CMES

Newsletter #29

June 2022

Study Modern Standard Arabic at CMES

During the fall of 2022, CMES will offer two 10-week Arabic language courses to Lund University students and staff interested in working and conducting research in Arabic speaking countries: Modern Standard Arabic for Beginners and Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic. Participants should apply no later than Monday September 5, 2022. For more information about the courses visit our website.

The Role of Drought in the Syrian War Was Exaggerated

With the aid of satellite images, researchers at CMES have uncovered unique data on the severe drought that hit Syria between 2007 and 2009. Previously, many politicians and researchers believed that it was decisive for the outbreak of war in 2011. However, the new results indicate that agricultural land had already recovered by 2010. Read the article here. (Photo: Ahmed Akacha)

The Lebanese Election

CMES scholar Rola El-Husseini Dean has been interviewed about the recent Lebanese election in Dagens Nyheter. In the article, Rola argues that the situation in Lebanon is worse now than it has been in almost a hundred years. To transform Lebanese society, the country needs to be rid of the contemporary political elite that has controlled politics since the end of the civil war in 1990.

The Other Side of the Story – How Children of Immigrants Experience Life

CMES researcher Dalia Abdelhady's research on the children of immigrants in the US, France and Germany has recently been featured in an article at Lund University. The article poses questions such as: how does migration and globalisation affect the children of immigrants in terms of integration, identity and cultural expression? 

CMES Researchers Warn of Fire Risk in War-Torn Ukraine

CMES researcher Lina Eklund, who studies the connection between war and fires in nature, has followed developments in Ukraine with great concern. Her research shows that when the intensity of conflict increases and more people die, the number of fires increases. She is particularly concerned about the fires around Chernobyl where there is a risk of increased radiation and emissions of radioactive particles.

Fabio Cristiano Successfully Defends His PhD Thesis

CMES PhD researcher Fabio Cristiano successfully defended his PhD thesis The Blurring Politics of Cyber Conflict: A Critical Study of the Digital in Palestine and Beyond on June 2. In conversation with faculty opponent Professor Anna Leander (Graduate Institute Geneva) and the examination board, Fabio discussed his work on cyber conflict in the context of Palestine. Read more here.

Hasan Hosseini Successfully Defends His PhD Thesis

CMES PhD researcher Hasan Hosseini successfully defended his thesis Advanced Remote Sensing Precipitation Input for Improved Runoff Simulation on June 16. In conversation with faculty opponent Associate Professor Søren Liedtke Thorndahl and the examination board, Hasan discussed his work on using remote sensing and artificial neural networks to measure precipitation and rainfall runoff.

Drought, War and Rural Livelihoods in Syria

CMES scholar Lina Eklund recently spoke at a LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies) seminar. The seminar, held on May 19, was titled "Drought, war and rural livelihoods in Syria’s northeast: a spatiotemporal perspective".

Climate Change and Environmental Security in MENA

CMES scholar Pinar Dinc participated in a roundtable discussion on climate change and environmental security in the MENA region organised by the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI) and the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East & North Africa. The roundtable was held on May 24 and titled "Exploring the nexus of climate change, environmental security, and political conflict".

Sonic Stories and Male Bodies Behind Bars

CMES scholar Maria Malmström participated in a seminar on political thought focusing on the Arab Spring hosted by the Middle East Centre at St. Antony's College in Oxford on May 25. Her talk was titled "The living dead or the sonic story of male bodies behind bars".

Sweden, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the People's Defense Units (YPG)

CMES scholar Pinar Dinc has been interviewed on Swedish Public Radio about Sweden's approach to the PKK and YPG in relation to Sweden's application to join NATO and Turkey's objections.

"Groundwater Extraction Reduction within an Irrigation District by Enhancing the Surface Water Distribution"

Authors: Hamed Tork, Saman Javadi, Seyed Mehdy Hashemy Shahdany, Ronny Berndtsson and Sami Ghordoyee Milan

"Evaluation of modified Hilhorst models for pore electrical conductivity estimation using a low-cost dielectric sensor"

Authors: Nessrine Zemni, Fethi Bouksila, Fairouz Slama, Magnus Persson, Ronny Berndtsson  and Rachida Bouhlila

"Agonistic recognition as a remedy for identity backlash: insights from Israel and Turkey"

Authors: Bahar Rumelili and Lisa Strömbom

The Street of Associations: Migration and Infrastructural (Re)Production of Norra Grängesbergsgatan, Malmö

Authors: Laleh Foroughanfar