Peter Chelkowski passed away on 21 October.
Here is an obituary prepared by his family that was circulated via ‘Adabiyat’.
Professor Emeritus Peter J. Chelkowski
The world has lost a giant. Dr. Peter Chelkowski, author, scholar and humanist, passed away
peacefully in Turin, Italy on October 21. He was 91.
In lecture halls, on theater stages and TV screens, Professor Chelkowski spent a lifetime
enchanting audiences with the beauty and depth of the Muslim world, his purpose – to
promote cross-cultural understanding and rectify Western misconceptions of Islam, as both
a religion and a multi-faceted culture.
Born and raised in World War II Poland a devout Catholic, he studied Oriental Philology at
the Jagiellonian University and acting in the theater school of Krakow. He escaped to
London to continue his education, as a student of Bernard Lewis, at the School of Oriental
Studies (SOAS). Subsequently, he moved to Iran, where in 1968 he received his P.h.D in
Persian literature from the University of Tehran. the first Pole to ever receive a doctorate in
Iranian Studies. He also worked for the charitable organization CARE Mission, for whom he
traveled over seventy thousand miles to numerous rural villages, building schools and
bathhouses. It was on these journeys that he became fascinated by Ta’zieh, the ritual
passion play of Shi’ite Muslims, which was to play a major role in defining his career, merging
his passion for performing arts and Muslim culture.
In 1968 he was hired as a cultural historian at New York University, where he would remain
and teach for the next 50 years. He was one of the founders of the The Hagop Kevorkian
Center for Near Eastern Studies where he served as both Chairman and Director for
numerous years and collaborated with many of his illustrious colleagues like Richard
Ettinghausen, Annemarie Schimmel, Hamid Dabashi and Ehsan Yarshater.
It was in the lecture halls that Prof. Chelkowski’s passion and vigor was most pronounced. He
would enrapture audiences, bringing humanity and clarity to subjects Americans had never
heard before. In recognition, he won the Golden Dozen Awards at NYU for best professor,
not once but twice.
Professor Chelkowski wrote and edited 12 books, hundreds of articles- from Encyclopedia
Iranica to The Drama Review. The subject matter of his work was always quite varied. In 1975
he wrote about Sufism in Mirror of the Invisible World: Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami
published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The book won the First Place Award by the
American Association of University Presses. In 1999 with Hamid Dabashi he co-wrote
Staging a Revolution: The Art of Persuasion in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Carlo McCormick
(Bookforum), “I urge people to get a hold of this book. . . it provides its readers with a higher
level of understanding than any hundred hours logged on CNN.com”
His lectures were not limited to the classroom, Prof. Chelkowski hosted 46 episodes of
Sunrise Semester on CBS. He was so popular that he graced the cover of The TV Guide. It
read, ““Peter Chelkowski Ph.D., I love you”. He was also the goto expert for the BBC, NBC,
CBS, Voice of America, NPR news networks for all things Middle Eastern. In the 1990’s, he
co-produced Hosay Trinidad, a documentary about Ta’zieh in the Caribbean for the
Smithsonian.
From the shores of the Caspian to the island of Trinidad, he brought Taz’yeh to the attention
of the International theater world, to the likes of Jerzy Grotowski, Eugenio Barba, Peter
Brooks, Richard Shekner, and many others. This culminated in 2002 when Chelkowski in
collaboration with Mohammed Gaffari brought Ta’ziyeh to Lincoln Center to sold out
audiences.
In the end, Professor Chelkowski’s appreciation of Persian and Islamic culture was always
pure and apolitical. He felt comfortable crossing divides where many others felt reluctant.
He was a guest of the Shah at the 2,500 year celebration of the Persian empire in 1971. In
2002, he accepted an invitation from the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to
preside at Ta’ziyeh as the guest of honor in Kermanshah, Iran. In 2010, in conjunction with
UNESCO and ISESCO, he was awarded the Farabi International Award for “Iranian and
Islamic Studies” in Tehran.
He was also the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships from the Smithsonian Institute;
the Hoover Institute on War, Revolution, and Peace Fellowship; and the Social Science
Research Council. In 1997 he was awarded the Alfred Jurzykowski Foundation Award for
Cross-Cultural Understanding and 2011 he was presented the Commander Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland by the President of Poland. In 2023, the Jagiellonian
University honored him the Plus ratio quam vis commemorative Medal for outstanding
service in scholarship.
In 1975, Prof. Chelkowski described Nizami’s Khamseh, “sensuous, dramatic, gracious and
refined”. If you ever had the fortune of attending one of his lectures or dinner parties you
would probably use these same words to define him – Professor Emeritus Peter Chelkowski,
scholar, orator, educator and most importantly a humanist.
Born in 1933 in Lubliniec, Poland, Peter J. Chelkowski is survived by his wife Goga
Chelkowski, his daughter Monica Tarony, his son Peter Chelkowski and his grandchildren
Paolo Tarony, Sofia Tarony, Clyde Chelkowski and Earl Chelkowski.
For zoom access please email Ines.Asceric-Todd@ed.ac.uk.
1.ONLINE Presentation “ARSHEEF: Getting Closer to Libraries and Archives” by Athena Pfeiffer and Mathias Ghyoot, Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University, 8 November 2024, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
ARSHEEF is a collaborative project and a website that makes available up-to-date guides to libraries and archives across North Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and South Asia, as well as digital options for those who cannot travel. We will also discuss political and practical problems associated with research in these regions.
