The Fletcher School

The Fletcher School publishes a foreign policy journal, an online student newspaper, and a creative writing periodical, but none until now have offered Fletcher students and alumni a chance to publish original scholarly work to a larger audience. Enter Al Nakhlah.

Sponsored by Fletcher’s Program for Southwest Asia and Islamic Civilization (SWAIC), Al Nakhlah is an online journal published once per semester. Al Nakhlah—the Arabic term for date palm—includes articles, book reviews, and photos. The publication aims to provide readers with unique and thoughtful insights into the region and its many aspects.

Editors Pamela Beecroft, a second-year MALD student, and Assaf Moghadam, a PhD student, point out that Al Nakhlah is the first online journal established by graduate students of international affairs that focuses on Southwest Asia—a region spanning the Eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia and the Sinai Peninsula in the West, covering the Arab heartland, and reaching as far east as Iran, Pakistan, and the Gulf States. “Southwest Asia is a region of key importance, and the international community ignores the social, political, cultural, and economic changes sweeping this region at its peril” notes Assaf Moghadam. “The aim of Al Nakhlah,” Beecroft adds, “is to provide a forum for some of the finest students in international affairs to share their perspectives on a large variety of issues related to the region and Islamic civilization as a whole.”

Beecroft and Moghadam have set several goals for the publication’s second year of existence. Among the most important challenges for the two co-editors will be to expand their audience. “Al-Nakhlah is new,” explains Beecroft, “so naturally our audience consists mostly of Fletcher people for the moment. But as an on-line journal, there are so many other potential readers, nationally and internationally.” “That’s the advantage of the journal’s electronic format,” adds Moghadam. “Your audience is virtually limitless. We’re proud of the work that our fellow students and alumni produce, and are very excited to expand Al Nakhlah’s exposure.”

Al Nakhlah was founded by Mansoor al-Nehayan, a Ph.D. candidate at The Fletcher School, who also sits on the journal’s Board of Advisers. Other members of the Board include three Fletcher professors: Andrew Hess, Director of the Program on Southwest Asia and Islamic Civilization, Leila Fawaz, Director of the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, and Richard Shultz, Director of the International Security Studies Program (ISSP). Leslie Kuechenmeister, F’01, serves as the journal’s Publisher and Alumni Liaison.

The call for papers, book reviews and other submissions for the fall issue will go out shortly. Articles must be original work by current students or alumni of The Fletcher School, and concern Southwest Asia or Islamic culture. Five to eight of the submissions will be accepted for the journal, and the authors of the top two submissions will win a scholarship award. “The first two issues have been full of fascinating and engaging pieces. We’re looking forward to reading this semester’s submissions,” say Beecroft and Moghadam, “especially from new students who bring whole new perspectives and areas of expertise to the Fletcher community.”