Duke’s AMES (Asian and Middle East) department is broken. So, we propose a new pathway within the AMES department: MENA Studies. AMES majors are offered three regional pathways: the Middle East, East Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent. However, the choices for North Africa classes are slim pickings, and the department makes it unclear that these courses are included in the Middle East pathway. While we know that implementing a MENA pathway won’t fix the structural and cultural problems that plague Duke’s AMES department, it’s definitely a start.
