The Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the University of Bergen (Senter for Midtausten og islamske studiar, SMI) was created in 1988 to be an interdepartmental link between the staff and students at the University who worked on various aspects of the Islamic world within the humanities and social sciences; as well as to be gateway between the research groups in Bergen and the outside world. Research is carried out in History, Anthropology, Archaeology, Religion, Arabic and other disciplines. Main areas of interest are Islam in Africa, Indian Ocean connectivities, the Levant as a point of encounter, Shari’a studies. It also preserves Bergen’s traditions in the study of the Republic of Sudan.