Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM)

The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) is an interdisciplinary, interregional and intergenerational research platform on the Maghreb and the Middle East. Founded in 2020 and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), it is located at the renowned Université de Tunis, Tunisia. Under the guiding theme "Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity" MECAM is investigating the complex processes of (re)negotiating social models for the future in the region in the context of unequal starting conditions.

Its research agenda is divided into five thematic clusters, each consisting of heterogeneous fellow groups: "Inequality & Mobility", "Memory & Justice", "Aesthetics & Cultural Practice", "Resources & Sustainability" and "Identities & Beliefs". Against this backdrop, MECAM develops and organises various event formats aimed at both the academic as well as the general public. In addition, MECAM pursues a multi-layered publication strategy, ranging from the publication of anthologies and articles in open access journals to the establishment of its own working paper series.

Led by the Philipps-Universität Marburg, the partners of the MECAM consortium in Germany include the GIGA - German Institute for Global and Area Studies in Hamburg, the Forum Transregionale Studien in Berlin and the Universität Leipzig. In addition to the Université de Tunis, regional partners include the Université de Sfax, the Université de Casablanca Hassan II and the Orient-Institut Beirut.

Directorate: Rachid Ouaissa (Philipps-Universität Marburg), Amel Guizani (Université de Tunis)

Coordination: Julius Dihstelhoff (Coordination Office Tunis), Benjamin Heidrich (Coordination Office Marburg)

Further information can be found on MECAM´s official website: www.mecam.tn