Information and registration:
https://theias.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtf-ytqzMoGtJpFRoDJDB5oxMigAbcCHCe#/registration
2. Colloque international « Liberté et féminisme dans la pensée arabe des XIXe et XXe siècles. Avancées et blocages », Université Paris Nanterre, 14 novembre 2024, 9h00 – 17h30 CET
Information et programme : https://iismm.hypotheses.org/108756
3. Symposium “Braudel’s La Méditerranée (1949): Paradigms and Possibilities after 75 Years”, Stanford University, 15-16 November 2024
Information and program:
https://cmems.stanford.edu/sites/cmems/files/media/file/braudel-symposium-program-15-oct-2024.pdf
4. ITS-Colloquium “Islamic Feminism – Exploring Boundaries and Embracing Possibilities”, Frankfurt am Main, 22-23 November 2024
The workshop explores Islamic feminism as one of the most discussed intellectual movements in the Islamic world, examining its diversity and reflecting on its boundaries and theoretical potential for further development. Speakers: Sedigheh Vasmaghi (Tehran), Ravza Altuntaş Çakır (Istanbul), Randa Aboubakr (Cairo), Marzieh Bakhshizadeh (Reutlingen), Aicha Barkaoui (Casablanca), Clara Bauer (Freiburg), Kata Moser (Göt-tingen), and Mansooreh Khalilizand (Freiburg).
Deadline for registration: 10 November 2024.
Information and program: https://aiwg.de/colloquium_islamic_feminism/
5. Assistant Professor of Medieval Jewish Literature and Thought in the Islamic World, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Applicants must have a strong command of medieval Hebrew and Arabic and be versed in the philology, aesthetics, and history of both languages and literary traditions. Knowledge of additional relevant languages (Aramaic, Persian, Latin) will be considered an asset.
Deadline for applications: 25 November 2024. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/157195
6. Saturday, 2 November, 12:00 p.m. ET: Teaching Persian Grammar through Literature: Bringing Language to Life in Persian Second Language Classrooms
The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies
in collaboration with the
Department of Middle Eastern Studies and the
Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago
jointly present:
Teaching Persian Grammar through Literature: Bringing Language to Life in Persian Second Language Classrooms
Azita H. Taleghani, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, University of Toronto
Saturday, 2 November 2024, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Canada and US)
Zoom Meeting Registration:
https://utoronto.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdO2qpjMuGNwq5LZUoaVQ1W2expF2RC-0
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Abstract:
The term grammar has been interpreted as a set of arbitrary rules about fixed structures in language such as verb paradigms and rules about linguistic forms. Grammar is unquestionably much more than this. As Batstone (1994) states, grammar is a broad and diverse phenomenon that characterizes three interdependent dimensions: form, meaning, and use. Teaching grammar is significantly essential for second or foreign language learning. Its main purpose is to help students carry out either verbal or written communicative tasks. This paper explores the use of literature in teaching grammar in second-language classrooms in general and Persian second-language classes in particular. After a brief discussion of various theories and methods of teaching grammar, the benefits, and challenges of using different genres of literature in Persian second-language classes will be examined by answering the following questions: Why are literary texts useful for teaching grammar in Persian second-language classes? What kind of literary texts should be selected and how to use them in Persian second language grammar classes?
7. Online Event at Cambridge:
Fri 1 Nov, 1:00pm – 2:00pm UK time
Istanbul in the 16th Century An Online Specialist Art Short Course
(Convened by Chiara De Nicolais)
8. AKU-ISMC: ‘The Rise of Islam in a Multicultural Setting’ Lecture by Professor Ilkka Lindstedt
London, 20.11.24, 5.30 pm UK time
Inperson only.
Registration required:
9. CfA: International Summer School Towards Inclusive Global Histories
Organized by the European Network in Universal and Global History (ENIUGH) in collaboration with Global Diplomacy Network (GDN), Linnaeus University Center for Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies (LNUC), and the Asian Center, University of the Philippines.
The Summer School
Archives and Voices have become much-debated aspects of recent research in global history. Under the overall theme of “Towards Inclusive Global Histories” the summer school aims to further discussion, self-reflection, and the exploration of new avenues in global history. We aim to explore alternative ways of practicing global history and to meet the challenges of connectivity bias, Eurocentrism, Anglophone dominance, and lack of attention to gender perspectives and Indigenous methodologies. In recent years, decoloniality as a research practice and method has raised further questions regarding the situatedness of knowledge and the role of local sources in global history. At the same time, a current nationalist backlash in many countries has led to calls for a return to national history, thereby challenging the fundamental premises of global history.
The summer school will focus on three novel research fields within global history: Global Diplomacy, gender, and environmental questions. By framing approaches that emphasize different voices and alternative archives in terms of “global histories” in the plural, we aim to promote the inclusion of a broad range of voices, perspectives, and orientations within the field, while forcefully rejecting the possibility of insisting on a single, dominating story or grand narrative of global history. The summer school will offer plenary sessions by leading experts in the field and allow for hands-on methodological conversations among all participating scholars. Early career scholars will be encouraged to reflect on key methodological questions along the lines of the summer school themes with scholars from around the world.
We invite contributions consisting of projects based on original research and empirically grounded PhD thesis work in progress. We encourage theoretical, methodological, ethical, and historiographical reflections on how to make global history more inclusive. Although the main language of the summer school will be English, individual presentations and panels in other languages can be accommodated.
