- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Georgia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Palestinian Territories
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
- 1,630 + Penn alumni located in the Middle East
- 149 Penn students on average reported studying abroad annually in the Middle East
- 230 + Penn faculty reporting more than 420 projects and activities in the Middle East
- 31 active agreements with institutions in the Middle East
The Middle East has long been a region of interest for Penn. In 1887, the Penn Museum was founded to house artifacts from a Penn-led archaeological expedition to Mesopotamia, during which the ancient Sumerian city of Nippur was first excavated. Since then, the University has consistently pursued deeper engagement with the Middle East, and the Middle East Center, founded in 1965, promotes the interdisciplinary study of the region at Penn and throughout the Philadelphia area. Several Middle Eastern languages are currently offered at Penn, including less commonly taught languages such as Ottoman Turkish. Students can also choose from a diverse selection of short- and long-term study and internship opportunities in the region.
The Middle East Center's (MEC) mission is to raise awareness about the unique circumstances of the Middle East and North Africa through implementing K-14 educational outreach programming, special events and academic lectures relating to the region.
