Uconn Middle Eastern Cultural Programs

The Middle Eastern Cultural Programs (MECP) strive to foster connections between students, promote the education of Middle Eastern culture, celebrate the intersectionality of identities, and advocate for the professional development of students. MECP aligns itself with the University’s diversity commitment of cultural centers to provide vital resources in support of the social, behavioral, and cultural needs of students. It exists to serve as a central resource for both the UConn community and surrounding communities for issues and historical context related to the demographic group represented by the center. MECP also shines light on issues that the underrepresented Middle Eastern population faces. It is important to note that the Middle Eastern identity is not strictly Asian, African, or European. It is a combination of many different regions, nationalities, ethnicities, and religions. We hope to use MECP to celebrate Middle Eastern culture by integrating the academic components of campus along with the cultural experiences of the students. In this way, MECP acts as liaison between the academic partners on campus and the cultural groups that fall under the Middle Eastern umbrella.