Archive for 2019
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The 12th Annual International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference (IRTP) 24-27 June 2020 in Braga, Portugal
All detailed information about the Conference can be found at our web site: www.irtp.co.uk
2. International Conference: “Historicity and Islamicity: Perceptions of Early Islamic History in Contemporary Muslim Thought”, Institute for the Study of Islamic Culture and Religion, Goethe University in Frankfurt a.M.,12-14 December 2019
Our conference attempts to shed light on the contemporary Muslim perceptions and perspectives on the early history of Islam. It will first address the mechanisms of construction of ‘early Islamic history’ and its use in the processes of identity building among Muslims and, in a next stept, the critical and revisionist approaches to history developed by Muslim scholars.
Organizers: Prof. Dr. Armina Omerika, Dr. Soumaya Louhichi-Güzel.
See program at https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/82093441/ContentPage_82093441
3. Conference “Visible and Invisible Borders between Christians and Muslims in the Early Modern World”, Central European University, Budapest, 10-11 January 2020
We aim to create a network that will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of past relations between Christianity and Islam in the European context through the addressing of three main research problems: otherness, migration and borders.
Information: https://is-le.eu/calls/conferences/
4. Workshop: “Mosques, Power and Politics”, University of Copenhagen, 22-24 January 2020
This seminar will examine the power strategies used by national and local politicians, examining national legislation and municipal planning on mosques, and will investigate a number of concrete cases of contested mosque building.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 November 2019. Information: https://mosques.ku.dk/nordic-mosques/
Contact: lbm993@hum.ku.dk
5. Workshop: “Dialogues in the Late Medieval Mediterranean: Methodological Encounters and (Dis)Encounters”, Casa Árabe, Madrid, 27 January 2020
The aim of this workshop is to create a network that will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of past relations between Christianity and Islam in the European context through the addressing of three main research problems: otherness, migration and borders.
Information: https://is-le.eu/workshop/dialogues-in-the-late-medieval-mediterranean-methodological-encounters-and-disencounters/
6. Conference: “Protests, Power, and Prayer: Intersection of Activism, Culture, and Religion”, Religion Graduate Students Association, University of Florida, 21-22 February 2020
Contributors should frame their papers primarily in response to the questions: In what ways are religious practices and/or beliefs deployed within various socio-cultural protests? How and why do certain individuals or groups engage in activism? To what degree are religiously motivated protests effective/ineffective?
Deadline for abstracts: 15 November 2019.
7. 17th Annual Duke-UNC Conference: “Who Speaks for Islam? Approaches to Authority within the Academy and Beyond”, University of North Carolina, 29 February 2020
In light of recent attempts at intimidation by the state, we are particularly interested in thinking through the politics of power. As such, we are seeking papers that interrogate questions of authority and power. Potential topics include, but are not limited, to the following: Who gets to speak for Islam and Muslims? What landscape of authority exist in the Islamicate World? For example what geographies constitute the Islamicate world? Etc.
Deadline for applications: 15 November 2019. Information: https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/40033
8. Graduate Student Workshop on Religion, Law, and Politics in the Middle East, Syracuse University, 23 April 2020
The workshop will serve as avenue for advanced graduate students (ABDs) to meet and share their work-in-progress and receive extensive feedback on their dissertation projects from a panel of interdisciplinary experts. The workshop welcomes research conducted on a broad range of topics that addresses the historical and contemporary interactions between religious, legal and political institutions in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2019.
9. Conference: “Rethinking Narratives of China and the Middle East: The Silk Roads and Beyond”, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 8-10 April 2021
The conference examines the relationship between China and the Middle East, both ancient and modern. Papers that incorporate additional regions, such as Europe, Central Asia, or South/Southeast Asia are also encouraged, provided they are also incorporate both China and a country in the Middle East, broadly construed.
Deadline for abstracts: 21 January 2020. Information: mec-conference@sas.upenn.edu
10. Post-doctoral 2020-2021 Fellowships for Scholars in the Study of Africa, University of Bayreuth
Africa-based scholars with a proven track record in the study of Africa are eligible to apply. They may come from any discipline in the humanities and the social, technical and ‘hard’ sciences.
Deadline for applications: 30 November 2019.
11. Research Fellow, German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Hamburg
Qualifications: excellent university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Political Science, Sociology, Islamic Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, or related social sciences / area studies; familiarity with academic research on radicalisation, political Islam and jihadism; proficiency in English and Modern Standard Arabic; good working knowledge of German; etc.
Screening of applications will begin on 18 November 2019. Information: https://www.giga-hamburg.de/sites/default/files/md_pdf/GIGA-19-11_Call_ResearchFellowIMES.pdf
12. Ahmed Seddiqi Endowed Chair in Gulf and Middle Eastern Studies, Department of International Studies, American University of Sharjah
Successful candidates will have a PhD in an area related to Gulf and/or Middle Eastern studies, a strong record of scholarship with an active and ambitious research agenda as well as a record of excellent teaching. As a university formed on the American model and with English as the language of instruction, American University of Sharjah gives priority to candidates who have substantial experience in American models of higher education.
