EDUCATION. The University of North Texas is the only academic research center in the United States focusing on the study of contemporary cultural issues of the Arab and Muslim worlds. This is the mission of CAMCSI. The Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Initiative (CAMCSI) is an interdisciplinary initiative composed of faculty drawn from the visual arts, social sciences, and humanities
at the University of North Texas. CAMCSI serves UNT as the coordinating body and the primary source of support for the various courses and academic programs that cover the Arab and Muslim worlds, which include the Arab states, Iran, Turkey, central and south Asia and other parts of the world with Muslim communities. The Initiative was established in 2008 with a research and service mission, to respond to the critical need for the understanding and further the interdisciplinary studies of the contemporary Arab and Muslim worlds at UNT. An Institute focusing specifically on contemporary cultural issues fosters a mutual appreciation, both within the United States and elsewhere in the world, of the richness and the complexities that unite as well as divide the many communities that make up the populations and geographic regions of the Arab and Muslim worlds. Research and service activities of CAMSCI are organized in four primary areas:
Arabic Language | Media + Popular Imagination | Cultural Diversity | Visual Arts
The activities of the Initiative emphasize the above four areas as they interact with academic disciplines including anthropology, economics, political science, applied linguistics, women's studies, history, art, music, etc. CAMCSI commitment aims to reach wide — pre- and post-secondary educators and students, independent scholars, the media, business, and the general public — through the institute's many activities. These include the following:
Actively supporting the teaching and research of UNT's Arab and Muslim worlds specialist faculty, graduate students, and scholars through research and travel grants. Increasing the availability of related courses at UNT, including through hosting visiting faculty and study abroad programs. Organizing and sponsoring lecture series, film series, seminars, art exhibits, and major research conferences. Enhancing area languages teaching and learning at UNT through direct and indirect support of both teachers and students. Promoting interdisciplinary and collaborative work through partnerships and joint sponsorship with other institutions in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Supporting Arab and Muslim worlds-related community and cultural activities and programs.
