The Center for Middle Eastern Studies

What The Center for Middle Eastern Studies does

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) is a non-profit academic research center established in 1963 within the University of California, Berkeley, focused on promoting interdisciplinary study of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. CMES operates as a federally designated Title VI National Resource Center, coordinating more than 60 Senior Research Scholars drawn from disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, Egyptology, Islamic studies, Jewish studies, political science, and sociology, alongside a core staff of four (Director Asad Q. Ahmed, Executive Director Nathan Spannaus, Administrative Associate Neil Gali, and Events Coordinator Natalie Stamatopoulos). The center serves UC Berkeley graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, visiting scholars, K-12 and community college educators, and the broader public through funding opportunities, workshops, reading groups, art exhibitions, and virtual exchange programs.

CMES's core offerings include student and faculty funding competitions for overseas language study and research travel, international study programs (a Karachi Summer School with IBA Pakistan and Morocco research fellowships with UM6P), the Kühn Initiative for Post-Conflict Development Studies launched in 2025, and the Stevens Scholars and Global Ambassadors programs. The center extends its reach beyond the university through the ORIAS K-14 outreach program, the California Consortium in Islamic Studies (CCIS) engaging 40+ faculty across California institutions, and a partnership with Coliseum College Prep Academy in East Oakland. Programs are delivered on the UC Berkeley campus, through virtual exchange platforms for international collaborations, and via ORIAS outreach to K-12 educators throughout California.

CMES is funded through a mix of federal Title VI National Resource Center grants, private donations, memorial funds (including the Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens Memorial Fund), and philanthropic partnerships such as the Kühn Initiative. The center does not charge for its core programs, with study abroad programs providing fellowships and stipends to selected participants. As a unit of the University of California system, CMES is governed by the UC Board of Regents, has no external investors or private equity ownership, and does not publicly disclose its revenue. The center does not offer degree programs directly; degrees are awarded through the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures and other UC Berkeley departments.

Name

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies

Legal name

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley

Website

https://cmes.berkeley.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies is a UC Berkeley non-profit academic research center founded in 1963 that promotes interdisciplinary study of the Middle East and North Africa, serving students, faculty, visiting scholars, and K-12 educators through funding, programming, and international partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Title VI National Resource Centers Funding: CMES operates as a Title VI National Resource Center, receiving federal funding support for international and area studies programs.
2. Donations and Memorial Funds: The center receives donations through UC Berkeley's giving platform, including the Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens Memorial Fund for Middle Eastern Studies and other dedicated funds.
3. External Grants and Philanthropy: Partnerships with philanthropists like Heidi Kühn and initiatives such as the Kühn Initiative provide grant funding for research programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CMES is an interdisciplinary academic research center promoting the study of the Middle East and North Africa. It funds students and faculty through scholarships and grants, supports international study and research programs (Karachi Summer School, Morocco fellowships, Stevens Scholars), runs K-14 educator outreach via ORIAS, hosts workshops, reading groups, and art exhibitions, and coordinates consortia including CCIS and the Kühn Initiative for Post-Conflict Development Studies.

Product overview

CMES is a unified academic research center offering a portfolio of interconnected programs: core research support through 60+ Senior Research Scholars; international study programs (Karachi Summer School, Morocco fellowships); professional development through the Stevens Ambassador programs; community outreach via ORIAS for K-14 educators; workshops and reading groups; art exhibitions; and partnerships including CCIS and the Kühn Initiative for post-conflict studies. CMES does not offer degree programs directly—students pursue degrees through the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures and other UC Berkeley departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ORIAS (Office of Resources for International and Area Studies): A program that helps K-12 and community college educators improve their understanding of global issues and integrate international topics into courses.
• California Consortium in Islamic Studies (CCIS)
• Kühn Initiative for Post-Conflict Development Studies
• Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens Program
• CMES-IBA Karachi Summer School

Products and services

• CMES-IBA Karachi Summer School

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 200 UC Berkeley students engaged with nearly 230 students across the Middle East and North Africa through Stevens Initiative Global Ambassadors virtual exchanges (2016-2018)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Al Akhawayn University in MoroccominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Virtual exchange course on Gender in Islam conducted in Fall 2016, enabling UC Berkeley students to explore questions of gender in Islam alongside students in Morocco.
• Roots of Peace / Heidi KühncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with philanthropist Heidi Kühn, 2024 Nobel Peace Prize nominee and founder of Roots of Peace, to establish the Kühn Initiative for Post-Conflict Development Studies. The initiative focuses on economic and agricultural development of societies emerging from conflict, connecting agricultural science, international development, political science, conflict studies, and area studies.
• Institute of Business Administration (IBA), KarachicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual intensive summer program in reading Arabic texts, training advanced students in foundational texts of the Dars-e Nizāmī from a decolonizing humanities framework. Cosponsored by American Society of Islamic Philosophy and Theology.
• Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), MoroccocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Morocco's premier research hub providing fellowships for UC Berkeley graduate students to conduct research in Morocco between May and August, with free housing, round-trip tickets, and stipends.
• California Consortium in Islamic Studies (CCIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary collaboration among California institutions for the study of Islam from origins to contemporary period. Based at UC Berkeley as partnership between CMES and Department of Near Eastern Studies, with 40+ faculty participants from institutions including Stanford, UCLA, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Riverside, and USC.
• Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMES conducts K-12 and community college outreach in partnership with ORIAS, which helps educators improve understanding of global issues and integrate international topics across disciplines through free programs.
• Coliseum College Prep Academy (CCPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year cohort partnership with public high school in East Oakland, offering seminar courses co-taught by CMES Director and CCPA instructors, focusing on humanities and texts of resistance and empowerment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Columbia Middle East Institute: Columbia's hub for Middle East research, offering fellowships, programming, and academic exchange. Directly comparable as a peer Ivy League area studies center.
• Yale Council on Middle East Studies: Yale's coordinating body for Middle East studies, supporting interdisciplinary research and language programming. Comparable mission and elite-university positioning.
• UT Austin Center for Middle Eastern Studies: University of Texas's Title VI-funded National Resource Center for Middle Eastern studies, with research, language, and outreach programs directly comparable to CMES.
• Brandeis Crown Center for Middle East Studies: Brandeis's interdisciplinary center on Middle East studies, with research, programming, and K-12 outreach analogous to CMES's ORIAS offerings.
• Duke-UNC Center for Middle East Studies: Consortium-based center at Duke and UNC offering Middle East programming, fellowships, and K-12 outreach similar to CMES's portfolio.
• University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies: University of Chicago's hub for Middle Eastern studies, providing interdisciplinary research, fellowships, and public programming comparable to CMES.
• Princeton Department of Near Eastern Studies: Princeton's academic unit covering the Middle East with research, teaching, and graduate training. Closely comparable in scope and academic-prestige positioning.
• Georgetown Center for Contemporary Arab Studies: Georgetown's center focused on the Arab world with interdisciplinary research, graduate programs, and policy engagement. Shares CMES's emphasis on area studies and outreach.
• UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies: UCLA's Title VI-funded center covering the Near East, with interdisciplinary research and graduate training that closely mirrors CMES's academic programming.
• Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies: Harvard's primary center for Middle Eastern studies, offering interdisciplinary research, language programs, and outreach similar to UC Berkeley's CMES. Directly comparable in mission and structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHRGTdGO3IhZdgNSEm56kBA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ORIASatUCBerkeley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-center-for-middle-eastern-studies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Center for Middle Eastern Studies