In particular, we welcome contributions (individual papers) tailored to one (or more) of the following themes:
With these themes in mind, the European Network in Universal and Global History (ENIUGH) is happy to announce its summer school in partnership with the Global Diplomacy Network and the Concurrences Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Studies to be held at Växjö, Sweden, on 7-9 September 2025. Early career scholars (PhD students, postdocs, and assistant professors) are invited to present on-going research exploring relations, transfers, and entanglements between actors or groups of actors located in, or spanning, different regions of the world allowing for comparative and longue durée conversations. The summer school provides the perfect platform to kick-start a week of intense discussions that will culminate in the 8th European Congress on World and Global History (10-12 September 2025).
The Application Process
The Call is open to Ph.D. students and early career scholars from history and related disciplines, who work in the interdisciplinary field of writing connected, entangled, or comparative histories that incorporate transnational or transregional perspectives or challenge the confines of national and Eurocentric historiographies.
The language of presentations will be English but papers in other languages are also accepted. Participants are expected to present a paper of 3000–4000 words in length as the basis for discussion with the whole group; the papers will be circulated among the participants beforehand.
On the final day, participants are invited to pitch their research to the audience of the ENIUGH congress, marking the end of summer school and the opening of the ENIUGH congress.
The Summer School will cover the participation fees of early career scholars from the Global South, who may not have access to institutional funding. Travel grants will be considered awarded to outstanding applicants based on availability and individual needs.
Applications should contain:
Please send your applications electronically as ONE PDF DOCUMENT to Christoph Gümmer: christoph.gummer@uni-leipzig.de and headquarters@eniugh.org. The last day of submission is 31st January 2025.
10. Hybrid: Book Launch: Governance and Islam in East Africa 7 November 17:30 GMT
Join the Governance Programme of the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisation (AKU-SMC) in a celebration of the publication of Governance and Islam in East Africa: Muslims and the State in Kenya and Tanzania edited by Farouk Topan, Kai Kresse, Erin E. Stiles and Hassan Mwakimako. Focusing on relations between Muslims and the State in post-Independence Kenya and Tanzania, the book brings together scholarship from both the Global North and Global South. Professor Michael Jennings will engage the book’s editors in a discussion that examines this complex topic through the three lenses of politics, institutions and the law.
The book has been published Open-Access, so please download your free copy HERE.
7 November 2024
17:30
Aga Khan Centre, 10 Handyside St, London N1C 4D
REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND IN PERSON OR ONLINE
Further details are provided in the image below or click here.
1.The Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien (CNRS, Sorbonne nouvelle, Inalco, EPHE-PSL) is pleased to announce the
Ehsan and Latifeh Yarshater Distinguished Lectures in Iranian Studies in Paris
(XIe Conférences d’études iraniennes Ehsan et Latifeh Yarshater)
To be held on November 18, 20, 26, and December 2 and 9, 2024
at the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art (INHA)
2 rue Vivienne 75002 Paris, Auditorium Jacqueline Lichtenstein
Our speaker, Dr. David Durand-Guédy (Universität Hamburg) will deliver five lectures (in French) on the theme:
Une histoire de l’espace à l’époque des premières dynasties turques et mongoles
Further information at: https://cermi.cnrs.fr/evenements-periodiques-du-cermi/conferences-detudes-iraniennes-ehsan-et-latifeh-yarshater/
Since 2001, the Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien is the recipient of an endowment provided through the Persian Heritage Foundation for a biennial lecture series in Iranian Studies – the Ehsan and Latifeh Yarshater Distinguished Lectures in Iranian Studies in Paris.
Information regarding past lectures can be found here:
2. UCLA : ‘Empire of Refugees: North Caucasian Muslims and the Late Ottoman State’
Historiography of the Middle East Lecture Series
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST
UCLA Bunche Hall 10383
3. The Supreme Wisdom Lessons
A Scripture of American Islam
Michael Muhammad Knight,
University of Central Florida, 2024
series: Comparative Islamic Studies
For more information and to order at 25% off quoting the code RELIGION visit the book page:
https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/supreme-wisdom-lessons/
Part of our Equinox Religion Library Islamic Studies Collection:
https://equinoxreligionlibrary.com/projects/islamic-studies-collection
4. Writing People’s Histories: Sanaa Alimia / Asim Qureshi / Fatima Rajina
Join the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations for an evening of conversation as the journalist and presenter Malia Bouattia discusses with Sanaa Alimia, Asim Qureshi and Fatima Rajina how their books are woven together through the writing of people’s histories and rendering visible racialised, purposefully marginalised and often dehumanised subjects.
1 November 2024, 17:30
Aga Khan Centre, 10 Handyside St, London N1C 4D
REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND IN PERSON OR ONLINE
Further details are provided here.
5. The MBRN and Cardiff’s Islam in UK Centre are organising a conference about conversion to Islam, see below and attachment. The deadline for the CfP is 31 October.
Do you study conversion or work with converts? We’re looking forward to welcoming you to the next Muslims in Britain Research Network and Islam UK Centre conference on the impact of Muslim Converts in Britain.
The Islam-UK Centre, Cardiff University & MBRN (Muslims in Britain Research Network) invite submissions for academic papers and professional contributions to a one-day conference about Muslim converts in Europe. This interdisciplinary conference is open to academic scholars, non-academic professionals and practitioners, and members of religious communities.
We will showcase contemporary research and practice in relation to Muslim converts in Britain, and identify topics for future research and practice by addressing the following questions:
Find further information on submission criteria here:
https://mbrn.org/upcoming-events/
6. AKU-ISMC’s new Centre for the Languages of the Muslim World is delighted to offer this short course as part of its Professional Development series. Arabic Transliteration for Academics, Publishers and Librariansis aimed at professionals, scholars and students who work with Arabic text and would like to acquire knowledge of transliteration systems and gain or improve their practical transliteration skills under the guidance of experienced tutors.
