This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 693244)
The ‘Middle East and North Africa Regional Architecture: mapping geopolitical shifts, regional order and domestic transformations’ - the MENARA Project - studied the geopolitical order in-the-making in the South and East Mediterranean countries and the Middle East amid the deep-reaching social and political changes unfolding since 2010.
The project aimed at describing the main features of the regional geopolitical order, its origins and evolution; identifying and mapping the key domestic, regional and global actors, dynamics and trends; building future scenarios for 2025 and 2040; thereby also informing EU policies and strategies. It examined whether, where, and when dynamics of conflict and/or cohesion prevail, the level and depth of regional fragmentation and the impact of regional and domestic processes on global dynamics and vice versa. This was achieved by analysing ideational and material factors (national, sub- and supra-national identities; religion and politics; global identities; demography; energy; economy; military; environment) and by conducting in-depth research on specific case studies on ongoing dynamics at three different levels (domestic, regional and global).
The research was based on quantitative and qualitative methods - including fact finding missions on the ground, interviews, focus groups, Delphi surveys - and innovative foresight techniques. Research was accompanied by pioneering dissemination methods with the intention of increasing the project’s impact, not only within specific academic communities and policy-making circles, but also on the broader public. This included the translation of research results into accessible deliverables such as audio-visuals, a ‘futures notes’ series, infographics and interactive maps, and a Massive Open Online Course.