We are pleased to share the First Quarter Updates & Collaboration Opportunities from Social Sciences Lab MENA, of this year, including recent achievements, ongoing initiatives, and new opportunities for collaboration that may be of interest .
MENA Junior Fellowship
We are delighted to announce that we received 886 applications worldwide for the second edition of the MENA Junior Fellowship. The quality of applications was exceptionally high and highly competitive. In response, we decided to expand the number of fellowship places from 12 to 20, allowing us to support more outstanding junior scholars from the MENA region and beyond who are engaged in MENA studies.
Over the next three months, the program will continue to host workshops and training sessions led by distinguished scholars and practitioners. Fellows will also be expected to develop an academic paper or policy-oriented output during the fellowship.
In this regard, we are pleased to invite members of our Scientific Community who may be interested in supervising one or more fellows. Supervision can be flexible in duration (around two months) and may take place through email, online meetings, or a combination of both.
You may view the fellows’ biographies here, and abstracts are attached to this email:
https://www.ssl-mena.org/mena-
If you would be interested in mentoring a fellow, please feel free to contact us and we would be happy to facilitate the connection. Please we will wait your confirmation any time before 10th of May.
MENA Yearbook of Social Sciences 2026
We are also pleased to share progress on the MENA Yearbook of Social Sciences 2026, our new academic initiative dedicated to interdisciplinary research on the Middle East and North Africa.
The editorial and scientific structures are currently being finalized, with scholars from different regions joining the initiative. Preparations for the inaugural volume are progressing well, including contributor outreach and thematic planning.
We are proud to confirm that the Yearbook will be published with De Gruyter Brill. The call for papers is now open, and the first volume is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
More information is available here:
https://www.ssl-mena.org/mena-
We would greatly appreciate your support in sharing the call for papers within your networks. We would also be very pleased to receive your own contributions.
Scholars Incubator Program
Next week, we will conclude the second edition of the Scholars Incubator Program. It has been another rewarding journey, marked by excellent outcomes and inspiring progress among participants.
It is always encouraging to witness how the Lab supports scholars in securing academic opportunities, participating in international conferences, and publishing new research.
We have also had the privilege of welcoming distinguished guest speakers such as Dr. Nathan J. Brown, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, and others.
We remain grateful for your continued participation in our programs and always welcome your suggestions for future activities.
Other Updates
Our team continues to grow.
We are pleased to welcome a new Program Manager, who will focus on strengthening the Lab’s network and deepening engagement with our Scientific Community, of which you are an important part. She will also support the preparation of an EU COST funding proposal, which would help finance future network activities, especially that the Lab at the moment still function without any funding.
In addition, we have welcomed new Program Assistants, bringing our team to 4 Program Managers and 7 Program Assistants.
More information about our team is available here:
https://www.ssl-mena.org/team
Note: New team members will be added to the page shortly.
Upcoming Initiative: Non-Resident Fellows Program
We are also excited to share that we are currently developing a new initiative to be launched in the coming months. This will be a one-year program aimed at building stable research groups to produce collaborative academic outputs and pursue major research funding opportunities such as the ERC, Estonian Research Council, and similar schemes.
Final Note
We are always grateful for your ideas, advice, and feedback, and your generous expertise and time. Please do not hesitate to reach out at any time, and we would be equally happy to answer either by email, or if suits you to arrange a call.
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