Deadline for applications: 15 November 2019. Information: https://www.aus.edu/employment/the-ahmed-seddiqi-endowed-chair-in-gulf-and-middle-eastern-studies
13. Tenure-track Assistant Professor on the Culture, Economics or Politics of Muslim Societies in Iran, Central/South/East Asia, Stanford University
Applications from Anthropology, Communication, Economics, Political Science, or Sociology are welcome from scholars who can contribute to the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies.
Deadline for applications: 25 October 2019. Information: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14164
14. The Richard Gillespie Mediterranean Prize for Early Career Researchers
Mediterranean Politics is pleased to announce the launch of this Prize for the best research article on the contemporary social and political dynamics of the Mediterranean region published in the Journal by an early career researcher. We welcome contributions on politics and international relations as well as economics, human geography, sociology, anthropology and other relevant disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.
Information: https://think.taylorandfrancis.com/journal-prize-richard-gillespie-mediterranean-prize/
15. Grant to Digitise Collections at Risk
The Endangered Archives Program seeks to preserve cultural heritage and make it available to as wide an audience as possible. We fund digitisation projects to record the content of archives, which can include rare printed sources, manuscripts, visual materials, or audio recordings.
Deadline for applications: 11 November 2019. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/11419/discussions/4733064/apply-grant-digitise-collections-risk
16. Scholarship Program of the German Bundestag for Highly Motivated Graduates from the Arab Region in Berlin, 1-30 September 2020
The programme is aimed at politically engaged young graduates from the Arab region who are interested in the German parliamentary system and play an active role in promoting core democratic values in their home countries. Participants have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the German parliamentary system and political decision making processes.
Deadline for applications: 1 December 2019.
Information: https://www.bundestag.de/en/europe/international/exchange/ips/arabian-250618
17. Critical Muslim Studies Summer School, Granada, 15-20 June 2020
The premier summer school on Islam and Decoloniality focuses on approaches to the academic study of Islam which are both critical and post-Orientalist. The program is geared towards advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students; junior lecturers; as well as those working in the government or civil society sectors who have a keen interest in the summer school topics.
Deadline for applications: 1 February 2020. Information: http://www.dialogoglobal.com/granada/
18. Maps of the Ottoman Empire
http://www.dlir.org/about-aiarmaps.html?layout=default
The W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR) in Jerusalem in cooperation with the Center for Ancient Middle Eastern Landscapes (CAMEL) at the University of Chicago scanned and geo-referenced a series of topographical maps of Eastern Turkey and the lands of the broader Ottoman Empire with a grant from the US Department of Education TICFIA program. The bulk of the collection contains topographical maps compiled at the British Intelligence Division War Office in 1915 derived from map and survey data collected during multiple expeditions 1839-1906. The collection contains high resolution copies of the original maps held by AIAR, and geo-referenced versions can be requested by contacting dlir@caorc.org.
19. The Bodleian Libraries, Oxford are now accepting applications for Visiting Fellowshipsto be taken up during academic year 2020-21. Fellowships support periods of research in the Special Collections of the Bodleian Libraries, across a range of different subjects. Of particular interest might be the Bahari Visiting Fellowships in the Persian Arts of the Book
Fellows are hosted in the Visiting Scholars’ Centre at the Weston Library, where they join a lively research environment.
Details of the Fellowship terms and application process can be found on our Fellowships webpage: http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships. Please note this year applicants for a Bahari Visiting Fellowship are asked to submit an article length example of their work with their application materials.
A list of current Visiting Fellows and in the academic year 2019-20 can be found at: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships/current-and-past-fellows/2019-20-visiting-fellows
Applications for these Fellowships should be made by the deadline of midnight, Sunday, 01 December 2019.
For further information, please email: fellowships@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
20. Research Associate position at Doha Institute
https://www.dohainstitute.edu.qa/EN/Careers/Pages/Apply.aspx?JobId=DIAC_2019_061
A full-time highly motivated Research Associate (RA) is being sought for a research project, led by Dr. Eid Mohamed and funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) titled, “Computational Study of Culture: Cultural Analytics for Modern Arab and Islamic Studies.” The project will operate within the Research & Grants Department led by the Director.
The overall vision of this project is to harness state-of-the-art Cultural Analytics (CA) approaches and technologies to make pioneering forays into the vast corpus of machine-readable Arabic texts that has become available in the last two decades. It also aims to digitize and annotate a set of early Arabic media material from the late 19th century until present. This will be done along the lines of two case studies: Modern Arab socio-political and cultural history and Contemporary Diaspora Arab-Islamic cultural archive and digital repository.
