MENA: Middle East and North Africa

Content

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is often misunderstood. While in the past it was often romanticized, it now often presented as a source of refugees,violence and radicalism. This minor will provide students with the latest insights into the political, religious, and cultural developments in the region. Radboud University’s leading researchers on the Middle East and North Africa have been brought together in this minor to explain the development of political thought, the administration of polities and cities, the changing interfaith relations between Muslims, Jews and Christians, and the difficult transition from empire to nation-state. The more contemporary part of the course focusses on the background of the region’s current political instability, the effects of demographic trends, and the patterns and variations in life courses and life chances. The purpose of the minor is to provide students with the knowledge and tools to analyze past and present developments in the MENA and develop a balanced view on the region.