Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures at OSU

03/30/2026

Looking for some new courses to take during the Autumn semester. NESA has many great options for you! Scan the QR codes or copy the link below to learn about all these courses and all the courses that will be offered in the Autumn!

https://nesa.osu.edu/CoursesandPrograms/CourseSchedules/autumn-2026

03/25/2026

Please join us for an Arabic poetry recitation workshop with Hekmat Derbas. Tomorrow, 3/26 from 2-3 pm.

NESA professor and poet Hekmat Derbas will be leading an Arabic poetry recitation workshop on Thursday, March 26, from 2-3 pm.

03/23/2026

Did you know that Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions, dating back nearly four thousand years? Over thousands of years, it has influenced many parts of our society; one example is the modern concept of the weekend, which evolved from the Jewish Shabbat, or Sabbath. You can learn more about the historical, ideological, and cultural growth of Judaism in Jewish History 2201, at NESA, this Autumn 2026

https://nesa.osu.edu/CoursesandPrograms/CourseSchedules/autumn-2026

01/12/2026

Welcome Back Buckeyes! Let’s have a great semester!

12/09/2025

Students from Nathan Young’s Turk3797 enjoying the selfie station!

12/09/2025

Students and Professor from South Asian Cladsed at the NESA selfie station!

12/09/2025

Nesa has a selfie station! Join us in on the fun!

12/01/2025

FUN FACT MONDAY!

Did you know that Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions, dating back nearly four thousand years? Over the thousands of years of existence, it has influenced many parts of our society, one example being the modern concept of the weekend, which evolved from the Jewish Shabbat, or sabbath. You can learn more about the historical, ideological, and cultural growth of Judaism in Jewish History 2201, at NESA, this spring!

https://nesa.osu.edu/course-offerings/autumn-2024-course-ge-offerings/jewhst-2201-introduction-jewish-culture-thought

11/25/2025

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a great break buckeyes!

From NESA

11/24/2025

NESA FUN FACT: Did you know that Arabic is estimated to have 420 million speakers worldwide?

You can learn more about the modern Arabic literature, discussing belonging, relationship to space and migration, that you might be missing out on in Arabic 3702, at NESA, this spring!

https://nesa.osu.edu/spring-2021-course-schedule/arabic-3702

11/03/2025

Please join us for a facilitated dialogue about the Middle East on Wednesday, November 5, from 1-2pm, in Enarson 160. The event will begin with an opportunity to ask questions and engage with project directors Hannah Kosstrin and Joy McCorriston, and faculty collaborators Yiğit Akin, Naomi Brenner, Johanna Sellman, and Ori Yehudai. It will then proceed to a dialogue facilitated by Aaron Yarmel.

This dialogue is the second in a two-year project, funded by a Centers and Institutes Grant from Global Arts and Humanities, that engages modern and historical questions about power regarding minoritized communities in the Middle East through collaborative research, dialogue, and artistic productions. The project is a collaboration between the Melton Center for Jewish Studies, the Middle East Studies Center, and the Center for Ethics and Human Values.

10/21/2025

Near East by Midwest is a podcast hosted by the Department of Near Eastern Languages at the Ohio State University.

It regularly features interviews with scholars specializing in the Near East, South Asia, and related disciplines, alongside other educational videos. The content is geared towards all interested in the region’s history and languages!

The first interview is with Professor Charles Havel of Rutgers University, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Mandaic Language and the history and culture of the Mandaeans. The interview is conducted by graduate student Salma Albezreh.

To watch the video, please use the links below: ⬇️

Channel: https://youtube.com/?si=it83KZwfJx8LJt_y

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJLZBMGxjZ4&t=510s

Subscribe to be alerted on new content by The Near East by Midwest Podcast!