Mapping Connections InterAsia Research Institute, Beirut January 2026

From 16–19 January, the Mapping Connections project convened a workshop in Beirut in partnership with the Arab Council for the Social Sciences and the InterAsia Project. Hosted as an InterAsia Research Institute, the gathering brought together the new cohort of eight early-career researchers participating in the Mapping Connections project, who presented works in progress and received feedback from scholars working on China and the Middle East. The workshop also welcomed a range of visiting scholars from China, who delivered lectures on topics including China’s political system and its expanding overseas connections, fostering dialogue across regional and disciplinary boundaries.

A joint day with the Urban Political Research Network further expanded the programme, featuring an academic panel titled “Space, Scale, and Knowledge Production in SWANA,” with contributions from Mona Harb, Sarah El-Kazaz, Adam Hanieh, and Seteney Shami. Alongside research presentations, the workshop offered professional development sessions focused on academic publishing and public-facing writing. MERIP managing editor Marya Hannun led a dedicated session on writing for broader audiences, underscoring the project’s commitment to nurturing critical scholarship that moves between academic and public spheres