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Outreach

The Center promotes intercultural understanding through its community outreach series, our presence in the media, programs in schools and community colleges, and public events.

Media outlets regularly consult the Center’s affiliated faculty as Middle East experts. Here is a selection of their opinion pieces, articles, blogs, and interviews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Media Archive ...

 

 

 

News of the Center’s activities is covered in articles and press releases by campus and community reporters. The articles are permanently accessible here in our news archive.

 

 

 

 

 

Center News Archive ...

Curriculum and resource development and dissemination are essential to our outreach program. The Center is a founding member of the Middle East Outreach Council, a national network of educators dedicated to disseminating apolitical and nonpartisan information, resources and activities to further understanding about the Middle East. 

Current Workshops for Teachers, Grades 1-12

Sites of Encounter in World History Resources. This workshop series provides area studies content and pedagogy training to K-12 public school educators that aligns with the CA History-Social Science Framework. The workshops give teachers an opportunity to hear lectures from scholars, gain exposure to new curricular materials, and practice pedagogical skills for designing new lessons units to expand the study of world regions and civilizations in their classrooms. 

Community College Initiatives

California Community College International Curriculum Development Grants
A new funding opportunity is available to California community college faculty for innovative curriculum design, integrating international and global dimensions into community college courses. For more information on how to apply, click HERE.

Outreach
Together with UCLA's Asia Institute and Latin American Institute, we work in partnership with West Los Angeles Community College to provide public lectures, concerts, and panel discussions that enhance the College's global studies program and expand an understanding of the Middle East.

Aslı Bali: When is a Migration a "Crisis"? Evaluating the EU's Approach to Syrian Refugees.

James Gelvin: 70 Years of U.S. Policy in the Middle East

Aslı Bali: Human Rights in the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities.

Nushin Arbabzadah: Media Madness in Afghanistan

Workshops for Language Instructors K-16

Summer Heritage Language Teacher Workshop. An annual one-week workshop sponsored by Startalk at UCLA's National Heritage Language Resource Center.

Resources for Teachers, Grades 1-12

Middle Eastern American Resources Online offers lesson plans and videos on Middle Eastern immigrant life in the United States. Our Center developed the site in collaboration with the Middle East and Middle Eastern American Center of the City University of New York. 

Past K-12 Teacher Workshops

Teacher workshops co-sponsored by the Center for Near Eastern Studies include:

Baghdad and Cairo as medieval sites of encounter
A UCLA Center X History-Geography Project workshop sponsored by UCLA's Islamic Studies program and the Islamic Studies-MRI fund.

The Cold War:Teaching with Primary Sources from Library of Congress
A UCLA Center X History-Geography Project workshop sponsored by the California History-Social Science Project at California State University, Long Beach.

The Medieval World Blueprint Workshop
A UCLA Center X History-Geography Project workshop sponsored by the California History-Social Science Project at California State University, Long Beach.

From the Popol Vuh to Pope Francis: Religion in Latin America
A workshop exploring the history of religion in Latin America from pre-conquest through the 21st century. Jointly sponsored by UCLA's Latin American Institute, African Studies Center and the Center for Near Eastern Studies.

High school teacher Workshop: Afghanistan
A UCLA Center X History-Geography Project workshop,  co-sponsored by the Asia Institute, and the Center for Near Eastern Studies.

Cities in World History
An institute for 7th grade world history teachers, jointly sponsored by UCLA’s Center for European and Eurasian Studies, Asia Institute, Latin America Institute, and the Center for Near Eastern Studies.

It’s a Matter of Taste
A workshop examining the role that food has played in history and culture throughout the world. Sponsored jointly by UCLA’s African Studies Center, Asia Institute, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Center for European and Eurasian Studies, Latin American Institute, and the Center for Near Eastern Studies.

Past Workshops for Students, Grades 1-12

Summer heritage language classes. While not currently offered, in the past we have partnered with the UCLA Center for World Languages to offer special summer language classes for high school students who speak, understand or hear Armenian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Turkish or some other heritage language at home. Languages offerings support students wanting to improve or learn to read, write and expand listening and speaking skills. The classes offered a fun and challenging opportunity to study the home language and meet other heritage speakers from the greater Los Angeles area.

The Center’s Bilingual Lecture Series on Iran was launched in 2002-03 to promote Middle Eastern languages not only as subjects of study but also as vehicles for intellectual communication.

Organized by visiting scholar Nayereh Tohidi (California State University, Northridge), the presentations have generated wide interest among local Persian speakers, along with students and faculty at colleges and universities throughout Southern California. A larger audience follows the series through our podcasts, BBC Persian, IRTV (Iranian Television), and Radio Iran (KIRN 670 AM). UCLA's Iranian Studies program co-sponsors the series.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Los Angeles Jews honor Muslim scholar of Moroccan Jewry
UCLA's Aomar Boum has spent 22 years championing interfaith familiarity and amity.
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Monday, August 8, 2022
Teaching development and critical thinking
International development studies (IDS) faculty who taught several of the major's core required courses in the 2021–22 academic year worked to strengthen the cumulative pedagogy of their courses.
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Updates on Iran as it enters a third week of sustained protest
UCLA Sociology professor Kevan Harris talks on a podcast about Iran's ongoing protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was detained by the country's morality police as the protests enter their third week.
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In the Media Archive...
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Mapping the Iranian diaspora in America
Professor Kevan Harris will present his demographic findings at the Feb. 16–17 Iranian Diaspora in Global Perspective conference at UCLA
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Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Cultivating scholarship and empathy in equal measure
Anthropologist Aomar Boum will speak at UCLA this month about his two newest publications: a co-edited volume and a graphic novel on the history of the Holocaust in North Africa during World War II.
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Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Campus to celebrate International Education Week
From Nov. 7 to Nov. 10, units across UCLA will host events on global issues and opportunities for students.
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Center News Archive...