We invite applications for an RA position in Digital Humanities with a specialization in literary, rhetorical, cultural, media or historical studies. We welcome applications from those engaged in research areas and technologies across the digital humanities domain and are particularly interested in research that explores the critical and cultural significance of tools and methods in the context of questions of East-West encounters, representation, culture and politics. We strongly encourage applicants with expertise in digital technology and an interest in global Arab studies, especially as it relates to bringing the field of Arab Literature/Humanities into the digital age and who will bring theoretical, methodological, and technical expertise to the project.
Main duties and responsibilities:
- To contribute to a comprehensive literature review on digitized Arab newspapers, magazines, etc.
- To contribute to developing models of historical newspaper research, past and future.
- To work with team members to develop use cases of the project’s ontology in describing and mapping Arabic text and concept migration across regional and linguistic borders.
- To co-author research papers suitable for publication in high quality academic journals on Arabic literature and culture historically and materially produced and reproduced.
- To organize, attend and contribute to events at Doha Institute (DI)
- To contribute to project promotion and public engagement events
- Engage in training programmes at DI that are consistent with the needs and aspirations of the project.
- Undertake other duties as may necessary
MA in Comparative Literature, Culture and Media Studies, with background in Arabic Digital Humanities studies. PhD holders or PhD candidates are preferred.
For full consideration please provide 1) a brief cover letter stating the applicant’s academic field, area of specialization, and a short summary (1 page) of the proposed work during the appointment period, 2) CV 3) A Research statement: summary of the research questions, goals, and methodological approaches of current and future projects, and a sample of scholarly writing, and a sample syllabus for an undergraduate-level introduction to digital humanities course. The cover letter should not exceed 2 single-spaced pages. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled, but priority will be given to those received by October 31st, 2019. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.
Salary and benefits are competitive at an international level.
21. The University of Religions and Denominations (Qom, Iran) is the sole specialized university of religions in Iran which has been active for
more than two decades and with the goal of creating peace, peaceful
coexistence and mutual understanding and dialogue has connected with
several institutions and universities across the world.
The International Department of the university has a successful
history of organizing academic conferences and short courses in which
many professors and students from across the world have participated.
For more information regarding the university please visit the
following site: www.urd.ac.ir
The International Short Course Center of URD organizes courses twice a
year in summer and winter. We are proud to announce the following
courses for winter 2020:
Winter 2020 Courses
Course Dates
The 10th International Intensive Course on Shi‘a Studies
13-17 February 2020
Cultural Tour
18 -21 February 2020
The 1st International Intensive Course on Mysticism and Sufism in Islam and Iran
22-26 February 2020
For more information please contact us at: iisc@urd.ac.ir
22. The 17th Annual South Asia Graduate Student Conference at the University of Chicago is pleased to invite submissions to the 2020 graduate student conference Reception, Tradition, and Canonization: Pasts and Presents in South Asia to be held on March 5th-6th, 2020 in Chicago.
We invite graduate students at all levels to submit abstracts for consideration. The the online submission form can be found via this link. We would appreciate it if you would forward this email to students in your department and colleagues who may be interested
If you have any questions please write to us at sagsc2020@gmail.com
22. Postdoctoral Research Associate – Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran/Persian Gulf Study, Princeton University
The Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University invites applications for a postdoctoral or more senior research position in the relevant fields of Iran and the Persian Gulf studies in the 19th – 21st century.
The position, starting in September 2020, is open to scholars of all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. This full-time twelve-month position may be renewed for up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance and funding. The Center promotes interdisciplinary approaches to advancing understanding of Iran and the Persian Gulf, with special attention to the region’s role and significance in the contemporary world. The goal of the program is to support outstanding scholars of Iran and the wider Persianate world at an early stage of their careers and thus to strengthen the field of Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies in the United States and abroad.
In addition to their salary, postdoctoral researchers receive funding (up to $4,000 per academic year) for research related expenses (books, conferences, travel expenses, etc.). The Center provides office space and staff support but the research associates are responsible for their travel and moving arrangements and expenses, and for accommodation in Princeton.
Applications are reviewed both by specialists in the candidate’s academic discipline and by an interdisciplinary group of scholars. All committee deliberations and decisions are confidential.
Candidates are required to apply online at https://www.princeton.edu/acad-positions/position/14301 and submit the following documents: (1) cover letter with title and summary of proposed research project (200 words); (2) research proposal (max. 1500 words), including description of project, bibliography, timetable, explicit goals, and the reason it is proposed to be pursued at Princeton; (3) curriculum vitae and list of publications; (4) sample chapter (in English) of dissertation or other recent work; (5) contact information for three references.
DEADLINE: All materials must be received by December 15, 2019, 11:59 p.m. EST. Preferred start date is September 1, 2020. This position is subject to the University’s background check policy.
