The Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (IMEIS) at The University of Durham, is based within the School of Government and International Affairs. IMEIS is a Social-Science focused research institute. The Director of the Institute is Professor Clive Jones.

Study Programmes

IMEIS offers two masters level courses. First, a two year programme: MSc: Arab World Studies, with Arabic Language. Second, a newly launched MA: Politics and International Relations of the Middle East (for 2024/25 onwards ), as a one and two year programme, with Arabic Language. 

The Institute has a number of funding routes available for doctoral students, which includes: 

1. The AHRC-Funded Northern Bridge Consortium
2. The NineDTP

IMEIS also offer two post-doctoral fellowships: 

1. The Mohamed Ali Foundation Fellowship Programme is hosted by Durham University and funded by the Mohamed Ali Foundation. It is awarded to early career (post-doctoral) or established scholars. The Fellowship is established to devote scholarly attention to the Abbas Hilmi II Papers held at Durham University and to make the collection’s strengths more widely known to scholars.Fellows will be awarded an honorarium and accommodation and all meals will be provided for the duration of the fellowship; a research travel grant is also available to each fellow.
2. The Sir William Luce Fellowship is awarded annually to a scholar at post-doctoral level, diplomat, politician, or business executive, working on urgent regional issues that particularly affect Sudan, South Sudan, South Arabia, the Gulf States and Iran. The Fellowship is hosted by Durham University during the Easter term of each academic year. The Fellowship, tenable jointly in the Institute for Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies and Trevelyan College, entitles the holder to full access to departmental and other University facilities such as Computing and Information Services and the University Library. The Fellowship also carries a grant, accommodation and all meals for the duration of the Fellowship. 

Open Access Resources and Events

The Institute's long standing publication, the Durham Middle Eastern Papers is open access and can be found online.

The Abbas Hilmi II papers held by Durham University Library and Collections, contain papers that cover the period of `Abbas Hilmi II’s khedivate 1892-1914, and extend after his deposition in December 1914 until his death on 21st December 1944 at Geneva. Almost all of these papers have been digitised, and images are linked from the collection catalogue here. There is a guide to this collection which can be found here.  

The Sudan Archive contains records relating to both Sudan and South Sudan, and several collections also contain material relating to the MENA region. The Archive, in common with all the collections held by the University Library and Collections, is accessible to all. The relevant guide to the Sudan Archive can be found here.

The Institute holds regular events, open to all. These are advertised on the website and registration is needed. Additionally, the Anne Lambton Memorial Lecture Series is held annually at the beginning of March, where scholars researching Iran are hosted. The series is jointly held with the British Institute of Persian Studies, and alternates between London and Durham.