Sami Jiryis Sweis

Sami Jiryis Sweis serves as Assistant Professor of International Studies and Chair of Middle East Studies at Centre College, where he has been a faculty member since 2018. His academic expertise centers on Middle Eastern historical studies with particular emphasis on Jordanian state formation and Arabian Peninsula politics.

His educational background includes:

• B.A. in History and Government, Centre College (2010)
• M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies, The University of Chicago (2012)
• Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago (2020)

Sweis specializes in 19th-20th century Arab nationalism and transregional Arabian Peninsula politics, with groundbreaking research on the Hashemite dynasty's political evolution during the 1916-1918 Arab Revolt. His scholarship examines intersections of Ottoman imperial loyalty, Arab caliphate aspirations, and Islamic faith Arabization, alongside state-tribe relations in British Mandate Transjordan's transformation into modern Jordan. Additional research encompasses Islamic civilization history and non-Muslim communities within Islamic societies.

His 2024 publication in Cogent Arts & Humanities analyzes Hashemite rhetorical strategies regarding Wahhabi Islam during the late Ottoman period, reflecting his core focus on identity-politics interplay in Middle Eastern state formation. This work exemplifies his methodological approach to religious rhetoric in political legitimacy contests.

Sweis teaches Introduction to International Studies, Middle East Politics, Culture, and Society, Global Petro-Cultures, and Global Kentucky. Prior to Centre College, he taught history and Arabic at the University of Chicago and its Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies, demonstrating sustained commitment to Middle Eastern studies education.