Essential Qualifications: PhD required. Postdoctoral Research Associates may not pursue another degree while in this appointment, nor may they hold any other fellowships or visiting positions concurrently. Appointment cannot be deferred to a later term. Postdoctoral Research Associates are expected to be on campus most weekdays and be active contributors to the intellectual life of the Center.
Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should have less than three years of postdoctoral experience, but more senior candidates may be considered.
Candidates within Princeton University will not be considered. Please contact iran@princeton.edu for further clarifications.
Instructions for Applying: Complete the online application and click “Apply to this Posting” at the top of the posting details page.
Documents that can be associated with this posting: Cover letter, Statement of Research Interest, Resume/CV, Bibliography/Publications List, Writing Sample, Other Document 1
Proposed Start Date: 09-01-2020
End date, if a Term Appointment: 09-01-2021
Comments related to end date: This twelve-month position may be renewed for up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance.
EEO Statement: Princeton University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
- October 22, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘le chiisme contemporain’ (Paris, 15.11.19)
4e Journée d’études sur le chiisme contemporain
Avec le soutien du Laboratoire d’études sur les monothéismes (LEM), du Groupe Sociétés Religions Laïcités (GSRL) et de l’EPHE. Organisateurs : Constance Arminjon (EPHE – GSRL) et Rainer Brunner (CNRS – LEM). Lieu : Maison des sciences de l’homme – École Pratique des Hautes Études, 54 boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris, salle 33.
- October 21, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for an advanced Assistant Professor or Associate Professor tenure line position in Media Studies with expertise in the Middle East. The position will begin in August 2020.
The position, part of a university-wide cluster hire in Media and (dis)information, will focus on Media in the Middle East, with a strong preference for specialization in Iran or the Arab World. Ideal candidates will have research interests in media information flows, including misinformation or disinformation, within or originating from the Middle East. Preferred candidates will employ interdisciplinary methods, and conduct empirical and theoretical analyses of local political cultures, but will also be engaged with media and policy studies more broadly. The successful candidate is expected to hold a courtesy appointment in the College of Communication.
Duties include working closely with other partners in the Media lab, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses, serving in the doctoral programs in Middle Eastern Studies, and contributing to related programs in other colleges, such as the College of Communication. All faculty in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies are expected to pursue a strong record of research and publication, while also engaging in service to the Department, College, University, and profession. The department places a high premium on collegiality and maintaining a diverse and hospitable working environment. Salary is dependent upon position and qualifications. As per university procedures, background and academic credential checks are conducted as appropriate.
Qualifications
Applicants must have a PhD in hand at the time of appointment. Candidates should have native or near-native fluency in one or more of the languages of the Middle East (with a strong preference for Arabic or Persian), and must demonstrate excellence in research, publication, and teaching. They must also have the ability to train and supervise graduate students and to effectively teach large undergraduate classes.
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. The University embraces and promotes diversity in its work environments.
Application Instructions
To apply, please submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, one sample publication, teaching dossier including sample syllabi (both graduate and undergraduate), and three names of recommenders, who may be contacted later in the application stage. In addition, please submit a one-page rationale, explaining how your research trajectory corresponds to the goals of the cluster (more info here). Electronic submissions only (through Interfolio). All materials should be submitted by November 8, 2019. Review of applications will begin November 8, 2019.
For Further Information, please contact:
Karen Grumberg, Search Committee Chair
Email: keren@austin.utexas.edu
2. TENURE/TENURED LINE POSITION IN MODERN ARABIC & FRANCOPHONE LITERATURES (University of Texas at Austin)
The Department of Middle Eastern Studies and the Department of French and Italian at the University of Texas at Austin invite applications for an advanced Assistant Professor or Associate Professor tenure line position in Arabic and Francophone Literatures. The position will begin in August 2020.
Housed equally in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies and the Department of French and Italian, the position will focus on modern Arabic and Francophone literatures, preferably in North Africa. Duties include teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses, serving in the doctoral programs in Arabic Studies and French Studies, and contributing to related programs such as Comparative Literature. All faculty in the Departments of Middle Eastern Studies and French and Italian are expected to pursue a strong record of research and publication, while also engaging in service to the Department, College, University, and profession. Both departments place a high premium on collegiality and maintaining a diverse and hospitable working environment. Salary is dependent upon position and qualifications. As per university procedures, background and academic credential checks are conducted as appropriate.
QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates should have native or near-native fluency in Arabic and French, and must demonstrate excellence in research, publication, and teaching. They must also have the ability to train and supervise graduate students and to effectively teach large undergraduate classes.
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
To apply, please submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, one sample publication, teaching dossier including sample syllabi (both graduate and undergraduate), student evaluations (both graduate and undergraduate) and three letters of recommendation. Electronic submissions only (through Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/68263 ). All materials should be submitted by October 29, 2019. Review of applications will begin October 29, 2019.
