War and the future of social research in the Middle East

The American and Israeli war in the Middle East – and especially on Gaza, Iran and Lebanon – has caused widespread death and destruction and undermined security and stability in the region.

The scale of the destruction, the apparent lack of clear objectives, and the various challenges in negotiating agreements, all point to a high likelihood that the current conflict will not have a swift resolution.

Even if the war is punctured by periodic and temporary ceasefires, there are strong indications that the fighting and violence will recur periodically in the foreseeable future.

What does this mean for the future of social research in Lebanon, which, as Israel’s geographical neighbour, is experiencing an ongoing Israeli incursion and occupation in the southern part of its territory? What does it mean for the future of social research in the wider region, given the number of countries whose security has been affected?

The uncertainty and lack of stability means that long-term research plans – especially where fieldwork and research on the ground are concerned – cannot be designed and followed as before without expectation of disruptions and plans for adaptation.

At the same time, the crises that many communities across the region are facing mean that research on social, economic and political challenges is as urgently needed as ever, even if planning and carrying out such research is difficult.

The situation requires new ways of thinking about social research in the context of war and uncertainty – ways of thinking that reflect the changing circumstances and lived realities on the ground, and adapt research practices to the needs of the present and expectations for the future.

The half a day symposium will bring scholars and practitioners working on the Middle East in an effort to catalyse conversations that directly address these questions and problems. The event will offer a series of reflections and conversation on what is needed, what is possible, and what ought to be done for the future of research in the Middle East.

About the speakers:

Methods 1 2 3 4

1 Amal Al-Jubouri, SOAS

2 Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad, King’s College London

3 Ali Omar Ali, Lebanese Spotlight

4 Mayssa Jallad, Institute for Global Prosperity (Moderator)

Data 5 6 7

5 Sayed Ali Alavi, SOAS

6 Elisabetta Pietrostefani, University of Liverpool

7 Saffron Woodcraft, Institute for Global Prosperity (Moderator)

Concepts 8 9 10

8 Sabiha Allouche, University of Exeter

9 Fatemeh Sadeghi, Institute for Global Prosperity

10 Nikolay Mintchev, Institute for Global Prosperity (Moderator)

About UCL Institute for Global Prosperity

We are redesigning prosperity for the 21st century, changing the way we conceive and run our economies, and reworking our relationship with the planet. Our vision is to help build a prosperous, sustainable, global future, underpinned by the principles of fairness and justice, and allied to a realistic, long-term vision of humanity’s place in the world. Find out more ►