Extraordinary Stories and People: New program highlights the breadth of Palestinian and Arab studies

In Fall 2024, the Division of Social Sciences announced that it was forming a new program in Palestinian and Arab Studies. The program, led by the holder of the new May Ziadeh Chair Ussama Makdisi, a professor of History, was created to deepen understanding of Palestinian and Arab history, politics, and culture. Makdisi says the program is one of the first of its kind in the United States.

“The program is a long overdue step in providing students and the community access to learn about the Palestinians and related Arab studies,” Makdisi says. “Palestinian experience is about more than just conflict. This is a history that, in the United States, is largely unknown, often misrepresented. In fact, Palestinian history is filled with many extraordinary stories and people.” 

Makdisi says the program, which is in the early planning stages, is a response to the upsurge of interest among students to learn more about the Palestinian people. A wide range of students, not just those of Arab and Palestinian descent, sought more opportunities to engage in this history and culture, he says. The program welcomes everyone. The endowed program, supported by $3.25 million in philanthropic donations and other funding, will support research opportunities and cultural activities, including workshops, student prizes, writing prizes, fellowships for research, and eventually community facing events and resources. One day it hopes to offer an undergraduate minor.

One impetus for the program was to recognize the comprehensive culture and history of the Palestinian and Arab experience. Affiliated faculty from a number of departments will foster and support research on a wide range of topics as disparate as poetry, legal studies, modern Arabic literature, colonialism, Islamophobia, and ecology and environmental studies. In its quest to show the fullness of the Palestinian experience, the program will also curate art exhibits by contemporary Palestinian artists. 

“By exploring such a wide array of topics, we hope to destigmatize the field and the idea of Palestine, out of thinking of it as something toxic or controversial by looking at the extraordinary people and culture and achievements,” Makdisi says.

One third-year student who craves learning more is Jenna W. A rhetoric seminar and several related panels has fueled her passion for deeper learning. Jenna, a Palestinian-American student, is taking Professor Makdisi’s History 100 M Special Topics course, Palestine and the Palestinians: A Modern History, further sparking her interest in knowing more about this history and culture.

“I am so excited about this new program, as it is so necessary to have courses on Palestinians that are not just about displacement and dispossession,” she says. "We had a thriving culture and society before and deserve to be defined by so much more.”

Jenna is thrilled that the program will offer not only courses, but a series of panels and lectures by UC Berkeley professors, graduate students, and visiting scholars. 

“To be honest, I think I have learned more by attending panels and lectures than classes. The fact that the program is so much more than classes will allow students to go deeper,” says Jenna, who notes that many of her friends, including those of different backgrounds and faiths, are eager to explore the program’s offerings. In addition to research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in diverse fields, future Palestinian and Arab studies programs, lectures, and panels will be open to the entire campus community. 

Doaa Dorgham, the Program Director to the South Asian, Southwest Asian, and North African (SSWANA) Initiative, which provides support services for students, says that the Palestinian and Arab Studies program will have a significant impact campuswide, in particular for the Palestinian and Arab students on campus who may sometimes feel isolated.

“Growing up, I never saw my Palestinian identity, history, or experiences reflected or centered in any university curriculum. I believe this program will provide Palestinian and Arab students with an invaluable opportunity to see themselves represented and their stories affirmed through research, academic courses, and art. Such exploration is essential to self-discovery and building a sense of belonging. In today’s political climate, where inflammatory rhetoric is often directed at Palestinian and Arab communities, this program will play a crucial role in promoting deeper understanding and greater awareness of their histories and contributions.”