For Further Information, please contact:
Karen Grumberg and Alex Wettlaufer, Search Committee Co-Chairs Email: keren@austin.utexas.edu or akw@austin.utexas.edu
3. A conference for graduate students studying Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations will be hosted by the Near Eastern Studies Department and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley on Friday, March 13th – Saturday, March 14th, 2020.
We are now accepting abstracts until November 15th with notification of acceptance by December 15th.
Our full call for papers can be found here: https://jagnesjournal.wordpress.com/conferences/2020-conference/call-for-papers/Please send any inquiries to jagnes@berkeley.edu.
4. The master’s program Cultural Studies of the Middle East, jointly hosted by the Universities of Bamberg and Erlangen, invites applications for the Visiting Professorship 2020-21.
The deadline to apply is December 15, 2019.
Please contact Dr Schayan Gharevi for further information, at: ma-mideast [at]uni-bamberg.de
“The South Asia Open Archives (SAOA), a subset of the South Asia Materials Project (SAMP), creates and maintains a collection of open access materials for the study of South Asia. This major collaborative initiative is aimed at addressing the current scarcity of digital resources pertinent to South Asia studies and at making collections more widely accessible both to North American scholars and to researchers worldwide.”
Nearly 350,000 page images in the collection!
Historical research materials in English and other South Asian languages are being digitized and prepared by SAOA for online public access. This material includes, for example:
Colonial-era administrative and trade reports
Women’s periodicals
Newspapers and magazines
Census materials and gazetteers
Important literary and other monographic sources
- October 19, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Iraq’s Sources of Emulation’ – E. Corboz
Iraq’s Sources of Emulation: Scholarly Capital and Competition in Contemporary Shiʿism
Religious knowledge is at the heart of the Shiʿi system of clerical authority known as the marjaʿiyya. Given the multiplicity of more or less well-established claimants to the position, this article explores the scholarly credentials of the contemporary marjaʿ[source of emulation; pl. marājiʿ].
- October 18, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Shiʿi Literature in the Late Ninth Century’ – M. Asatryan
Shiʿi Literature in the Late Ninth Century in: Light upon Light: Essays in Islamic Thought and History in Honor of Gerhard Bowering
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- October 17, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. International Conference on Ethnic and Religious Minorities in Iran
Friday 27 – Saturday 28 March 2020, Sigmund Freud University Vienna
The objective of the conference is to:
- Explore the experiences of the ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, such as Jews, Yarsani, Christian, Sabean, Mandaean, Bahai, Zoroastrian, Baluch, Kurd, Turk, Gilaki, Arabs and others
- Provide an historical overview of their position in society before and after the 1979 Islamic revolution
- Delve into the minorities’ rich history and explore their contribution to the country’s history, diversity and development
- Identify the historical, socio-political and economic factors that affected the minorities’ development during the course of the last century.
Abstract Submission Deadline – 30 Dec 2019
Notification of Acceptance – 1 February 2020
First draft of full article – 1 March 2020
For further info, see:
https://www.sfu.ac.at/de/event/international-conference-on-ethnic-and-religious-minorities-in-iran/
2. Conference: “Eastern Questions: New Perspectives on British Orientalism”, Watts Gallery and Royal Holloway, University of London, 16-17 October 2019
This interdisciplinary symposium, a collaboration between Watts Gallery Artists’ Village (WG-AV) and Royal Holloway (University of London), aims to explore new perspectives on the intersection between Orientalism and visual culture across the nineteenth century. This two-day conference coincides with John Frederick Lewis: Facing Fame, the latest exhibition at WG-AV.
Information: https://www.wattsgallery.org.uk/eastern-questions-new-perspectives-british-orientalism/?edit&language=en-gb
3. Seminar: “Internationalism, Anti-Authoritarianism and Anarchism in the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean (1860 – 1920)”, UCLouvain, Belgium, 21-22 April 2020
The objectives of this meeting are: To question why historians of radical movements have forgotten about this geographical area; to reconstruct the history of individual or collective, anti-authoritarian and anarchist internationalist experiences in this region; to adopt a transnational perspective that considers travel, contacts and exchanges between individuals and groups at the local, regional and international levels; etc. Interventions will be in French and English.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 November 2019.
4. Postdoc Position, Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies
The call is open for recent postdocs (not more than four years after award of the doctoral degree) in Arabic Studies; Asian and African Studies; Central Asian Studies; History of Islamic Art; Human Geography; Islamic Studies; Political Science; Semitic Studies; Social and Cultural Anthropology. The successful applicant will be employed on a full position for two years.
Application deadline: 4 November 2019.
