ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences

The Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies (Middle East & Central Asia) (CAIS) forms part of the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences at The Australian National University and is Australia’s premier location for studies in this field, with a high international standing and links with its major counterparts in the Arab & Muslim world, as well as in North America and Europe.

The Centre integrates the study of Middle Eastern and Central Asian contemporary politics, history, culture, political economy, economics, and the role of Islam within the broader framework of the changing global order. The Centre fosters the study of the region’s most relevant languages of Arabic, Persian and Turkish. It also focuses on issues pertinent to Australia’s interests in, and the development of its commercial, scientific and industrial ties with, its areas of coverage.

CAIS is a multi-disciplinary teaching and research Centre, with cognitive links with the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific, as well as professional association with its other Colleges. Its activities are guided by a twenty-one member Advisory Board and a group of international advisers, made up of prominent scholars in Arab, Islam, Middle Eastern and Central Asian studies.

Publications

• Books

– Women and Democracy in Iraq: Gender, Politics and Nation-Building
Author/editor: Al-Tamimi, H., Year published: 2019

– Hozur-e peyda va penhan-e zan dar mutun-e sufiyyeh (The Absence and Presence of Women in Persian Sufi Texts)
Author/editor: Taheri, Z., Year published: 2019

– Islam beyond Borders: The Umma in World Politics
Author/editor: Piscatori, J. & Saikal, A., Year published: 2019

• Book chapters

• Journal articles & papers

• CAIS Bulletin

Past events

– Governance, Security, and Asymmetrical Warfare in Central Asia and the Middle East
The Middle East and Central Asia have seen dramatic changes to the established order of governance within the region in the 21st century…

– Russia in Asia and the World: A Symposium dedicated to Yevgeny Primakov
The ANU Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (The Middle East and Central Asia) will hold a symposium on Friday, October 25, entitled ‘Russia in Asia and the…

– The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria – presented by ANU Majlis
In this Majlis, Dara Conduit will discuss her new book The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria, (Cambridge University Press, August 2019).

– The Politics of Field Work in the Middle East: Balancing Ethics and Research Transparency

– Middle East & Central Asian Studies at ANU Open Day
Academic staff and students from the ANU Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies will be available at ANU Open Day to talk with you about our degrees and courses…

– Corridors and Corrections in Modern Uzbekistan
In June 2019, the CAMCA (Central Asia-Mongolia-Caucasus-Afghanistan) Regional Forum was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Forum is non-political

– Afghanistan in 2019: Diplomatic perspectives & strategic constraints

Contacts

• Address: ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
• Phone: +61 2 6125 5111
• Email: CAIS@anu.edu.au
• Website: https://cais.cass.anu.edu.au/