Kate Alonso and Auria Rembert are the recipients of the 2024 Boren Scholarship and the Critical Language Scholarship (respectively). Kate and Auria are high-achieving students in the Arabic program at FSU. Click here to learn more about their accomplishment. Congratulations, Kate and Auria!    

Nadia Rassech, an undergraduate student studying international affairs and Middle Eastern Studies, received the 2024 Global Citizen Award from FSU’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE). Congratulations, Nadia! 

The Middle East Center at FSU hosted Department of Modern Linguistics and Languages Professor Dr. Farida Badr to speak on the innovations of ancient Egypt and how they have translated into advancements in modern society. Click here to read more about this cultural event. 

Our Arabic Conversation class met at Dr. Zeina Schlenoff's house and learned how to cook some Arabic dishes as part of enriching their experience with the Arab world. During the cooking lesson, students learned cultural eating etiquettes and experiences a wide range of new flavors. 

In Spring 2023, Florida State University’s Middle East Center hosted the 14th annual Middle East Film Festival, which showcased films providing insight into international cinema and perspectives rarely seen in mainstream media.

The festival was co-sponsored by the FSU Middle East Center and the Student Life Cinema (SLC) and featured four film screenings.

Our Fulbright Scholar in Residence, Dr. Simon Najm, delivered a lecture at the Globe in Spring 2023. Dr. Najm's talk was titled "The divine Light and Mystical Union: A crossroad between Christianity and Islam, the Experience of Saint Symeon the New Theologian and Mansur Al-Hallaj." 

Dr. Steven Cook, Council on Foreign Relations, delivered a very engaging and thought provoking talk as part of the 2023 Chapman Endowed lecture on the Middle East. His lecture was titled Americans and the Middle East: Where do We Go From Here?  

Thank you, Dr. Cook, and we look forward to seeing you again at FSU! 

Our MES student Rawan Abhari graduated in Spring 2023! She was joined by Dr. Zeina Schlenoff on her graduation ceremony. 

Congratulations, Rawan! We can't to see what the future holds for you! 

Zeina Schlenoff works as an Arabic teaching faculty member and the director and adviser of the Middle Eastern Studies program in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, part of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The MEC and FSU's Student Life Cinema are delighted to announce the 12th Middle East Film festival at FSU. The festival starts on Sunday, February 21 and ends on Sunday, March 21. A total of 5 films over 5 Sundays. We hope you will join us by watching these films virtually from the comfort of your home. The event is free and open to anyone from the public who wants to watch the films.