mei-nus

ME 101 Lecture #05: Geopolitical Competition in the Middle East | Israel – More than Just Palestine

ME 101 Lecture #05: Geopolitical Competition in the Middle East | Israel – More than Just Palestine
by Dr Kevjn Lim [Thursday, 30 September 2021]

For more information about ME 101, click here: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/event/me-101-lecture-series-2021/ 

Lecture #06: The Politics of Economic Reform

Lecture #06: The Politics of Economic Reform by Ms Rana Karadsheh-Haddad [Wednesday, 6 October 2021]

For more information on ME 101, click here: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/event/me-101-lecture-series-2021/

[Boots Off the Ground: Security in Transition in the Middle East and Beyond] Episode 19:The Future of Private Military

In this episode, Professor Deborah Avant describes how privatisation of the monopoly of violence evolved from the two conflicts in Iraq up till the fall of Kabul.

This podcast series is presented by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow and Dr Ameem Lutfi, Research Fellow, at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.

ME 101 Lecture #07: The Challenge Beyond Economics | Renewables as the New Oil or the Geopolitics of Carrots

Lecture #07: The Challenge Beyond Economics | Renewables as the New Oil or the Geopolitics of Carrots

by Mr Philippe Rose [Thursday, 14 October 2021]

 

For more information on ME 101, click here:

https://mei.nus.edu.sg/event/me-101-lecture-series-2021/

 

 

The Eagle Looks East: A Conversation with General (ret.) David H. Petraeus

The tumultuous US withdrawal from Afghanistan marked the end of America’s “forever wars” and also highlighted the shift in America’s focus – away from the Middle East and Central Asia and towards the Indo-Pacific.

General (ret.) David H. Petraeus, former head of the CIA and former commander of the US Central Command, will discuss America’s shifting strategic priorities in a conversation with the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore (MEI-NUS).

Among other things, the discussion aims to map out how the US’ focus on the Indo-Pacific will shape its military and intelligence strategies. It will also tackle the question of how Russia and China’s jockeying for strategic positioning vis-a-vis the US will affect security and the regional military balances. This session will be moderated by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow, (MEI-NUS).

This public talk was conducted online via Zoom on Tuesday, 19 October 2021, from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm (SGT).

Ertuğrul Goes East: Turkey Rising in South Asia

[This event is organised by the Middle East Institute's Arabia Asia Research Cluster and the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore] 

In 2019, at the start of Ramadan, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the country to watch a dubbed version of the Turkish period drama, Diriliş: Ertuğrul (Resurrection: Ertuğrul), on national television. In it, viewers will see that the hero struggles to impose just rule against foreign enemies. This drama was originally released in 2014 by the government-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation to shore up domestic support for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by highlighting parallels between the hero’s struggles and the embattled Turkish leader’s rule. Ertuğrul is also popular among the Muslims of India and Bangladesh.

Turkey's relations with the countries of South Asia have undergone significant changes recently. While Ankara and New Delhi enjoy cordial economic ties with two-way trade at 5.42 billion dollars from 2020 to 2021, they have had an uneasy political relationship due to Turkey’s support for Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue and divergent views on the Gülen movement. With Turkey set to become a critical player in post-America Afghanistan, bilateral ties are likely to enter a difficult phase. Pakistan has generally leaned towards Turkey, which, under Erdoğan, has chased neo-Ottoman ambitions of leadership of the Muslim world. Both have supported each other on the global stage and alongside Malaysia, they have designs on an alternative Islamic axis to rival the Arab one. Turkey also has close links with Bangladesh in several areas –  bilateral trade is expected to double from the estimated 1 billion dollars that it currently is and  Ankara has also internationally-backed Dhaka over the Rohingya issue.

The panel discussion will look at the history of Turkey’s links with South Asia and extend to exploring geopolitical impacts on the growing Ankara-Islamabad and Ankara-Dhaka ties, while examining the growing distance between Ankara and New Delhi. Finally, it will survey the cultural ‘battleground’ in the Muslim world, where drama serials such as Ertuğrul and the Saudi Arabia-UAE-backed Kingdoms of Fire are used to further each side’s narrative.

This public lecture was conducted online via Zoom on Wednesday, 20 October 2021.

Lecture #08: The Challenge Beyond Economics | Climate Change in a Desert

ME 101 Lecture #08: The Challenge Beyond Economics | Climate Change in a Desert
by Dr Aisha Al-Sarihi [Thursday, 21 October 2021]

 

For more information on ME 101, click here: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/event/me-101-lecture-series-2021/ 

2021 S R Nathan Distinguished Lecture

The aim of the S R Nathan Distinguished Lecture is to provide greater awareness and understanding of the modern Middle East. This lecture provides a forum for statesmen, internationally prominent scholars and public intellectuals to express their views on key issues. The lecture series is named in honour of Singapore’s late former president, Mr S R Nathan, who encouraged a deeper understanding of the Middle East region in Singapore.

The 2021 S R Nathan Distinguished Lecture is organised by Middle East Institute (NUS), in collaboration with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (Singapore).

His Excellency Omar Saif Ghobash (Assistant Minister for Cultural Affairs, United Arab Emirates) will look at the latest developments in the UAE’s foreign policy, in a changing global economy as well as the economic imperatives that it is addressing as a nation. The UAE implemented policies and initiatives to maximise its efforts and resources to gain internal growth and prosperity. It must be noted that the country has a growing young population and the government has geared up to provide the best possible infrastructure for them and the rest of the population to prosper. Youth empowerment plays a vital role in enabling the younger generation to shoulder responsibilities, innovate and contribute to the welfare of the UAE’s community. In June 2019, the UAE cabinet decided that it was mandatory to include young Emiratis in the boards of directors of government entities, institutions and companies. Following that, in February 2020, the government approved 33 young Emiratis as members of the boards of directors for key federal entities.

In today’s context, foreign policy is directly connected to a country’s internal affairs. Therefore, it is essential to explain the internal dynamics of the UAE society,  the nation’s politics and its economics. These components allow for a comprehensive understanding of the choices made by Emirati policymakers and trends of the UAE’s foreign policy. The lecture also aims to provide answers to questions about the practices of the Emirates’ foreign policy in the Middle East.

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law will be giving an opening speech.

This public lecture was conducted online via Zoom on Wednesday, 27 October 2021.

Lecture #09: The Challenge Beyond Economics | Women and Youth – A Force for Change

ME 101 Lecture #09: The Challenge Beyond Economics | Women and Youth – A Force for Change
by Dr Sharifa Al Yahyai [Thursday, 28 October 2021]

For more information on the 2021 ME 101 series, click here: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/event/me-101-lecture-series-2021/ 

Lecture #10: Religion and Political Islam in the Middle East and Its Impact on Our Region

Lecture #10: Religion and Political Islam in the Middle East and Its Impact on Our Region by Dr Norshahril bin Saat [Friday, 5 November 2021]

 

For more information on the 2021 ME 101 series, click here:

https://mei.nus.edu.sg/event/me-101-lecture-series-2021/