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Congratulations on the funding for the research infrastructure ICOS, Natascha Kljun, Scientific Principle Investigator of the Lund University ICOS stations! ICOS Sweden has been awarded a grant of 43.8 million SEK from VR to operate 10 stations for a period of three years. “Thank you! Yes, these are fantastic news. The grant from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet, VR) will allow us to
https://www.cec.lu.se/article/congratulations-icos - 2026-05-07
Remnants of plastic left by humans can now be found practically everywhere in nature – in waterways, within animals, and even amidst the clouds. In her thesis, Micaela Mafla-Endara examined how nanoplastics that end up in the soil affect the microorganisms living there. The answer is clear: there is an effect on the organisms and how they behave. One could say that Micaela Mafla-Endara and her tea
https://www.cec.lu.se/article/nanoplastics-influence-microbial-activity-soil - 2026-05-07
A big congratulations to professor Henrik Smith on receiving the Rosén Linnaeus Prize in Zoology from The Royal Physiographic Society of Lund. The Rosén Linnaeus Prize in Botany and Zoology has been awarded every three years since 1935 to Swedish researchers whom the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund considers to be well deserving. In 2023, the prize is awarded to Henrik Smith for his research e
https://www.cec.lu.se/article/professor-henrik-smith-receives-rosen-linnaeus-prize-zoology - 2026-05-07
A comprehensive decision has been negotiated during the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. The agreement, which calls for a tripling of renewable energy, energy efficiency and the transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, was finalised last week. Markku Rummukainen, Professor of Climatology at CEC and Sweden's contact person for the IPCC, participated digitally and comments the decisions
https://www.cec.lu.se/article/global-climate-deal-renewables-and-net-zero-energy-systems - 2026-05-07
Katarina Hedlund is the new Director of CEC after Per Persson, who left at the turn of the year. Per Persson has moved on to the role of Dean of the Faculty of Science at Lund University. Katarina Hedlund, professor at the Department of Biology, has been the Deputy Director of CEC for many years. She has also been Director of studies at CEC. “It will be easy to take over such a well-run organizati
https://www.cec.lu.se/article/katarina-hedlund-new-director-cec - 2026-05-07
On 15-17 May, the second edition of the Swedish Climate Symposium will take place in Norrköping. The symposium offers is a unique opportunity for scholars and societal actors to seek greater scientific understanding of climate change and its consequences for the environment and society. David Wårlind is part of the steering group for the symposium, and we asked him three questions about why you do
https://www.cec.lu.se/article/three-questions-david-warlind-about-swedish-climate-symposium - 2026-05-07
With the aid of two satellites and machine learning, researcher Hakim Abdi is mapping the composition of tree species in Swedish forests down to the individual stands. Through the creation of a method capable of generating annual maps of tree diversity, his aim is to assist in forest management and decision-making regarding both climate and biodiversity strategies. Funded by the Swedish National S
https://www.cec.lu.se/article/forest-analysis-through-satellite-data-and-machine-learning - 2026-05-07
Read the May-June CMES Newsletter about upcoming events, recent research activities, and new publications. The CMES Newsletter offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of Middle Eastern research. It is distributed regularly to a diverse audience of scholars, both within Lund University and beyond. Each issue features:Message From the DirectorLatest Research NewsUpcoming EventsRecent Publicat
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-52 - 2026-05-07
This CMES Regional Outlook (2025:2) by Lisa Strömbom focuses on the global responses to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In February 2025, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into force, briefly easing the intense humanitarian crisis in Gaza after months of devastating conflict. The truce was structured in three phases. The first stage was implemented and included the ex
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-regional-outlook-global-responses-escalating-humanitarian-crisis-gaza - 2026-05-07
Two CMES Yearbooks (2024 and 2021-2023 respectively), are now available to read and download. The CMES Yearbooks summarize the Centre's activities during a year or a selected period, including chapters covering:Research projectsResearch seminarsPublic lectures and eventsPolicy-dialogues, workshops, and conferencesCMES Regional OutlookTeaching and Arabic studies at CMESCMES in media and on digital
