MEC Regional Scholars Program

The Middle East Center offers regional scholar status, at its discretion, to researchers, scholars and post-secondary educators whose work deals substantially with the Middle East or North Africa. In practice, this means faculty who teach in the area, but we are also very welcoming of independent scholars with a clear and established track record of academic publications.

Becoming a Regional Scholar opens a range of opportunities, including access to a dynamic, diverse community of students and scholars engaged in Middle East studies at Penn and in the Philadelphia region. Regional Scholars also have the option of obtaining a library card, giving them access to borrowing privileges at Penn Libraries, along with an unparalleled range of electronic databases.

 

To become a Regional Scholar, an individual must:
 

— maintain a home address OR university affiliation within 60 miles of the Penn campus

— be nominated by a member of the MEC affiliated faculty OR by the Middle East Center itself

— submit a short letter of introduction and current CV to mec-info@sas.upenn.edu

— meet with the director or executive director of the MEC for an introductory conversation

— submit a headshot and short biography for our website once accepted
 

Regional Scholars are expected to participate actively and meaningfully in the programs and initiatives of the MEC. This participation will be subject to review on annual basis, and the MEC reserves the right to revoke privileges from scholars who are not actively engaged in our community.