About

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 peoples 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 and is increasingly used among organizations seeking decolonial self-representation.

SWANA builds on the contributions of the Comparative Muslim Societies Program, part of the Einaudi Center from 2001 to 2025, and the Critical Ottoman and Post-Ottoman Studies initiative (CO+POS). We look forward to partnering with communities in the SWANA region and scholars around the world focused on contemporary and historical SWANA, MENA, Near East and Arab world, and a diverse range of ethnic and cultural identities.

In our founding year, we'll host conversations in partnership with Einaudi Center programs, the Department of Near Eastern Studies, and more. Join us for events on the region and become part of the SWANA community!