Information: http://www.bgsmcs.fu-berlin.de/en/announcements/201909_Thyssen-Postdoc.html
5. Director of the Middle East Studies Center (MESC), American University in Cairo
Requirements: PhD degree in a discipline relevant to MESC’s field of study. Candidates should have well established and extended experience in policymaking and implementation related to the Middle East. They should have research and publications records showing interest and contributions to the field of Middle East studies. They may also bring evidence to contributions to negotiations, policymaking or policy advice in the Middle East at a high level in government, international organizations and/or think tanks.
Deadline for applications: Open until position is filled.
Information: https://academiccareers.com/job/4902/director-middle-east-studies-center-mesc-115424/
6. Coordinator of the Middle East Studies Program and Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Language and the Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in related. Master’s degree preferred. Excellent written skills in English. Good command of at least one Middle Eastern language (Arabic, Persian, Turkish or Hebrew). Excellent organizational skills in performing a variety of administrative tasks. Excellent time-management skills and ability to adhere to deadlines. Ability to work independently and with others. Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required.
Deadline for applications: 3 November 2019. Information: https://jobs.hr.wisc.edu/en-us/job/503025/mesp-and-aptli-coordinator
7. Articles on “Islam and/or Tradition? Traditional Islam and Islamic Traditions in the Eastern Europe” for the First Issue of the Journal “Modern Islamic Studies”
Taken in a broad geographical sense, we are seeking for the papers addressing history and modernity of Muslims in the area from Balkans and Crimea on the South, Baltia on the North and Caucasus on the East, where indigenous Muslim population and traditions are represented.
Deadline for full papers: 15 November 2019. Information: https://journals.oa.edu.ua/Islamic/
8. New Book Series: “Ecclesiastica Ottomanica”
The series welcomes contributions beyond the confines of grand theories such as dhimmitude and the millet system, and of traditional binaries such as toleration and persecution. It has a cross-disciplinary perspective involving the fields of Ottoman history, Middle Eastern studies, Balkan studies, African studies, religious studies, church history, missiology, the history of interactions, connected history, and diaspora studies.
Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/11419/discussions/4923491/new-book-series-ecclesiastica-ottomanica
9. The Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication, Program for Comparative Literature and Theory, Department of South Asia Studies, Department of Religious Studies, Middle East Center, and South Asia Center of the University of Pennsylvaniaare pleased to invite submissions to our 2020 graduate student conference Troubling Translation(s) to be held on February 21 and 22, 2020 in Philadelphia, PA.
We invite graduate students of all stages to consider translation as concept, practice, andmethod.
Our discussions will be oriented around the constructive consideration of written work submitted by presenters prior to this conference. They will be driven by the following questions:
1.How do we move beyond the familiar conceptualisation of translation as a logo-centric, singular,uni-directional event to discern its multidirectional, multiform, and processual dimensions?
2.How does the multidirectional quality of translation as process involve its subject and object? Howdoes subjectivity shape translations, and how do subjects translate themselves?
3.In what ways do translations form and become formed by their spatiotemporal context? How do they challenge contemporary notions of sociopolitical and cultural formations?The conference is interested in expansive interpretations of translation across space and time. Scholarship across the disciplines has challenged and moved beyond frameworks of hybridity, multiculturalism, andsyncretism for exploring processes of change and exchange. How have broader spatial, temporal, andmaterial contexts shaped the practical and conceptual concerns of translation?
Finbarr B. Flood has conceived translation as a dynamic and multivalent framework capable of accounting for material and intellectual transformation and exchange in the premodern period. More recently, Francesca Orsini hasshown how translations within “multilingual locals” generate “worlds” specific to them. How do theseconcerns lead into the contemporary context?
Scholars such as Stuart Hall and Saba Mahmood haveconsidered translation’s relationship to conceptions of racialization and liberal certitude respectively. While Lawrence Venuti has addressed the question of the translator’s invisibility apropos their text, Talal Asad questions the hermeneutical exercise of interpretation and translation, drawing our attention, among otherthings, to “untranslatability.”
We welcome papers that critically examine translation in and across forms, bodies, languages, media, thevisual and performing arts, and religions. Papers may address a range of practices, themes, or concerns. How, for example, did translation figure in the Islamicate and Indic cultural systems of the premodern period? What has been the role of translation, broadly understood, in negotiating relations between non-hegemonicand hegemonic forms across history and geography? In what ways have translations, as events, been put topolitical or social use, for example in Latin America or in the present North American context? Moreover,how have agents and bodies relied on translation and/or untranslatability to trouble the larger socioculturalsystems of which they are a part? Such questions constitute some of the broad spectrum of concerns theconference intends to address.
Guidelines for submissions:
Please submit a 350-word abstract outlining your topic along with a title andyour name, institution, and year of study by November 4, 2019. Limited grants may be available to supplement travel costs and can be requested via a Google Form during abstract submission. Accepted presenters should submit their final drafts by February 7th, 2020 so as to provide sufficient time for review prior to the conference.
Conference applications should be submitted via this Google Form: https://tinyurl.com/PennTT2020 .