The course is a 5-hour practical workshop-style course taught in two highly interactive sessions. Both sessions incorporate tailored feedback from the tutors.
In session I, participants will learn about transliteration and transcription, the various conventions and scholarly traditions, linguistic issues, contextual needs, and specific problems of Arabic-to-roman rendering; participants will learn and practise contextually appropriate practical transliteration, with tailored feedback from the tutors. Session II will comprise a “problem clinic” workshop focused on short, sample texts chosen by each participant and submitted in advance. During the course, consideration will also be given to issues of bias and ideology.
The course is equally well suited to native and non-native speakers of Arabic.
Aims of the course
Develop an understanding of transliteration and transcription, linguistic issues, contextual needs, and specific problems of Arabic-to-roman rendering
Familiarisation with the various conventions and scholarly traditions
Practise contextually appropriate practical transliteration, with tailored feedback from the tutors.
Date and time
5 December | 14:00 – 17:00 (London time) 12 December | 14:00 – 16:00 (London time)
Eligibility Criteria
The course assumes full reading ability of the Arabic script, and at least some basic knowledge of, or working familiarity with, the Arabic language. The course is equally well-suited to both native and non-native speakers of Arabic.
Note
The course will be delivered via Zoom. Readings and further details will be provided later upon registration.
This course will not be recorded.
7. CFP: Sensescapes of War and Ritual in the Early Modern Islamic World, c. 1500-1800
International Conference, Utrecht University, 13-14 February 2025
The religiopolitical landscapes of Islamicate empires were reshaped by the introduction of new destructive warfare technologies and intense ideological propaganda during the early modern period. In this crucial era, collective religious identities were recast in the crucible of prolonged conflicts and contending visions of piety, eschatology, and community. Warfare and rituals were deeply intertwined, as both served performative and symbolic roles in the construction and maintenance of confessional boundaries. These symbolically loaded phenomena served to purify communities of heresy and reinforce distinct religious identities. The ritualization of violence shaped the sensory experience of both warfare and religious ritual. This conference, convened by the SENSIS research project at Utrecht University, invites contributions that examine how sensory experiences both shaped and were shaped by religious transformation, mobility, and violence in this pivotal period between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.
By searing the traumatic experiences of battle into collective memory and affecting the psychological and emotional states of both combatants and noncombatants, wars were not only fought on the battlefield but also felt in the streets, in homes, and in the imaginations of people, thereby creating new emotional and sensory communities. Although research on the early modern Islamic world has made great strides in exploring military technology, the mobilization and provisioning of armies, and the relationship between warfare and state-building, the impact of these developments on the sensory regimes and experiences of early modern Muslims remains largely unexplored. This conference aims to address this gap by highlighting how warfare transformed sensory experiences, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of the sensory dimensions of early modern Islamic societies.
Moreover, apart from the visceral theaters of war, the early modern period saw the rise of states that legitimized themselves through elaborate public rituals, offering new multisensory experiences. Clamorous commemorations, carnivalesque ceremonies, and starkly embodied rituals stimulated and calibrated the senses. New sartorial, sonic, tactile, and olfactory practices enriched the senscapes of war and religious rites. While scholarship has advanced the study of confessionalization in the context of the Ottoman and Safavid empires, the sensory dimensions of public expressions of religious identity formation remain underexplored. Parallel to the theme of warfare, this conference also seeks to highlight how sensory experiences contributed to the formation of religious identities in Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal contexts.
The conference will address the following key questions:
How did the development and adoption of new military technologies by Muslim dynasties transform the sensory experience of battlefields in the early modern era? How did early modern authors construct, mediate, and express the sensorium of warfare? How did violence reshape the sensory perception of landscapes, sacred spaces, and bodies? In what ways did religious transformations, imperial conversions, and polemical encounters reconfigure the sensory experiences of people? How did they contribute to the crystallization of confessional differences both within and between Sunni and Shia Islamic traditions? How did mobility (particularly pilgrimage, travel, and migration) transform the sensory worlds of early modern Islamicate empires? How can sensory history complement our understanding of broader historical dynamics in the early modern period, such as the formation and development of empires, intercommunal relations, and the transformation of religious practices?
Possible topics for papers include, but are not limited to, the senses in:
Paper proposals:
Please send your proposals to sensis@uu.nl including paper title, abstract (max 250 words), name, and institution, by December 15. We welcome scholars regardless of geographical location and particularly encourage graduate students and early-career scholars to submit paper proposals. We have limited funds available to supplement travel costs of presenters. Please indicate in your email if you would like to be considered for a travel grant and/or whether you can secure travel funding from your home institution. No registration fee is required for participation.
Please note that this will be the second of three conferences organized by the SENSIS research group. The final conference, scheduled for May 2025, will focus on sensory history approaches to material culture. For more details, visit our website: https://sensis.wp.hum.uu.nl.
Contact Email
URL
https://sensis.wp.hum.uu.nl/2024/10/call-for-papers-sensis-conference-2025/
8. International Workshop “Accessing the Sea in the Middle Ages: Quantitative Approaches to Mediterranean Mobility”, Heidelberg University, 30-31 October 2024
Utilising the eponymous ‘Database of Medieval Maritime Predation’ as a tool, the medievalists are collecting and analysing documents from the Archives of Barcelona, Valencia, Mallorca, Genoa, Venice and Malta to track maritime predators from East to West and vice versa.
