The Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies (CMENAS) is pleased to announce a second recipient of this year’s Mahfoud Bennoune Memorial Thesis Award. The winner is recent graduate Anawar Ali for his thesis titled “Community Archaeology and Decolonization: A Sudanese Perspective.” The award is given by CMENAS to support an outstanding master's thesis in memory of Dr. Mahfoud Bennoune, a beloved Algerian professor, author, teacher, human rights advocate, and father, who studied at the University of Michigan. Anawar’s thesis emphasizes the values that Dr. Bennoune fought for, including tolerance, secularism, human rights, and women’s rights. CMENAS is proud to announce two awardees this year.
Anawar Mahagoub Ali is a Sudanese scholar graduating in August 2025 with a Masters in International and Regional Studies (MIRS) - Middle Eastern & North African Studies (MENAS) specialization. During his time at the University of Michigan, his research focused on heritage and archaeology on local community representation and development. Anawar has spent over seven years working with the University of Michigan archaeological team in Sudan, excavating and preserving ancient monuments at the Kush kingdom's royal cemetery. He is now pursuing his PhD in Anthropology at Purdue University.
Congratulations, Anawar, on this outstanding achievement!
