally recognized as an innovative educator, Dr. Al-Batal has helped make UT-Austin’s Arabic program become the best in the country.
Outreach Director Christopher Rose and Joan Neuberger promote "15 Minute History" on Good Day Austin
The podcast, launched in October as a partnership between Hemispheres and Not Even Past, has been very successful at promoting area studies and history to K-12 classrooms and the public.
New Arabic Scholar in Residence Program Brings Hoda Barakat, Fall 2013
Thanks to a generous gift from Aziz and Arwa Shaibani, the Department of Middle Eastern Studies has appointed internationally acclaimed author Hoda Barakat as the inaugural scholar of the new Arabic Scholar in Residence program for fall 2013.
Arabic Flagship Program Hosts Dr. Bassem Youssef
The Arabic Flagship Program hosted Dr. Bassem Youssef, the "Egyptian Jon Stewart," for an informal Q & A/meet and greet. The event was mostly in Arabic and was an exciting way for Arabic students to remain engaged with their target language.










