Research Directions

The Center for Middle East Studies works on all main directions of fundamental and practical research listed by the Academy of Sciences. We study historical development of Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the ethnic territory of Kurdistan, particularly the areas belonging to Turkey and Iraq; characteristics of current political, economic, social and cultural processes in these countries and regions; state and prospects of Russia’s relations with the non-Arab nations of Middle East; Islam and its influence on the social life.

Topics and Problems we research

We look into a wide array of aspects in the region’s life, such as modern and contemporary history, including social and political aspects, internal and foreign policy, economic development and international trade, current political, social and cultural situation, geopolitics and international relations.

In 2018, our Center has continued to work on its research programs, analyzing radical Islamism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, economic development in Pakistan, Iran’s military potential, characteristics of the current situation in the country and turning points of its history. We discovered new traits and patterns of the history of Russian-Turkish relations in the 19th century and the current state of affairs between the two nations; the research of Turkish and Iranian models of economy also led to significant results. Last year was marked by a major academic event – the National Inter-Institute Conference of Researchers “Nations and Nationalism in the Muslim World”, the ninth installment in the series of forums on the issues of Islam and society our Center organized. The speeches presented at the Conference, along with the proceedings of other forums and academic publications such as monographs, almanacs, and periodicals, included innovative notions and discoveries in the history, current development, and prospects of the region. Our scholars have taken part in various programs of fundamental research; expertise and peer reviews are also a significant field of work allowing to keep the high standards of academic work. The information analysis materials created at the Center allow to achieve a better understanding of the causes and possible consequences of the current events in the unstable, conflict-ridden Middle Eastern region.