Questions may be directed to penntranslations@gmail.com .
10. Khalili Research Centre, University of Oxford
Research Seminars, October-December 2019 (Michaelmas Term)
Thursdays, 17:15-18:30, KRC Lecture Room, 3 St John Street, Oxford OX1 2LG, UK
For further details and abstracts, please visit: https://krc.web.ox.ac.uk/homekrc
17 October: Marijn Van Putten, Leiden University. “The Language of the Qur’an in Light of the Arab Grammarians and Early Qur’anic Manuscripts”
24 October: Beatrice Leal, University of Oxford. “The Great Mosque of Damascus and the Medieval Islamic Mosaic Industry”
31 October: Eléonore Cellard, Collège de France. “The Archaeology of the Ṣanʿāʾ Palimpsest: New Reflections from the Perspective of Codicology”
7 November: Doris Behrens-Abouseif, SOAS. “The Management of Architectural Heritage in the Mamluk Sultanate”
14 November: Judith Olszowy-Schlanger, Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford. “Origins of Hebrew Calligraphy: From Abbasid Baghdad to Fatimid Cairo”
21 November: Constant Hamès, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. “Manuscrits coraniques de l’Afrique, une étude comparative”
28 November: Dr Aila Santi, American University of Beirut. “The ‘Mosque of the Prophet’ and Beyond: A Tentative Reconstruction of the Early Islamic Topography of Madina al-Munawwara (622- 750) Based on Written Sources”
5 December: Gulfishan Khan, Aligarh Muslim University. “Artistic and Architectural Patronage of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan”
Convenor: Umberto Bongianino
- October 16, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Bahrain Event (London, 17.10.19)
The Crackdown on Human Rights and Freedoms in Bahrain
Eventbrite – Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy presents The Crackdown on Human Rights and Freedoms in Bahrain – Thursday, 17 October 2019 at Conference Room A, House of Commons (Entrance on 1 Parliament Street), London, England. Find event and ticket information.
- October 14, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. The School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Maryland, College Park invites applications for an appointment as Assistant Professor (tenure-track) of Arabic Studies.
Strong candidates will have research interests centered on expressions of contemporary social and political phenomena in the Arab World, including but not limited to migration and refugee issues, statelessness and conceptions of nationhood, treatment of minority groups, fundamentalism, liberalism, modes of social activism, and the like. They will also be skilled at translating these interests into engaging courses that meet student interest in the current political moment and related cultural production, while expanding their understanding of the diversity and plurality of the contemporary Middle East. The successful candidate will actively participate in all aspects of the Arabic Program at UMD, which consists of a major and a minor and hosts a federally-funded Arabic Flagship Program that draws a diverse student body from majors across the campus. The teaching load is four courses a year (a 2-2 load). In addition to a dynamic research agenda, a passion for teaching Arabic as a second language at all levels is essential. Candidates who can contribute to the intellectual life of the School and the University through interdisciplinary collaborations are particularly desired for this position.
Minimum Qualifications:
PhD in hand by July 2020; evidence of exceptional scholarly achievement and excellence in teaching; native or near-native fluency in Arabic and English; a strong command of Modern Standard Arabic.
How to apply:
For best consideration, apply by Monday, November 4, 2019. To apply, please submit a cover letter, CV, sample syllabus, and an approximately 20-page writing sample. Please upload the sample syllabus as Supplemental Document 1. The names of three references will be requested in the online application, and the system will generate emails asking them to submit their letters of reference via a link. All application materials should be submitted only through the University of Maryland online employment application system at: https://ejobs.umd.edu.
The position is contingent on the continued availability of funds.
For more details and to apply: https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/74034
2. Crown Center for Middle East Studies <https://t.e2ma.net/click/o23k5b/07bopb/wk3uxj>
*Now Accepting Applications*
Junior Research Fellowship 2020-2022
The Crown Center for Middle East Studies is offering *two-year fellowships* <https://t.e2ma.net/click/o23k5b/07bopb/cd4uxj> to outstanding scholars of Middle East politics, economics, history, religion, anthropology, or sociology for the 2020-2022 academic years. This consecutive, two-year fellowship is targeted at junior scholars with PhD in hand and not yet tenured. The fellowship’s goal is to allow junior scholars the flexibility and means to advance a specific research project related to the contemporary Middle East.
*Eligibility*
The 2020-2022 Junior Research Fellowship is open to both recent PhDs (as a post-doctoral position) and assistant professors in Middle East-related fields. A PhD must be completed by September 1, 2020.
*Terms
*This fellowship is a two-year appointment beginning September 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2022. The annual stipend is $50,000. In addition, funding is available for research, travel, and related expenses. Fringe benefits will be available during the two-year appointment period.
