The Eastern Mediterranean Programme

During the academic year, 2023-2024, SEESOX introduced a new interdisciplinary regional programme with a focus on the East Mediterranean region.

The Eastern Mediterranean lies at the intersection of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, intertwining Euro-Atlantic and MENA dynamics. It is a complex and volatile region, where energy, security, and geopolitical interests converge. The discovery of natural gas reserves has added a new dimension to regional dynamics, fueling both cooperation and conflict. Maritime disputes, particularly involving Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, remain central issues, while the involvement of external powers like the U.S., Russia, and China ensures that the region’s geopolitical significance will continue to grow. The region’s future stability depends on resolving territorial disputes, managing energy cooperation, and balancing complex alliances and rivalries. It is best understood through the security dynamics that shape it and have led to the resurgence of the regional label. This makes the Eastern Mediterranean crucial for Euro-Atlantic security and Europe’s political economy, serving as both a maritime and land gateway to Europe.

The programme aims to address the growing demand for policy development, alongside the essential empirical and conceptual work needed to support policy recommendations and foster academic excellence in the study of the region. This will be accomplished through research projects, publications, workshops, panel discussions, strategic dialogues, and outreach events. Key focus areas include regionalism, energy security, migration, relations with the European Union, U.S. involvement, and great power competition.