The current situation in the Middle East will be the topic of discussion by two University of Oklahoma College of International Studies faculty, who will appear on OETA (COX 14) at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29.

Joshua Landis, an expert on Syria and the Middle East, and Samer S. Shehata, an expert on Egypt and the Middle East, will discuss the region’s current challenges and the possibility of political breakthroughs. Landis writes “Syria Comment,” a daily newsletter on Syrian politics that attracts some 50,000 readers a month. It is widely read by officials in Washington, Europe and Syria. He travels frequently to Washington, D.C., to consult with government agencies and speak at think tanks.  Shehata is the author of Shop Floor Culture and Politics in Egypt and editor of Islamist Politics in the Middle East: Movements and Change. He has testified before the House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations in the U.S. Congress.

The 45-minute interview is an installment of “Current Conversations,” a TV interview show sponsored by the OU international publication World Literature Today and OU Outreach’s Video and Media Services. The show’s moderator is Robert Con Davis-Undiano, WLT’s executive director.

For more information about this broadcast or the schedule for “Current Conversations,” go to currentconversations.ou.edu or contact Davis-Undiano at (405) 325-4531 or the show’s director, Angela Nicholson, at Video and Media Services at (405) 325-3588.