Fellows are required to be *in residence* at the Crown Center during the tenure of the fellowship. During their residence, fellows write a /Middle East Brief/ *each* year and participate in all Crown Center events, including: seminars, workshops, meetings, and retreats.
*Application Deadline
*October 31, 2019
*Notification
*January 31, 2020
*Application Submission
*Apply *here* <https://t.e2ma.net/click/o23k5b/07bopb/s54uxj>.
*Inquiries
*You may direct inquiries to Kristina Cherniahivsky at *crowncenter@brandeis.edu* or call 781-736-5320.
Twitter <https://t.e2ma.net/click/o23k5b/07bopb/8x5uxj> Facebook <https://t.e2ma.net/click/o23k5b/07bopb/oq6uxj>
3. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München is one of the largest and most esteemed institutions of higher education in Germany, offering a wide range of academic disciplines.
The Chair for Late Antique and Arabic Philosophy (Prof. Dr. Peter Adamson) at the Faculty for Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Religion at the LMU seeks to fill two positions with employment beginning on October 1, 2020, under the aegis of an ERC funded project on Animals in Philosophy in the Islamic World:
Position A: Postdoctoral position (3 years)
Position B: Funded PhD position (3 years)
It is in principle possible to take up the positions part-time.
Responsibilities:
- Collaborative research with other project team members.
- For position A: research on the Book of Animals (Kitab al-Hayawan) by al-Jahiz.
- For position B: doctoral research on philosophical issues concerning animals in Arabic medical literature.
Your profile:
Prerequisites for position A are an excellent university degree (PhD at
least submitted, though not necessarily already published) and expertise
in the relevant area of research. Applicants for position A should have
the ability to work with texts in classical Arabic at a high level.
Applicants for position B should have facility with Arabic and ideally also ancient Greek, as well as a Masters level degree in a relevant discipline (classics, philosophy, Islamic studies, or similar).
A further requirement for both positions is native or near-native facility in German and/or English, as well as standard computer skills, creativity and ability to work in a team, being results-oriented and willing to take on new challenges.
Our offer:
Your workplace is located in Munich and is well-connected by public transport. We can offer an interesting and challenging work environment and good prospects for further career development. Salary will be calculated according to group E 13 TV-L; position A is a 100% post, position B is a 65% post. We particularly welcome applications from female candidates. The University intends to enhance the diversity of its faculty members: disabled candidates with essentially equal qualifications will be given preference.
Please send your application with the usual documents (including CV, transcripts, diplomas, list of publications and courses taught if relevant), as well as a brief description of your expertise as relevant to the theme of the project, either by email as a PDF file (max. 5 MB) or by post by January 15, 2020 to the following address.
LMU München
Lehrstuhl für spätantike und arabische Philosophie
Prof. Dr. Peter Adamson
Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1
80539 München
Germany
E-Mail: peter.adamson@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us via e-mail (peter.adamson@lrz.uni-muenchen.de) or by telephone +49 (0)89/2180-72154.
4. 3rd Annual Edinburgh International Graduate Conference in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies
‘Historical inertia: Continuity in the face of change 500-1500 CE’
Historical discourse has long concerned itself with patterns of change and discontinuity to demonstrate and validate models of periodisation and the compartmentalisation of the wider historical field. Building on these themes, this conference has chosen to focus on the opposing view by concentrating on inertia – how history, material culture, ideas and communities can be seen to maintain a stayed course or deviate if a significant force is exerted upon it. Inertia, a concept that has yet to be applied to mainstream Late Antique studies, introduces perspectives and frameworks that permit new approaches to traditional processes.
This conference will be hosted by the Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Society of the University of Edinburgh on the 22-23 November 2019 and will tackle the notion of inertia and the implications accompanying it for Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine history from 500-1500 CE.
For full info and to register, see:
5. [Mondes iranien] Journée d’études internationale 25 octobre 2019
‘Vers une histoire culturelle des relations internationales de l’Iran moderne et contemporain : la scène de théâtre des opérations diplomatiques et ses acteurs’
Date : 25 octobre 2019
Horaires : 8h 45 à 18h 45
Lieu : Maison de la Recherche – Sorbonne Nouvelle, 4 Rue des Irlandais, Paris 5e (Salle Athéna)
For complete information, see:
- October 12, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Profiles in Persecution’
Profiles in Persecution: Isa Jaafar AlAbd – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain
Isa Jaafar AlAbd is a 24-year-old Bahraini and former employee of the K & K Food Company. He has been arrested multiple times, beaten by authorities, and denied medical care during detention. Isa has suffered from a heart condition since birth and has undergone numerous surgeries as a result, and …
- October 09, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs’
Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs
The Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at the Weatherhead Center undertakes advanced research on the multifaceted and diverse manifestations of Shi’ism in the contemporary world. The study of Shi’ism, religious mobilization, and the challenges of sectarian conflict is more pressing now than ever in modern history.
- October 09, 2019
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment