Une association académique indépendante
The International Association of Middle Eastern Studies (IAMES) is an independent scholarly association founded during the late 1960s by academic scholars located in North America, Europe, and the Middle East region, and spear-headed by Dr. Tareq Y. Ismael (1939–2024) and Dr. Jacqueline S. Ismael (1942–2023). IAMES was created to counter the dominance of Western-led and government-dependent approaches to Middle Eastern studies and to provide a sustained academic forum for debate, contestation, and critical challenge in which voices of and from the Middle East region are centrally positioned.
Objectifs et approche
The objective of IAMES is to account for the social, cultural, political, and economic specificities of the Middle East; to analyze the conditions and consequences of societal modernization; to examine relations between the MENA region and the West; and to discuss dominant approaches to Middle Eastern issues from critical perspectives. Central to this mission is a shift away from traditional Western viewpoints—moving from research on the region toward research dans et with la région
Histoire et continuité
Founded in the aftermath of the June 1967 war, IAMES has developed in conjunction with changing political realities in the Middle East. IAMES conferences and colloquia have often been shaped—and at times disrupted—by regional conflicts, wars, and institutional pressures. Despite such challenges, IAMES has continued regularly to convene international scholarly meetings across North America, Europe, and the Middle East region, maintaining its commitment to independent and critical scholarship.
Conferences and scholarly exchanges
IAMES conferences serve as the association’s primary forum for interdisciplinary exchange. They bring together scholars at different career stages and from diverse regions to engage with historical, political, economic, cultural, and artistic dimensions of the Middle East region, with particular attention to contemporary issues and concerns.
Indépendance et partenariats
IAMES is an independent association whose activities are largely self-funded through conference registration fees and support from host institutions. Over time, the association has collaborated with related initiatives such as the International Association of Contemporary Iraqi Studies (IACIS) and the International Center for Contemporary Middle Eastern Studies (ICCMES), which share its commitment to international, interdisciplinary, and regionally grounded research. IAMES has occasionally hosted mini-conferences under the auspices of larger conferences such as World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES) and Insaniyyat Forum, experiences with which are documented in this IAMES Report.
Academic journal
IAMES publishes a peer-reviewed academic journal entitled Journal of Contemporary Iraq and the Arab World (JCIAW), formerly known as International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies (IJCIS). The journal, in existence since 2006, and launched under the auspices of IACIS, is available online, and you may discover it by clicking here.
Héritage et archives
IAMES is currently in the process of organizing an archive de ses activités et de ses réalisations over nearly three decades. In addition, it has been organizing occasions, such as IAMES 2026-Madrid and volume 19, issue 1 of JCIAW (2025), to honor the intellectual legacy of its founders, Dr. Tareq Y. Ismael (1939–2024) and Dr. Jacqueline S. Ismael (1942–2023), whose work continues to shape the association’s mission.