The Arab Center for Research and Policy studies announces the first Winter School program on the theme of Communitarianism, Sectarianism, and the State. The winter school program will be held January 4th to 14th, 2020, and is open to advanced graduate students (ABD) and early career researchers in the social sciences and humanities. Prospective applicants have until September 30th 2019 to apply.

The objective of the winter school/program is to provide an in-depth and critical look at specifically selected topics in the broader study of the Middle East. For participating scholars, it provides an opportunity to network with academics from the region, gain substantive content unavailable in their home institutions and countries, and receive feedback from respected scholars. Most importantly, participants will be exposed to new ideas and case specific information.

The theme for this year is "Communitarianism, Sectarianism, and the State." This theme was chosen to reflect emerging research trends in a variety of social science disciplines, and will be approached from an interdisciplinary perspective, which will enrich the winter school and participant perspectives.

Possible topics of inclusion include, but are not limited to: sectarian or regional conflict using contemporary examples from the Arab world (such as Iraq, Yemen, etc); political violence; the history of sectarianism and sectarian thought; post-conflict studies on communitarianism, particularly from a comparative perspective (i.e. outside the Arab world); divided societies and prospects for democracy; and more.

Each workshop day will include lectures from an expert on the themes listed above, or an expert on a specific case which applies. The second half of each day will then be allocated to discussing participant papers on a similar topic.

Confirmed discussants include:

                Azmi Bishara, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies

                Morten Valbjørn, Aurhus University

                Marc Caball, University College Dublin

                Simon Mabon, Lancaster University

Abdelwahab El-Affendi, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

                Nader Hashemi, University of Denver

                Toby Matthiesen, Oxford University

                Majed Al-Ansari, Qatar University

                Adham Saouli, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

                Luai Ali, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

                Haider Saeed, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies