The Center for Gulf Studies at the American University of Kuwait Hosts Lecture on the "Arab Spring"

Kuwait -- As part of his visit to Kuwait, Dr. Gilles Kepel , a world-renown expert in Middle Eastern studies, gave a talk at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) on Monday, November 21, 2011. The talk titled "A New Arab World: Implications and Challenges Facing the Gulf Countries" was hosted by the Center for Gulf Studies at AUK and took place at the AUK Salmiya Campus.

Dr. Kepel, who is the author of more than ten books on the Middle East, talked about the present situation in the Arab world in light of the wave of protests and revolutions that started in late 2010, now commonly referred to as the "Arab Spring". In his lecture, Dr. Kepel analyzed the political, social, and strategic dimensions of each revolution taking place in the Arab World, as well as the domestic and international dynamics that are shaping these movements. Dr. Kepel also discussed what he believed to be the major causes for the "Arab Spring", and offered insights on likely scenarios for the future. In his lecture, Dr. Kepel classified the Arab countries being impacted by the "Arab Spring" based on those whose influence on the world system outweighs domestic considerations, and those with less global significance. The speaker concluded his lecture with some thoughts on the challenges and prospects facing the Arab World in the near future. After the lecture Dr. Kepel took several questions from the audience.

The lecture, which lasted for approximately two hours, attracted many students, scholars and public audience, who were keen to share their different experiences and expectations about the political statuses of their countries.

Dr. Kepel is the Academic Director of the Kuwait Program at Sciences Po, a Gulf-focused research and training program established in 2007 and funded by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). Dr. Kepel is also a Professor of Middle East Studies at Sciences Po University, a Senior Fellow at the Institut Universitaire de France, and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics. In addition, Dr. Kepel is the General Editor of the Near East Series at Presses Universitaires de France - PUF - Publishing House.

The Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at the American University of Kuwait aims to promote greater cultural understanding of and increased intellectual interest in the Gulf, by facilitating free and open academic discourse on a range of issues that both shape and challenge this critical region of the world. The goal of CGS is to enable scholars as well as political and civil society actors both within and outside the region to contribute and add value to the burgeoning field of Gulf Studies, while at the same time informing and engaging the general public. To this end, the CGS encourages, supports, and cultivates interesting and original research on the Gulf, while regularly organizing a variety of public academic events such as lectures, roundtable discussions, and conferences.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 23rd November 2011