Message for high school students

In my research, I use the area studies approach to analyze the countries of the Middle East, primarily Iraq. The majority of people associate the Middle East with war, terrorism, and Islamist extremism. My research is focused on these issues. As these are all formidable problems that don’t conform to the norms of the international community created primarily by the West, the theories of political science and international relations are inadequate to the task of analyzing them. The area studies approach, on the other hand, is effective. Put simply, it involves conducting research aimed at gaining a holistic understanding of the area concerned (whether this might be a village, a country, or a region encompassing a number of countries), including its politics, society, culture, and history. I believe that it is effective to seek to understand the Middle East’s wars, terrorism, and extremist religious movements against the backdrop of the region’s society, culture, and history. Come and make use of a variety of disciplines as we learn together at the School of Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation.