The Middle East and Central Asia (MECA) Report

The Middle East and Central Asia (MECA) Report began as small group of students interested in filling a shortage of honest intellectual discussion about current events and historical context of this controversial region. The group’s membership is characterized by its highly international composition, incorporating voices that provide alternatives to dominant U.S. narratives of the region’s historical developments and present condition.

Guest speakers of relevant academic or professional backgrounds attend the initial meeting of each month, laying the foundation for subsequent weekly discussions. The following meetings are then structured around a new topic emerging in the most recent news.

The MECA Report also hosts a quarterly speaker event in conjunction with other campus organizations featuring prominent field experts with the goal of opening the discussion and debate to the larger Northwestern community.

The group is frequented by both graduates and undergraduates of diverse academic concentrations and political leanings. It is open to all members of the Northwestern community. For more information or to get involved, please contact Sarah Smierciak at SarahSmierciak2007@u.northwestern.edu.