The United States government created "area studies" around the Second World War, funding universities to understand the "areas" of the world that were important to the expanding U.S. empire. But, now, with the U.S. empire entering the autumn of its decline, and the repression that followed the events of October 7, area studies is entering a new phase of insecurity. This is especially true about Middle East Studies.

Navid joined Ameem Lutfi, Duke PhD and an assistant professor of historical anthropology at LUMS, to discuss all of this.

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