Information and program: https://rmblf.be/2024/10/04/colloque-accessing-the-sea-in-the-middle-ages-quantitative-approaches-to-mediterranean-mobility/
9. Post-doctoral Fellowship (2 years, for Non-German Female Researcher) for the Project “Studies in Late Antiquity and Early Islam (LAESSI)”, University of Göttingen
The Projects investigates religious, political, cultural, economic trajectories from Late Antiquity to Early Islam (ca. 300 to ca. 930) in the MENA region. Individual proposals related to this overall theme are welcome. Applications should comprise a CV, a list of publications and a short proposal (max. five pages).
Deadline for applications: 3 November 2024.
Contact Prof. Dr. Jens Scheiner (jschein@uni-goettqaboo.de )
Abstract Submission: Interested participants should submit an abstract of no more than 350 words by 28 February 2025.
7e Journée d’études sur le chiisme contemporain, EPHE-MSH Paris, 8 novembre 2024, 10h00 – 16h00
Organisateurs: Rainer Brunner (CNRS/LEM) et Constance Arminjon (EPHE/LEM);
Information et programme :
https://iismm.hypotheses.org/files/2024/10/Journe%CC%81eChiisme_EPHE-LEM_2024.pdf
1.4th International Kurdish Studies Conference
We are delighted to announce the 4th International Kurdish Studies Conference, taking place from April 22-23, 2025, at the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
This conference, co-organized by the Kurdish Institute of Paris, the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – Kurdistan Region Government, with the support of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the French Ministry of Higher Education, aims to bring together scholars from around the world to discuss pioneering research on various aspects of Kurdish studies.
With keynote speakers Prof. Hamit Bozarslan (EHESS, France) and Prof. Khanna Omarkhali (Free University of Berlin), the event will cover topics including Kurdish society, politics, language, gender studies, migration, and much more.
Panel proposals and abstract submissions are open until December 16, 2024. Join us for a dynamic exploration of Kurdish studies and its relevance in today’s changing geopolitical landscape. Travel grants are available for early-career and female academics.
For submission guidelines and more details, contact kurdishstudiesconference@ukh.edu.krd
Organising Committee
Salih Akin, University of Rouen-Normandy, France
Nazand Begikhani, Sciences Po, France
Amiri Cali, Advisor, KRG Ministry of Higher Education
Naif Bezwan, University of Vienna, Austria
Janroj Yilmaz Keles, Middlesex University, United Kingdom
Bayar Mustafa, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Kurdistan
Arzu Yilmaz, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Kurdistan
Kind regards
Janroj Yilmaz Keles, PhD SFHEA
Associate Professor in Politics, Law School, Middlesex University
Visiting Professor in International Relations at the Centre for Peacebuilding and Dialogue, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr
Visiting Senior Fellow at the Centre for Women, Peace and Security, LSE
W09 Williams Building, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BT
Email: J.Keles@mdx.ac.uk
2. 2025 BRISMES Conference: Call for Papers
Newcastle University, Newcastle • 1-3 July 2025
Proposals due by 13.12.24.
Full information at:
And
https://www.brismes.ac.uk/pages/preview/AHEjwgi7DXvi2y3zMIWztWXq
3. Seminar “Societies, Politics and Cultures of the Iranian World” this Thursday, October 24, 2024
We regret to announce that the first session of the seminar, scheduled for Thursday, October 24 at 5 p.m. at Inalco, must be cancelled. The lecture by Mr. Marc Toutant, “Le Tuḥfat al-ṭālibīn, une grammaire moghole du turc oriental. Philological, Cultural and Political Teachings” will be postponed to a date to be communicated later.
The seminar “Societies, Politics and Cultures of the Iranian World” will therefore begin on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 5 p.m. at INALCO (4th floor, room 4.15, 65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris XIII), with the intervention of Mr. Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi (EPHE-PSL, LEM), for a conference entitled: “Persian Mystical Poetry and Spiritual Exercises”.
Summary:
Mystical poetry in the Persian language in the classical age (tenth-fifteenth century) is characterized, as we know, by the extreme richness of its symbolic lexicons: from the evocation of eroticism and the beauties of nature to drinking, debauchery and immorality. The present examination does not concern these technicalities, which have been extensively studied for a long time; rather, he will endeavour to recover a layer of unrecognized meaning, hidden under these lexicons, which has to do with ascetic practices and spiritual exercises. The scattered allusions in mystical prose literature or symbolic philosophical fables allow us to discover hermeneutical grids where “the morning breeze” can refer to morning breathing exercises, where “the dew” can evoke the ascetic’s perspiration, and “the rose petals”, the purple cheeks. In this way, in the case of the great Ḥāfeẓ, for example, a lyrical description of nature or the lament of heartache can refer, in addition to their obviate meaning expressed in a sublime poetic language, to specific mystical practices and inner experiences.
Bibliographical orientations:
– Naṣrallāh Pūrjavādī, Zabān-e ḥāl dar ‘erfān va adabiyyāt-e fārsī, Téhéran, Hermes, 1385 solaire/2006
– Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, “Singing the Sweetness of Prayer. De quelques aspects méconnus du vocabulaire technique de la poésie mystique persane”, Journal des Savants, January-June 2014, p. 121-141.
– Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, “Provocation, Love, Inner Freedom. On Some Spiritual Aspects of Iranian Islam”, Revue des Sciences Philosophiques et Théologiques 101.2 (April-June 2017), p. 187-200.
