Syria Program

MEI’s Syria Program seeks to provide insightful and grounded research and analysis on all things Syria in order to better inform a wide range of audiences and to help sustain and shape a more meaningful policy-oriented discussion. Drawing on the expertise of over a dozen renowned scholars, the Syria Program covers all aspects of Syria and its ongoing crises - from political, economic, legal, social, ethnic and religious dynamics, to conflict, insurgency and terrorism and the country’s history and possible futures.

Resolving the Detainee Crisis

The Middle East Institute (MEI), in partnership with the International Center for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR) at King’s College London, is spearheading a high-level initiative aimed at resolving a major security and humanitarian crisis that resulted from the territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria in 2019. Since then, the U.S. and local Syrian partners have been holding more than 9,000 ISIS fighters in 26 makeshift prisons and 45,000 associated family members in secured camps – all representing more than 55 different nationalities.

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Syria Strategy Project

The Middle East Institute, The Atlantic Council, and European Institute of Peace collaborate with subject matter experts and policymakers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to sustainably forge a pathway to resolving Syria’s crisis.

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#SyrianVoices

The Voices of Syria project is an undertaking by the Middle East Institute, in partnership with Syrian civil society, to better inform the general public and to guide policymakers toward a more holistic view of the situation in Syria by leveraging the voices of the unheard and their hopes and aspirations. In this series of short videos, Syrians reflect on issues of reconciliation and justice, and the plight of Syria’s women and children after years of war.

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Upcoming Events

No events are currently scheduled for this program. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive notification of events as they are added to the calendar.

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About the Director

Charles Lister

Lister is the author of “The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency” (Oxford University Press, 2016). His research focuses on terrorism and insurgency across the Levant. As a senior consultant to the Syria Track II Dialogue Initiative, he managed nearly three years of intensive face-to-face engagement with the leaderships of over 100 Syrian armed opposition groups.

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Advisory Council

The Syria Program’s Advisory Council is a body of venerable individuals committed to supporting the program’s mission to provide insightful and grounded research and analysis on all things Syria, in order to better inform a wide range of audiences and to help sustain a more meaningful and impactful policy discussion.