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Sandstorms, oil wells and revolutions - the MENA region's intertwined challenges between climate, culture and conflict

Victoria Mummelthei

Information for students

The course starts on 23.4. Course communication takes place via the blog https://nodiscipline.hypotheses.org/

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In this seminar, we will explore the complex and often underestimated interactions between environment, culture and political conflicts in the MENA region. By critically analysing current research findings and historical contexts, we will challenge conventional wisdom about this region and open up new perspectives on familiar topics. We explore how climate changes have shaped and toppled civilisations over millennia, how water and desert landscapes act not only as physical but also as cultural and political spaces, and how modern conflicts are often deeply rooted in historical and ecological conditions. From eco-theology in Islamic and Jewish perspectives to the role of water in antiquity, from the consequences of climate change on information societies to international energy co-operation, this seminar offers a multidisciplinary and critical engagement with a region that is often misunderstood and simplified. Students are encouraged to develop and critically analyse their own research interests and actively participate in knowledge exchange through presentations and discussions. The aim is to develop a deeper understanding of the complexity of the MENA region while sharpening the analytical and critical skills necessary for an in-depth understanding of regional and global as well as social and cultural contexts. close