Dear MESC Community,

Thank you to all our community members for your wonderful support and attendance at our Winter 2026 events, Collective Memory and Political Culture: A Field Study on Palestinian Refugees in Syria's Al-Yarmouk Camp and the Tarbell Mentorship Program 2026 with Dr. Asli Cansunar.

As we transition into the Spring term, here are a few highlights from Winter 2026:

* We welcomed a new visiting scholar, Nidal Betare, Adjunct Professor of Politics and Global Affairs, who gave a lecture on "Collective Memory and Political Culture: A Field Study on Palestinian Refugees in Syria's Al-Yarmouk Camp."

* We held the Tarbell Mentorship Program 2026 with Dr. Asli Cansunar, who spoke to students and gave a public lecture, "Triaging Responsiveness in New States with Limited Capacity: Evidence from Turkey."

Stay tuned for our upcoming Spring events, including a Multidisciplinary Panel Discussion on Developments in Iran and the 2nd Tarbell Mentorship Program with Dr. Richard McClary.

We look forward to insightful discussions and continued engagement this Spring. If you have achievements to share in our next newsletter, please send the details to mesctr@pdx.edu.

Thank you for your continued support.

Warmly,
Lindsay Benstead
MESC Director

We were honored to host our newest visiting scholar, Nidal Betare, Adjunct Professor of Politics and Global Affairs, for a talk on Collective Memory and Political Culture: A Field Study on Palestinian Refugees in Syria's Al-Yarmouk Camp.

Drawing on his research and experience, Mr. Betare offered a compelling exploration of how displaced communities construct and preserve collective identity under conditions of prolonged hardship and political marginalization. Using Al-Yarmouk Camp, once the largest Palestinian refugee settlement in Syria, as a central case study, he examined the deep connections between memory, cultural resilience, and political consciousness among its residents.

The presentation sparked a rich and engaging conversation, with a large turnout of community members who brought thoughtful questions to the discussion. It was a great intellectual exchange, and we are grateful to our visiting scholar, Nidal Betare for sharing his insights and expertise with our community.

We were delighted to welcome Dr. Asli Cansunar, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington, as our 2026 Tarbell Mentor. Her visit spanned two days, during which she engaged directly with students in the classrooms and delivered a public lecture to our broader MESC community. 

During her classroom sessions, Dr. Cansunar shared about her academic and professional journey, speaking about her path from graduate study to her current role as a researcher and professor. She shared the key decisions, challenges, and opportunities that shaped her career, offering students both practical guidance and genuine inspiration on navigating academia, from research to teaching, and building a scholarly identity.

For the public lecture, Dr. Cansunar presented her research on Triaging Responsiveness in New States with Limited Capacity: Evidence from Turkey, exploring the question of how newly established or resource-constrained states decide which citizens or groups to prioritize when they lack the capacity to address all demands at once. Drawing on empirical evidence from Turkey, she examined the political and institutional mechanisms that govern state responsiveness, shedding light on how limited capacity shapes governance, inequality, and citizen-state relations.

 It was a lively and intellectual discussion, with the audience asking thoughtful questions. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Cansunar for her generosity, expertise, and the meaningful impact she made on both our students and our wider community.

April 8th, 2026 | 12:30-2:00pm | Parson Gallery, CUPA Building

April 16th, 2026 | 11:30-12:30pm | Zoom Meeting.