ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (CMENAS) will celebrate its 65th anniversary on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Vandenberg Room on the second floor of the Michigan League.
Join us to celebrate the legacy, scholarship, & future of MENA Studies. The anniversary will bring together generations of the CMENAS community to recognize the center’s history, reflect on its impact, and look ahead to the future of Middle East and North Africa studies at Michigan.
A highlight of the celebration will be a keynote address by Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a University of Michigan (U-M) alumnus. Miller earned his Ph.D. in Middle East and U.S. diplomatic history from U-M and went on to have a distinguished career in diplomacy and foreign policy, including more than two decades at the U.S. Department of State, where he worked on Middle East issues and the Arab-Israeli peace process.
Miller will deliver the anniversary keynote from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., bringing his perspective as a scholar, policy expert, diplomat, and Michigan alumnus back to Ann Arbor for this milestone year.
Founded in 1961, CMENAS has served for 65 years as a hub for interdisciplinary scholarship, language study, research, teaching, and engagement focused on the Middle East and North Africa. The anniversary offers an opportunity to honor that legacy while bringing together the faculty, students, alumni, educators, and friends who continue to shape the center’s future.
Event Details
CMENAS 65th Anniversary Celebration
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
10:30 a.m.–4:40 p.m.
Vandenberg Room, 2nd Floor, Michigan League, University of Michigan
Additional information and registration details will be available here: https://myumi.ch/AxxkJ
