70 Researchers from Seven Countries: HSE University–St Petersburg Hosts Conference on Middle Eastern and North African Studies
HSE University–St Petersburg held the Third International Academic Conference ‘Army, Elites, and Society in the Middle East and North Africa.’ The event brought together researchers from Russia, Oman, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and several other countries.
This year, the conference reached a new international level thanks to the close cooperation between the Institute of Asian and African Studies at HSE University–St Petersburg and the Al Khalil bin Ahmed al-Farahidi Centre for Arabic Studies and Humanities at the University of Nizwa (Sultanate of Oman).
Among the participants were more than 70 scholars from leading Russian universities, the University of Nizwa, the University of Oregon (USA), the Seyitnazar Seydi Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute (Turkmenistan), and the Tashkent Branch of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (Uzbekistan). The conference programme featured 11 thematic sessions on Medieval and Early Modern history, the epigraphic heritage of Russian Muslims, contemporary regional security issues, media studies, and art.
Milana Iliushina
Dr Milana Iliushina, Head of the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies, noted that cooperation between the institute and the University of Nizwa began in 2024 and gave new opportunities to bring the conference to an international level. During a special session dedicated to contemporary Omani studies, scholars discussed the cultural phenomenon of Omani coffee, aspects of Iranian–Omani relations, and other topics related to the history and spiritual life of the Sultanate of Oman.
‘A particularly compelling presentation was delivered by Dr Nasser al-Saadi and Dr Suleiman al-Husseini, who examined the origins of one of Oman’s military organisations. The presentation by Hamad al-Azri on the role of women in contemporary Oman also sparked a wide response from the audience. We are grateful to Dr al-Husseini for his dedication to scholarship and our cooperation,’ emphasised Dr Milana Iliushina.
Dr Suleiman al-Husseini
Dr Suleiman al-Husseini, Director of the Al-Khalil bin Ahmed al-Farahidi Center for Arabic Studies and Humanities at the University of Nizwa, highlighted the strong engagement of young scholars:
‘I was particularly impressed by the presentations of young Russian researchers, including students of the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies at HSE University–St Petersburg.’
Valeriia Novikova
Valeriia Novikova, a fifth-year student of the Bachelor’s programme ‘Asian and African Studies’ and programme coordinator of the conference, explained that the event has grown immensely in just three years—from public seminars of the research group ‘Army and Military Traditions in the Politics, Society, and Culture of the Arab World’ to a major international academic platform with almost no analogues in Russia.
‘Today, the conference is strongly associated with the Institute of Asian and African Studies at HSE University–St Petersburg and has become one of the few permanent research platforms of this scale in Russia. Our key goal for the future is to preserve and develop this project, expand international cooperation, increase the number of foreign participants, and continue introducing bold, innovative research formats,’ she said.
In 2025, the conference introduced a new track—Academic Debut—giving early-career researchers an opportunity to present full academic papers. Vadim Golev, a third-year student of the Bachelor’s programme ‘Asian and African Studies,’ presented an analysis and translation of an Ibadi letter dating back to the 11th–12th centuries:
‘The most challenging part was working with the Classical Arabic text. It is rich in metaphors and vocabulary, the meanings of which have shifted over time. But this made the research especially fascinating. I see my presentation as an important step in my academic career.’
The session ‘Images of War and the Army in Middle Eastern Art’ focused on Ottoman military costume, modern Iranian art, and zodiac symbols in the Qajar era. Rosa Ashkenazi, an archivist and postgraduate student at the Institute for Linguistic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, presented a paper on the cycle of miniatures for the poem ‘Musa-nama’ by the poet Shahin:
‘I studied the borrowing of motifs from Persian painting and how they were adapted within Jewish culture. The conference created opportunities not only for established scholars but also for early-career student researchers, whose presentations were equally compelling. The professional dialogue that emerged helped to determine the direction for further research.’
In the session ‘Words, Symbols, Meanings: The Language of War and Ideology in the Middle East of the 20th–21st Centuries,’ participants discussed ideological semantics, Iranian war prose, representations of ideological crisis in 20th-century Jordan, and information strategies of Iran’s protest movements.
Elvira Aleyeva, a student of Kazan Federal University, presented a study on the ‘army–people’ concept in Egyptian media. She examined the mechanisms behind the construction of national unity in print journalism. After the conference, she shared her plans to continue her master's studies at HSE University–St Petersburg.
‘I have been following the Institute of Asian and African Studies for a long time. The trip to the conference was a great opportunity to get to know HSE better. I appreciate the university’s openness and academic culture. After completing my bachelor's degree, I hope to continue my studies at HSE University–St Petersburg,’ she said.
Grigory Lukyanov, Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Deputy Head of the IOS–HSE Joint Department, believes that dialogue between generations of scholars helps develop new research approaches and facilitates knowledge exchange:
‘Colleagues are addressing topics that have lacked systematic analysis in recent years. I admire the courage of the young scholars—they did not hesitate to ask questions and share their findings. At HSE University–St Petersburg, there is a platform capable of generating new international projects.’
According to Svetlana Krivokhizh, Head of the Department of International Relations and Political Processes of Asian and African Countries and moderator of one of the sessions, the international status of the conference helps to expand HSE University–St Petersburg’s network of partners:
‘We are moving beyond the Russian academic field and building stable ties with universities of the Global South. For early-career researchers, this is not only a chance to present their work but also an opportunity to enter a professional community.’
The organisers emphasised the importance of the academic dialogue between the University of Nizwa and the Institute of Asian and African Studies at HSE University–St Petersburg.
‘We met Dr Evgeny Zelenev and Dr Milana Iliushina to discuss concrete steps for further cooperation—not as an abstract idea but as a real work plan. We are preparing to launch joint research projects connected to Oman and Russia. The most important thing is for researchers on both sides to work together, exchange experience, and produce shared scientific results’, summarised Dr Suleiman al-Husseini, Director of the Al Khalil bin Ahmed al-Farahidi Center for Arabic Studies and Humanities at the University of Nizwa.
Among the nearest international initiatives is the upcoming School for Young Researchers, which will be held in late November at the Institute of Asian and African Studies.