Established in 2025, the Southwest Asia and North Africa Program (SWANA) is Cornell’s new hub for research, learning, and engagement with the cultures and people of the vast geographical region stretching from Morocco in the west to Iran in the east.

Our work spans the Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Armenian, Kurdish, Amazigh, and Turkish-speaking worlds across a landscape that extends beyond the “Middle East,” from a Western perspective. As a place-based description, “Southwest Asia and North Africa” highlights geographical and cultural inclusion. Learn more about SWANA.