History

The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies is an interdisciplinary education and research organization founded in 2001, devoted to the regional study of the Middle East and North Africa. The Center is part of The Fletcher School at Tufts University. Its aim is the study and understanding the region and the challenges it faces in the twenty-first century, being at the crossroads between the academic and policy world. 

The Fares Center was established with the financial support of Issam M. Fares, a Lebanese businessman, deputy prime minister of Lebanon, Tufts trustee emeritus, and a member of Tufts’ International Board of Overseers and the Board of Overseers for Arts & Sciences. The dedication of the Center took place in March 2002, with President Bill Clinton speaking at the event. 

Initially the regional focus of the Center was on Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and the neighboring countries of Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, and Turkey. Later on, the focus was broadened to also include other countries in the greater Middle East and North Africa regions. 

Leila Fawaz was the founding director of the Center, from 2001 to 2012. Nadim Shehadi succeeded her taking over in 2015. Before Vali Nasr became dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in 2012, he held the position of associate director at the Fares Center. Ibrahim Warde served as Interim Director of the Fares Center from 2018 to 2020. Nadim Rouhana was appointed third director of the Fares Center in September 2020 and continues to serve as such.