Staff

Mana Kia

Director, Middle East Institute | mk3586@columbia.edu

Mana Kia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African studies. For more about her work and teaching, see her faculty page.

Astrid Benedek

Associate Director, Middle East Institute
amb49@columbia.edu

Astrid Benedek has been the Associate Director of the Middle East Institute since December 2003. Holder of an M.A. from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a B.A. in Middle East and African Studies from Georgetown University, she previously spent 12 years in the not-for-profit sector managing international education programs, including teacher-training programs in the Former Soviet Union for the Open Society Institute.