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/now-available-cmes-yearbooks-2021-2023-and-2024 - 2026-05-07
Welcome to CMES on 5th September to meet our staff and learn more about our research, activities and Arabic language courses! Enjoy some Arabic sweets, mingle with our staff, and learn more about our Arabic language courses. CMES offers several Arabic language courses during the fall of 2025, exclusively for Lund University students and staff interested in working and conducting research in Arabic
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/welcome-open-house-cmes-0 - 2026-05-07
CMES researcher Maria Småberg has recently published an article in Globalbar Magazin together with Johan Schar associate Senior fellow at SIPRI. From aid shipments in the 1960s to a unique environmental project today – Swedish saucepans tell an unexpected story of sustainability and resilience.When Sweden sent saucepans to refugees in Beit Awa in 1967, few could have imagined they would still be i
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/methods-recycling-gain-support-among-israeli-and-palestinian-communities - 2026-05-07
CMES researcher Pinar Dinc has recently published an article in the Conversation. Published: July 14.The historic disarmament ceremony on July 11 where members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) laid down their arms marked a pivotal moment in a decades-long conflict in Turkey. The ceremony was described by many who attended as a profoundly symbolic and emotional day that may signal the beginnin
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/how-does-pkks-disarmament-affect-turkey-syria-and-iraq - 2026-05-07
CMES researcher Pinar Dinc has recently published an research article an The international journal of human rights. Ecological degradation not only affects local and global environments but also threatens the cultural survival of affected societies, exemplifying the phenomenon known as the genocide–ecocide nexus. This article presents the first comparative case study of olive tree destruction in o
Read the director’s message, explore the latest research news, discover upcoming events, and browse our recent publications. After a well-deserved summer break, the CMES team gathered for a two-day kick-off at the beautiful Åhus Seaside to strategise and coordinate for the upcoming academic year. The autumn program for the CMES seminar series is already in place, offering a wide range of exciting
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-0 - 2026-05-07
CMES researcher Anne Lene Stein has recently published an research article in Babylon – Nordisk tidsskrift for Midtøstenstudier. An agonistic approach to ethnography illuminates the complexities of researching in Palestine, where violent Israeli border regimes create pro- found socio-political divides. This framework highlights the methodological challenges and the transformative potential of ethn
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/agonism-and-ethnography-palestine - 2026-05-07
New article from CMES. Article written by Mahmoud A. Abd El-Basir, Yasser Hamed, Tarek Selim, Ronny Berndtsson, Ahmed M. Helmi.Read the full article here: Link to external website.Abstract:Arid mountainous regions are vulnerable to extreme hydrological events such as floodsand droughts. Providing accurate and continuous rainfall records with no gaps is crucialfor effective flood mitigation and wat
CMES director Karin Aggestam has recently published an article in Forskning och Framsteg. She presents the article at a public event on justice at Playhouse Theatre, Stockholm, 6 October, 7pmRead the article (in Swedish) here: https://fof.se/artikel/ar-en-rattvis-fred-mellan-israel-och-palestina-mojlig/Read more about the public event: https://www.biljettkiosken.se/event/251006-fof-en_kvall_om_rat
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/prospect-just-peace-israel-palestine-0 - 2026-05-07
CMES researchers Pinar Dinc and Lina Eklund have published a new policy brief: From Conflict to Peace: The PKK’s Disarmament and the Green Potential of Peace in the Middle East. The PKK’s decision to disarm in 2025 presents a historic opportunity to transform peacebuilding in the Middle East. Beyond ending decades of armed conflict, this moment allows for addressing the deep ecological damage left
https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/conflict-peace-pkks-disarmament-and-green-potential-peace-middle-east - 2026-05-07
The ECO-Syria research team at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), Lund University, convened its second and final workshop on 15–16 September 2025 at the Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies in Lund. Titled “ECO-Syria: Exploring Conflict–Environment Interactions for Sustainable Development and Conservation”, the event formed part of the ECO-Syria research project funded by t
