al-Ard

About the project

Masahat is glad to be part of the al-Ard: The land we care for research group at the Department of Culture, Religion, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oslo. Given al-Ard’s interdisciplinary focus on cultural production as a critical, yet often overlooked, dimension in environmental research on the MENA region, Masahat is eager to collaborate on curating literary and artistic events reflecting on the themes of ecological degradation and environmental care.

About the research group

Environmental research on the Middle East and North Africa (the MENA region) is mostly dominated by studies with a social-science approach. These studies are focused on how governments respond to climate challenges and the adoption of renewable energy.

The research group “al-ARD” aims to contribute new knowledge about how environmental changes are addressed by ordinary citizens in the region. With an interdisciplinary approach, we will study people’s daily lives, their responses, and practices in the face of environmental degradation. We will also explore how these issues are represented in cultural expressions.

Al-Ard Book Club

As part of the ongoing cultural events, al-Ard research group orgsnizes a Book Club that meets regularly at the University of Oslo. Al-Ard Book Club brings together readers from different backgrounds to read and discuss works of Arabic literature that explore intersections of environmental disruption and care for the land.

Check out Al-Ard Book Club webpage for the next reading.

Programme

Book club meetings and other activities from the al-ARD research group. All book club meetings take place at the OCEH Lab, 4th floor, P.A. Munchs hus, University of Oslo.