The Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum (MENAF) is an independent, non-partisan think-tank
and registered charity based out of the academic community of the University of Cambridge.
The Forum is dedicated to encouraging original, intelligent, and constructive dialogue about the Middle East and North Africa,
and to developing and advancing policies that secure Britain’s role in it.
In 2016, the Forum was established in Cambridge as a venue for scholars, journalists and policy practitioners to discuss their work at current affairs events and professional roundtables.
In 2020, the Forum became a registered charity in both the United Kingdom and the United States with the mission of fostering productive dialogue about Britain’s role in the MENA region, and using historical and regional insight to develop an intelligent, far-sighted vision for Britain in the Middle East.
In 2022, the Forum launched the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) and the Applied History Initiative (AHI).
The WLI promotes a greater and more nuanced understanding of women’s rights issues in the MENA region by fostering an open, inclusive dialogue between scholars, activists, thought leaders, business leaders, and policy practitioners.
The AHI serves as a hub for historically-minded research into the Middle East’s most pressing diplomatic and strategic issues, encouraging historians to apply their work to Middle East policy, and to support policymakers with historical insight.
In 2023, the Forum launched its Young Leaders’ Initiative to create a network of emerging leaders in academia, policy analysis and the private sector, foster progressive collaboration between their respective disciplines, and encourage productive policy discussions surrounding the political, economic and security affairs of the MENA region.
In 2024, the Forum launched its Critical Minerals Initiative to foster relationships across government, business and research, and analyse the mining, refining and trade of critical minerals from a British foreign policy and development perspective, looking to support the building of prosperous and mutually beneficial cooperation between the UK and her partners in the MENA region, Africa and beyond.
In 2016, the Forum was established in Cambridge as a venue for scholars, journalists and policy practitioners to discuss their work at current affairs events and professional roundtables.
In 2020, the Forum became a registered charity in both the United Kingdom and the United States with the mission of fostering productive dialogue about Britain’s role in the MENA region, and using historical and regional insight to develop an intelligent, far-sighted vision for Britain in the Middle East.
In 2022, the Forum launched the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) and the Applied History Initiative (AHI).
The WLI promotes a greater and more nuanced understanding of women’s rights issues in the MENA region by fostering an open, inclusive dialogue between scholars, activists, thought leaders, business leaders, and policy practitioners.
The AHI serves as a hub for historically-minded research into the Middle East’s most pressing diplomatic and strategic issues, encouraging historians to apply their work to Middle East policy, and to support policymakers with historical insight.
In 2023, the Forum launched its Young Leaders’ Initiative to create a network of emerging leaders in academia, policy analysis and the private sector, foster progressive collaboration between their respective disciplines, and encourage productive policy discussions surrounding the political, economic and security affairs of the MENA region.
In 2024, the Forum launched its Critical Minerals Initiative to foster relationships across government, business and research, and analyse the mining, refining and trade of critical minerals from a British foreign policy and development perspective, looking to support the building of prosperous and mutually beneficial cooperation between the UK and her partners in the MENA region, Africa and beyond.
Today, the Forum produces research that approaches key regional issues from historical and global perspectives. In addition to its publicly-available projects and publications—especially Manara Magazine and the Strategic Brief—the Forum provides independent analysis and recommendations to policymakers in Parliament, Whitehall, and around the world.
The Forum also remains a venue for debate and discussion, hosting talks, interviews, and roundtables in Cambridge and London. The Forum hosts regular roundtables and Track II dialogues for London’s business, policy, and diplomatic communities, creating a venue for constructive discussions about the Middle East and North Africa region’s future in a local and international context.
