PLEASE NOTE: FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF FEDERAL TITLE VI FUNDING IN 2022, THE MIDDLE EAST CENTER IS NO LONGER OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR K-12 EDUCATORS. WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO RESUME THESE PROGRAMS IN 2026. TEXT BELOW IS MAINTAINED FOR INFORMATIONAL AND REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY.
The Middle East Center Speakers Bureau provides K-12 schools and other community organizations in the Philadelphia area with the opportunity to receive free lectures from advanced graduate students and junior faculty from the University of Pennsylvania. Our speakers come from a wide variety of disciplines and offer expertise in such fields as politics, culture, religion, art and gender issues related to the Middle East and North Africa. The Middle East Center is happy to work with educators to tailor a session that meets the needs of your classroom or organization.
If you would like to book a speaker, please email Assistant Director Ibrahim Bakri at bakrii@sas.upenn.edu and tell us what topics you would like covered, what date you have in mind, and other relevant details. Speakers Bureau visits are limited to one per school per semester.
Click here to access our list of graduate students. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and that we can work with you to tailor a visit that best meets the needs of your curriculum. Please also note that all speakers bureau requests MUST be booked through the Middle East Center.
"This week has been amazing. It was an incredibly enriching experience for my students and greatly increased their understanding of the Arab Spring, the different stages of the conflict in Syria and the issues of asylum, refugees and human rights. And then today, one of your graduate students spent an hour with my classes teaching Debke dance and Arab culture. She did a great job and we had SO MUCH FUN!"
-Mark Brandon, AIM Academy
The Middle East Center reserves the right to approve or reject any request based on availability of resources and speakers, and it makes no guarantee regarding the approval or timing of request.