Research overview

The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies is an Area Studies department grounded in multidisciplinary approaches to research and training. Within a purpose-built space, it brings together anthropologists, archaeologists, literary scholars, linguists, political scientists, historians, sociologists and scholars of religion. Researchers collaborate within the Institute, as well as within disciplinary networks at Exeter, alongside their contributions at national and international levels. We strongly believe that the presence of a variety of disciplines, along with geographic and temporal specialisms, within one building enriches the work we produce as a collective.

Staff and postgraduate research students are affiliated to one these clusters, sharing research findings and participating in seminars, lectures and research projects.

Research centres

MPhil/PhD students work alongside researchers within the following research centres:

• Centre for Gulf Studies
• Centre for Persian and Iranian Studies
• Centre for Kurdish Studies
• European Centre for Palestine Studies
• The Centre for the Study of Islam
• The Centre for Islamic Archaeology

Careers

Arab and Islamic Studies postgraduates have progressed on to a wide range of careers in the UK and internationally, helped by the reputation of the Institute. These positions span both the public and private spheres and have included academia, journalism, security and political roles.