Middle Eastern Studies Program
From the Program Director, Dr. Dina Le Gall
Drawing on faculty from a number of departments, the Interdisciplinary Program in Middle Eastern Studies seeks to provide students with an introduction to an area of the world that is as historically and culturally rich as it is critical to today’s geopolitics. The double purpose is to introduce students to a variety of topics and issues in the history, politics, languages, societies, and cultures of the Middle East and to give them the opportunity to study the Middle East using the tools of diverse disciplines. We define the Middle East broadly to include the whole area from North Africa to Afghanistan.
The program is offered as a minor field that complements a wide array of majors. It is particularly valuable for students who wish to combine an interest in the Middle East with majors such as History, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, or Languages and Literatures in preparation for graduate work in Middle Eastern Studies or for professional careers in education, business, media, government, human rights, diplomacy, and law, among others.
Learning Goals and Objectives
Field Competency: Students will gain an introduction to the Middle East and develop a grasp of central issues in the history, politics, literatures and/or societies of the region. They will approach the Middle East from at least two disciplinary perspectives, including anthropology, history, literature, or political science.
Analytical Skills: Students will hone their reading and analytical skills, and will know how to access information and how to summarize and evaluate scholarly arguments and media opinions based on evidence.
Writing Skills: Students will be able to produce well-argued and carefully supported written assignments in which they synthesize information from different sources, advance and sustain arguments, use citations according to accepted academic standards, and avoid plagiarism.
Cultural/Political Awareness: Students will be aware of the diversity of Middle Eastern societies, will learn to approach these societies with empathy, and will be able to participate productively and dispassionately in discussions of complex and contested issues.
Upcoming Events
December 7, 2025
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Winter Concert Lehman College & Community Chorus Lehman Symphony Orchestra
Master works for chorus and orchestra including Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major, additional works by Mozart, Brahms, Rutter, and Handel, as well as multicultural seasonal selections and a holiday sing-along for the audience.
December 8, 2025
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Lehman Jazz Ensemble Lehman Guitar Ensemble December Concert
These two ensembles showcase the versatility and creativity of Lehman’s student musicians. The Jazz Ensemble will perform an eclectic mix of styles, including jazz, Latin jazz, and hip hop. The Guitar Ensemble will present contemporary arrangements inspired by the instrument’s rich traditions in blues, jazz, pop, and rock.
December 8, 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Film Screening: "A Portrait of Michel" (Remembering Disappeared Syrians)
December 8 will be the 1-year anniversary of the fall of the Hafez al-Assad regime. Jennifer MacKenzie (English & Journalism and Media Studies) will be screening a short (43-minute) documentary, "A Portrait of Michel", by Christine Gedeon, a Syrian-American filmmaker, about her disappeared uncle, Dr. Michel Saadé, a young Paris-trained doctor who was abducted and imprisoned during the rule of Hafez al-Assad. Director Gedeon will answer questions about the documentary after the screening.
December 9, 2025
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Experience exhilarating Latin jazz in the spirit of legends such as Machito, Tito Puente, Mario Bauzá, and Cal Tjader. For this performance, the ensemble will present selections from the iconic repertoires of Mongo Santamaría, Mario Bauzá, Poncho Sanchez, and Eddie Palmieri, celebrating the artists who helped shape the genre.
December 14, 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
A festive mix of holiday selections and wind-band classics, including perennial holiday favorites Christmas Festival and Sleigh Ride, a medley of traditional tunes in Hanukah Festival Overture, the lively Dreidel Dance, and by popular demand, Minor Alterations, a playful game of musical hide-and-seek. Rounding out the program will be two movements from British composer Philip Sparke’s Sinfonietta No. 4, a vibrant work offering a modern salute to grand band masters of the past.