You will find the 2024-2025 program of the monthly research seminar “Societies, Politics and Cultures of the Iranian World” attached, and on the CeRMI website:
https://cermi.cnrs.fr/seminaires-de-recherche/societes-politiques-et-cultures-du-monde-iranien-2024-2025/
4. University of Edinburgh
Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Research Seminar Series: Peter Hill
Date & Time: 28 October 2024, 5:15pm – 6:30pm
Venue: Project Room 1.06, 50 George Square
In brief: Dr Peter Hill (Northumbria University) will give a talk entitled ‘Disturbance of Thoughts: Doubt, Impiety, and Unbelief in the Arab-Ottoman World, 17th-19th Centuries’, which will draw on his research into political thought, intercultural exchanges, and the modern Middle East.
Booking: Not required for attending in person, simply turn up on the day.
For attending online, you can email an IMES colleague for joining details.
See:
5. Historians of Islamic Art Association
2025 Symposium, April 3-5
Pre-registration will close by February 14
Thursday, April 3 – MIT and Boston College
MIT:
Boston College:
Friday April 4 – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Saturday, April 5, Boston College
6. HIAA ONLINE WORKSHOPS
Addressing Fraught Proximities between the Historical and the Contemporary in the Teaching of Islamic Art and Architecture
November 21, 2024 (Thursday)
11am CST/ 12:00 EST/ 17:00 GMT
To register: https://temple.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUofu-trT0pHtasBVgmHrZJxj4aXL3-CkZd
Moderator: Theodore Van Loan (Washington and Lee University)
Panelists: Alessandra Amin (Johns Hopkins University), Stephennie Mulder (UT Austin), Kirsten Scheid (American University Beirut), Mohammed Mourtaja (Washington and Lee University), Saima Akhtar (Barnard College)
The premise that research and teaching of the historical art and architecture of the Middle East can be dispassionately separated from urgent political and cultural issues of the region has been thoroughly dismantled by postcolonial critical practices. Yet, at the same time, it remains an open question how curricular and pedagogical practices of historical “Islamic” art and architecture might be responsive to such concerns. For students interested in the field, these issues are of prime interest, as they are for faculty who are often lack the critical tools to engage with historical material as it is set within proximate location to death, destruction, and conflict, to state things in the starkest of terms. This workshop will bring together a multidisciplinary group of art historians and others in related fields whose work, and research practices involve conceptualizing connections between the study of historical art and architecture and these various urgent concerns. These concerns include modes of neo-colonial exploitation, warfare, ethnic cleansing, genocide, Islamophobia, human rights, cultural heritage protection, among others. The Humanities offer us no easy answers or concrete methodologies to address these challenging proximities, but nonetheless they need to be urgently discussed.
7. Medieval Landscapes of Anatolia: Deciphering the dynamic relationship between urban and rural, Online Talk Serie Archaeology Seminar – October 23
The IFEA, together with METU and Sorbonne Universite, organises an online Talk Serie Archaeology Seminar in 2024-2025.
The first lecture will be held online, October 23, 7.00pm (Istanbul time)
Speakers : Burcu Erciyas (METU) & Maxime Durocher (SU)
Title : “Resilient Landscapes and Dynamic Communities of Medieval Komana”
Link and registration : https://www.ifea-istanbul.net/index.php/fr/evenements/eve-archeo/archaeology-seminar-medieval-landscape-of-anatolia-deciphering-the-dynamic-relationship-between-urban-a
Contact Email
maxime.durocher@sorbonne-universite.fr
URL
https://www.ifea-istanbul.net/index.php/fr/evenements/eve-archeo/archaeology-se…
8. Iowa State University – Assistant Professor – Art History
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=67995
Pennsylvania State University – Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Architectural History
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=67961
University of Massachusetts – Amherst – Associate/Full Professor – Islamic/Middle Eastern Studies
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68010
Harvard University – NELC – Preceptor in Persian
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68018
Texas Christian University – Assistant Professor, Modern Middle East
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=67985
9. Hybrid: Columbia University
Arabic Studies Seminars with Nouri Gana Melancholy of the Oppressed 24/10
The first meeting of the semester with Professor Nouri Gana (UCLA) next Thursday (10/24) at 7pm EST in Faculty House for a book talk on his latest book: Melancholy of the Oppressed: Defeat and Cultural Critique in the Arab World.
Please note that due to new regulations, non CUID holders will not be allowed into Faculty House without prior notice. If you intend to be present in-person and are not a CUID holder, please RSVP as soon as possible. If we don’t receive your RSVP by the end of Friday, we may not be able to let you in.
This meeting will also be live streamed here on ZOOM for those guests who can’t make it in person.
The talk will begin at 7:00 pm.
1.Two Upcoming Classical Persian Courses
Two upcoming courses on Classical Persian historical texts and manuscript studies organized by the Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature:
The first course, starting on October 21st and running for three weeks, focuses on the Classical Persian of historical texts. It’s designed to familiarize participants with the classical historical tradition, exploring the style, grammar, and essential tools needed to critically read and analyze historical texts. This course, as well as the next one are suitable for Masters’ or PhD students of Persian and Iranian studies.
Course Title: Classical Persian through Historical Texts: From Naršaxī to Juwaynī
The second course, starting on November 11th and lasting for two weeks, is specifically aimed at developing techniques for reading Classical Persian manuscripts. Throughout the course, we’ll read and analyze a variety of manuscripts—both prose and verse—and practice the skills needed to work with them. We might also dedicate some time to exploring manuscripts participants are currently working with.
