1) University of Exeter – Gulf Studies

• Centre for Arab Gulf Studies was established in 1978 and the centre was merged with the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies in 1999. The new merged form was named Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies.

• The Centre for Gulf Studies is well-known around the world. It also hosts Gulf Conference series since 1979.
• The centre also hosts the Gulf Collection a part of the Arab World Documentation Unit (AWDU).
• The centre has quite an inter-disciplinary approach to the region with studies ranging from political economy to history and from archaeology to anthropology.
• More information can be accessed through their website.

2) Qatar University – Gulf Studies

Qatar University’s Gulf Studies Program was initially launched in 2011 as an MA programme. The MA programme provides diverse courses about the region from society to economy and from history to other aspects of social science. The programme’s scope is the six Gulf Cooperation Council members, Iran, Iraq, and Yemen.

The Gulf Studies Center was established in 2013. Currently, the Center provides MA and PhD programmes. The center has several publications and events. The Gulf Monographic Series, Gulf Insights, and Policy Brief are some of the publications that the center regularly publish.  

More information can be found through their website.

3) Princeton University (Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies)

The Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmini Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies is established in 2012 in order to provide academic knowledge about Iran and Persian Gulf Studies. The center now does not provide its own courses, but host events and and provide space for researchers. More information can be found through their website.

4) Oklahoma State University – The Iranian & Persian Gulf Studies (IPGS) Program

The Iranian & Persian Gulf Studies (IPGS) Program was established in 2016 and aims to enhance the understanding of the region in economic, cultural, political, and ecological aspects. More information can be found on their websites.

5) University of Virginia (Arabian Peninsula and Gulf Studies)

In the mid-1990s, the Arabian Peninsula and Gulf Studies Program was the only academic programme in the US to study the Gulf and the Peninsula. The late Prof. Rouhollah Ramazani taught Persian Gulf politics courses in the 1970s and 1980s, making UVA a research hub.

For more information, visit their website.