On 22 March 2022, the membership of one of the oldest institutions in the US dedicated to the study of the Middle East voted to support a resolution to abide by the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel. This special session will explore the contours of this historic vote, and reflect on the transformative promise of MESA as an institution, as scholarly gathering, and as incubator for new ideas, practices, and research in and on the Middle East. The special session aims to foster open conversation about visions ahead on three primary axises: 1) MESA amidst political, economic and social crises both in the US and in the Middle East, and the role of learned societies and professional institutions, 2) the ongoing collapse of old academic architectures, resultant forms of precarities and exploitations, and possibilities for institutional transformation, 3) the relationship of MESA to peers and scholars in the region.