Course Title: Classical Persian through Living Books: Unlocking the Persian Manuscripts
Ruben Nikoghosyan
Yerevan, Armenia
Website: www.ferdowsi.org
2. Orsatti, Paola. “Persian Language in Arabic Script: The Formation of the Orthographic Standard and the Different Graphic Traditions of Iran in the First Centuries of the Islamic Era”.Creating Standards: Interactions with Arabic script in 12 manuscript cultures, edited by Dmitry Bondarev, Alessandro Gori and Lameen Souag, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2019, pp. 39-72. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110639063-002
The paper is available for download here (open access): Persian Language in Arabic Script: The Formation of the Orthographic Standard and the Different Graphic Traditions of Iran in the First Centuries of the Islamic Era (degruyter.com)
3. British Colonial Policy and Intelligence Files on Asia and the Middle East, c. 1880–c. 1950
Brill
We are excited to introduce our new online resource, British Colonial Policy and Intelligence Files on Asia and the Middle East, c. 1880–c. 1950. India Office Political and Secret Files and Confidential Print.
The series comprises fourteen collections of historical British government documents related to intelligence gathered on countries in Asia and the Middle East, including India, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and more. The original documents are part of the Oriental & India Office Collections at the British Library in London. The collection will be hosted on the new De Gruyter Brill platform.
4. Jobs:
Indiana University – Bloomington – Roger E. Covey Professor of Silk Road Studies, Open Rank, Tenure Track
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=67817
New York University Arts and Science – Tenure Track Position in 18th and 19th Century Middle Eastern History
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=67805
5. Indiana University’s Summer 2025 Language Workshop is now accepting applications for its intensive online Kurdish program!
Funding Opportunities
Priority Application Deadline
Learn more and apply here: https://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/kurdish
Questions? Email the Language Workshop at languageworkshop@iu.edu or join virtual office hours.
6. Indiana University’s Summer 2025 Language Workshop is now accepting applications for its intensive online Turkish program!
Funding Opportunities
Priority Application Deadline
Learn more and apply here: https://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/turkish
Questions? Email the Language Workshop at languageworkshop@iu.edu or join virtual office hours.
NEW RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS, 2025-2026
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute at the University of Michigan is proud to announce the launch of a new fellowship program for scholars of all academic ranks.
The Wallenberg Institute fosters the values embodied by Raoul Wallenberg—empathy, tolerance, and leadership—by studying hatred directed against religious and ethnic communities, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and elevating civic discourse. Through teaching, research, and public engagement, the institute will develop strategies to combat antisemitism, divisiveness, and discrimination.
The Wallenberg fellowships will support original research, scholarship, and public-facing or community-based projects that support the mission of the Institute. Fellows will have the time and resources to work on their own projects while contributing to the university community. Research fellowships are renewable on an annual basis for up to a total of three years, contingent on satisfactorily meeting the terms of the fellowship. Fellows who extend to second and third years will be required to either teach one course per year (in years two and three) or contribute equivalent service (such as curatorial work, student engagement, or public outreach). Scholars are also welcome to apply for single semester or single year fellowships. We are looking for a diverse range of scholars and practitioners to create a dynamic and innovative environment of research and collaboration.
Eligibility:
Terms:
Requirements for Application:
Timeline:
Questions about the fellowship program may be directed to Dr. Miriam Mora.
Contact Information
Miriam Eve Mora, PhD
Managing Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute at the University of Michigan
Office Phone: (734) 763-1734
Mailing Address:
3246 LSA Building
500 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1382
Contact Email
URL
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=67900
8. CALL FOR PAPERS: The Tenth Biennial Convention of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies ASPS/Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies
August 12-16, 2025 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The Association for the Study of Persianate Societies (ASPS) is pleased to announce its Tenth Biennial Convention, to take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, August 12-16, 2025. Our meeting will be hosted by Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.
The Deadline for Submission of Abstracts is October 31, 2024.
Please note that those wishing to submit an abstract must be a current (2024) ASPS member. Otherwise your submission will not be considered. You must be a 2025 member to register and participate in the conference. To become a new member or renew your ASPS membership please proceed to our membership page. We will likely have a limited number of fellowships available for participants from Afghanistan and Central Asia, and for graduate students from the US. Further details regarding application procedures for travel fellowships will be announced later.
Submissions in all humanities and social science disciplines related to Persianate Societies are welcome. Pre-organized panels are strongly encouraged. Submissions for pre-organized panels must include a panel abstract of no more than 300 words plus individual abstracts of no more than 300 words for each panelist. Panels must be limited to a minimum of three panelists and a maximum of four.
Submissions for pre-organized panels and individual papers can be made by clicking here. For questions, please contact the Chair of the Convention and ASPS Secretary, Rob Haug at haugrt@ucmail.uc.edu.
9. CfP: TRANSLATION AND MULTILINGUALISM IN MONGOL AND POST-MONGOL EURASIA
Workshop co-organised between
TRANSLAPT (University of Münster) & NoMansLand (IFI – ÖAW)
4-6 June 2025, University of Münster, Germany
Abstract submission deadline: 15 November 2024
Full information at:
https://www.uni-muenster.de/ArabistikIslam/translapt/call_for_papers/index.html
10.Zoom: Zahra Institute Speaker Event on Oct. 23 with Dr. Michael Chyet
We are excited to invite you to our next Fall Speaker Series event taking place on Wednesday, 23 October. Our speaker, Dr. Michael Chyet (Missouri State University), will present on, “Managing Variation: A Methodology for Standardizing Kurdish.”
