New Directions in Palestinian Studies aims to shape scholarly works in this field through an annual workshop, an endowed post-doctoral fellowship, and a book series with the University of California Press.

This initiative, co-organized and led by professors Nadje Al-Ali and Beshara Doumani, and supported by Africana Studies, is committed to to initiating internal conversations and dialogue within Brown and Middle East studies more broadly and to organizing activities which engage with the global issues of structural racism and exploitation.

Through annual workshops, curated exhibits and performances and visiting professorships and lectures, this research initiative cultivates a network of scholars passionate about the relationship between the arts and social agency. The aim is to support, innovate, work and shape research agendas in the fields of Islamic art and architecture, Middle Eastern cinema and photography, fine arts, visual culture, music and dance.