Congratulations to Nadje Al-Ali, Robert Family Professor of International Studies, professor of anthropology and Middle East studies, on receiving the Birkelund Fund for Watson Institute Faculty Research on Development, Governance and Security. To further her project on gender, art and body politics in the Middle East, Al-Ali will analyze the various ways women artists and activists engage and challenge gender-based inequalities and gendered violence in the Middle East. She plans to address the question of “if and how women artists challenge prevailing gender norms and relations while also exploring the relevance of art and cultural production in feminist and queer activism in the region.” The project will focus on two countries associated with sectarianism, authoritarianism, and a history of war and violence: Iraq and Lebanon. 

The Birkelund Fund for Watson Institute Faculty Research on Development, Governance and Security supports two of the Watson Institute's primary objectives: innovative faculty research and experience-based learning for students. This year the Birkelund Fund awarded grants to five research proposals. These seed funds are awarded to research proposals in their early stages that can eventually be eligible for external funding.

Find out more about the Birkelund Fund and this year's other faculty recipients here.