Dr. Chyet recently retired (June 2024) from his position as Cataloger of Middle Eastern languages at the Library of Congress. Formerly he was Senior Broadcast Editor of the Kurdish Service of the Voice of America, and professor of Kurdish at the University of Paris and at the Washington Kurdish Institute. Dr. Chyet currently teaches Kurdish via Zoom for Missouri State University (MSU). He is working on a third, expanded edition of his Kurdish-English dictionary, Ferhenga Birûskî.
𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Managing Variation: A Methodology for Standardizing Kurdish
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧: 12:00 pm Central /1 pm Eastern, Wednesday, October 23
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: Zoom, https://zoom.us/j/93793822840?pwd=pxFUOJfxlj73aaYeD5HaFfrETX6kga.1
For Zoom link and more information, please see the event flyer below and visit our website: https://www.zahrainstitute.org/. Feel free to share with your networks.
11. Job: Political Science Endowed Chair position at Texas Christian University (TCU)
Texas Christian University invites highly qualified candidates to apply for the Herman Brown Endowed Chair of Political Science. The ideal candidate will have an exceptional record of nationally and internationally recognized research and a demonstrable aptitude for, and commitment to, effective undergraduate teaching. We welcome applicants at the rank of Professor or senior Associate Professor, and from all subfields of Political Science. Nominations are welcome. We seek an individual who will contribute intellectual and programmatic leadership in a large and thriving undergraduate department.
Full review of applications begins on November 1 and will continue until the position is filled.
Full information at:
12. Rethinking Contemporary Islamic Movements – a podcast series
Announcing the podcast series ‘Rethinking Contemporary Islamic Movements‘ on our (Cambridge) website (and that of our partners at the Edinburgh Alwaleed Centre). This podcast series seeks to advance comparative analysis of wider patterns of change, continuity, similarity, and difference across diverse contemporary Islamic movements operating within and across Europe and the Middle East and North Africa.
It came out of a joint project – Rethinking Transnational Islamic Movements within & across the Middle East & Europe– between Iman Dawood (Cambridge) and Guy Eyre (Edinburgh).
13. Call for Assistant/Associate Professor; Farzanah Family Assistant/Associate Professor of Iranian Studies University of Oklahoma, Norman Campus.
The David L. Boren College of International Studies at the University of Oklahoma seeks applicants for a full-time Farzaneh Family Professor of Iranian Studies, at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor (tenure-track or tenured), with a start date of August 15, 2025.
The College encourages applications from all interested and qualified parties. Our mission statement and other information can be found at www.ou.edu/cis. We seek a scholar of Iranian Studies working in the Political Science subfields of International Relations and/or Comparative Politics. While the position is open with respect to substantive specialization within these subfields, we have particular interest in candidates with research interests in comparative and/or international political economy, political/economic development, international trade, natural resource economies, or economic inequality.
The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and MA-level courses in Iranian Studies, as well as courses within their areas of specialization, particularly as they relate to Iran and the broader Persian Gulf region. The College has particular teaching needs in the subjects of the politics and economics of Iran, US-Iran relations, as well as international political economy, political economy of development, and international trade. The successful candidate will also be expected to develop and maintain a consistent research agenda leading to high-quality academic publications and will have an opportunity to take an engaged role in the Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies (https://www.ou.edu/cis/research/farzaneh-family-center).
For information about The Boren College of International Studies: (https://www.ou.edu/cis).
Required Qualifications:
• Ph.D. in Political Science or International Relations in hand or expected by time of appointment.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct high-quality research in their areas of expertise related to Iranian / Persian Gulf Studies.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to teach courses in Iranian Studies, International Relations and/or Comparative Politics.
Preferences (Not Required):
• One or more publications in relevant peer-reviewed outlets and additional ongoing research.
• Research expertise in comparative and/or international political economy, political/economic development, international trade, natural resource economies, or economic inequality.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to generate external research funding.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to participate in the programming activities of the Farzaneh Center.
• Working proficiency in Persian.
• Excellence in teaching and in supporting student success.
Application Instructions:
Applicants are invited to submit a cover letter, current C.V., writing sample, and list of three potential academic references to http://apply.interfolio.com/156855. The cover letter may address examples of the candidate’s approach to teaching, inclusive excellence, research, service, and student mentorship. Additional materials may be requested at a later date. The search will remain open until filled. The search committee will begin reviewing applications on November 18, 2024.
14. UCLA: IRANIAN STUDIES & YARSHATER CENTER
Symposium & Workshop:
Nezāmi and the Iranian World
November 21 – November 22, 2024
A symposium and workshop convened by
Domenico Ingenito (University of California, Los Angeles)
Morning Refreshments at 8:30am
Conference beings at 9:00am
Full information at:
15. HYBRIDE Conférence “La Muqaddima d’Ibn Khaldûn, une oeuvre multidimensionnelle et uni-verselle” avec Abdelhamid Larguèche (université Tunis-Manouba) et Gabriel Martinez-Gros (université de Nanterre), Centre arabe de recherches & d’études politiques, Paris, 22 octobre 2024, 18h30
Cette conférence se propose d’explorer les multiples facettes de ce grand penseur, qui fut à la fois historien, économiste, sociologue, et peut-être même visionnaire. Nous examinerons en particulier sa théorie de l’‘Um-ran et discuterons de la manière dont son oeuvre résonne encore aujourd’hui avec notre modernité. Quels enseignements La Muqaddima peut-elle nous offrir sur notre existence actuelle et les défis de notre société contemporaine ?
Information et inscription: https://www.carep-paris.org/prochain-evenement/la-muqaddima-dibn-khaldun-une-oeuvre-multidimensionnelle-et-universelle/
16. Assistant Professor for Modern Middle Eastern and North African History, