Abstract
The course is divided into two sections. The first section focuses on the
historical-political evolution of the countries of the MENA region. During the course of the
lectures the students will be introduced on the history of the creation of the countries of the
Middle East. Starting from the 7 th century students will gain an understanding on the
relationship between Europe and the Middle East and how it affected the creation of the
MENA countries during the 1 st and 2 nd World War. Secondly, the class will focus on the
period of colonization and how it impacted on the domestic and foreign policy of the MENA
countries. Thirdly, the class will turn to the Arab-Israeli conflict and will analyze its origins,
the conflict which ensued following the creation of the country of Israel, the attempts for
peaceful resolution etc. The fourth lecture, focuses on the impact of the Cold War and the
bipolar nature of the international system on the countries of the Middle East. During the
course of the lecture we assess the impact of the policies of the United States and Soviet
Union on the foreign and domestic policy of the countries of the Middle East.
The second section focuses on the Political Economy and Regional integration of the
Middle East. During the course of the lectures we analyze the role of oil and its impact on the
economies of the Middle East. Secondly, we analyze efforts for regional integration such as
OPEC and the GCC. Thirdly, we turn towards the domestic front and analyze the internal
characteristics of economies focusing on the cases of Israel and Egypt. The final lecture,
focuses on the international political economy of the Middle East analyzing their role on the
global financial system