The Center was founded in 1957 by the noted Austrian historian and Arabist Gustave E. von Grunebaum, who came to UCLA as a professor of Near Eastern History. The Center is one of the earliest research centers promoting interdisciplinary studies of the Middle East and the Islamic World in the United States.
Over the decades, the Center has attracted an outstanding faculty and developed a world-class multi-lingual library collection for Middle East research. We offer an intellectual home for scholars from all over California, along with scholars from around the world who contribute to our lively programs of colloquia, lectures, conferences, teacher workshops, and public events.
Our Center was critical to the development of Middle East Studies at UCLA, which has become one of the major U.S. institutions for teaching and research on the region. Each year, thousands of UCLA undergraduates take courses related to the Middle East and North Africa within their disciplines. The Center has mentored generations of graduate students, ensuring the growth and diversification of expertise in the field.