ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈoːɹ ðɪ ɐwˈɔːɹd wʌz nˈeɪmd fɔːɹ mˈælkəm ˈeɪtʃ. kˈɛɹ tʊ ˈɑːnɚ hɪz sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt kˌɑːntɹɪbjˈuːʃənz tə mˈɪdəl ˈiːst stˈʌdiz.
In 1984 the award was named for Malcolm H. Kerr to honor his significant contributions to Middle East studies.