MESA Association criticizes UAE government’s restrictions imposed on academic research

The North American Association for Middle East Studies (MESA) castigated New York University's silence concerning the UAE government's decision to deny visas to two university professors who had received invitations to teach at the university's branch in Abu Dhabi.

In a letter to Andrew Hamilton, the New York university president; Beth Baron, the head of the association, explained that she perceives this silence as “a betrayal”, and as a breach to the University's commitment to ensure freedom of academic research.

She also explained that it is ironic, coming from “a university that is part of a global network”, the aim of which is to facilitate the exchange and fertilization of experiences of teaching staff and ideas.

She went as far as condemning this silence as a sort of silent agreement and involvement in a discrimination crime committed by the UAE. She pointed out that, on several occasions, the UAE have discriminated against academics based on religious or ethnic grounds, which is a crystal clear violation of the United States’ law.

MESA was established back in 1966, with the aim of providing academic scholarship program opportunities and university studies in the Middle East and North Africa. It has a published magazine, the International Journal of Middle East Studies, which has approximately 3,000 members worldwide.

MESA’s objective is to better higher education in the Middle East and to ensure academic freedom of expression within the Middle East and in studies of the region in North America and elsewhere.