british society for middle eastern studies
London
Our Aims To encourage and promote interest and study of the Middle Eastern
cultural region from the end of classical antiquity to the present day in
particular but not exclusively through the dissemination of information and by
the encouragement of co-operation amongst persons concerned with the scholarly
study of the region. Statement of Purpose Founded in 1973, BRISMES provides a
forum for educators and researchers in Middle East Studies. Membership is open
to all regardless of nationality or country of residence. We work to promote
interest in Middle East Studies and to raise awareness of the region and how it
is connected to other parts of the world, including the UK. Middle East Studies
is a diverse field, which encompasses all the humanities and social sciences and
reaches from the present back to classical antiquity. The long history of our
field of study has made us particularly aware of the connections between
knowledge and power. We see connections between research, education, teaching
and fundamental questions of social change. We do not believe that research and
education should be divorced from the wider social and political context nor
that it should exist to serve elites. We believe that a commitment to promote
research and education in Middle East Studies involves a duty to consider the
conditions under which knowledge is produced and disseminated, and if necessary,
to speak out against power structures and interests that prevent the flourishing
of research and education in our field.
