THE NAHREIN NETWORK

About this research project

The Sumerian King List combines myth, legend and history; a political construction of the past around 1800 BC.

For many years, museums and cultural heritage sites across the Middle East have been destroyed, damaged or put at risk as a result of conflict. Millions of dollars of international aid have been pumped into documentation, digitisation and conservation projects but in the rush to protect and preserve these sites, the long-term impact to and implications for local communities have often been overlooked. The Nahrein Network enables local people to reclaim this heritage as local history, and to put it to constructive use for local communities and economies. It creates partnerships between Nahrein Network participants and provide funding and support to help Middle Eastern universities, museums, archives and cultural heritage sites build their capacity to contribute to their countries' economic, cultural and social development in the years ahead.

Research aims

The Nahrein Network harnesses interdisciplinary humanities research and education to ensure that Middle Eastern communities are able to take intellectual ownership of their heritage. It welcomes humanities educators and researchers back into the international fold by offering varied options for international, interdisciplinary collaboration, training, mentoring and peer-group support. Opportunities are provided for early career researchers and especially for women and minorities to help support those who are most at risk of being ‘left behind’ in conflict-affected areas. Funded projects address different themes, and intended to allow Network participants to learn from and build on prior findings, and respond to new developments in the region. Based at UCL with research hubs in Oxford, the University of Al-Qadisiyah and Sulaimania Polytechnic University, the project aims to share and embed good practice and make policy recommendations across the network's full geographical range.