Research Group Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies

The group seeks to:

• serve as a nodal point of research networks in Bergen and beyond,
• produce high-quality publications on its research theme,
• contribute to the career development of junior researchers,
• assist its members in developing research projects,
• foster interdisciplinary exchange,
• disseminate knowledge about Islam and the Middle East,
• and increase the visibility of pertinent research activities at the University of Bergen.
• Collaborate with the Bergen University Library Special collections on the Sudan and MIddle East collections held there.

To reach these goals, the research group organizes regular activities such as academic lunches, guest lectures, PhD seminars, and international workshops.

The research group relies on its Middle East research library and collaborates with other research groups, projects, and units at the University of Bergen, the Chr. Michelsen Institute (external link), and academic institutions in Nordic countries and beyond.

Group history

The research group has existed at the University of Bergen in various forms since 1988 and has played a central role in establishing Bergen as a leading center of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies in the Nordic countries.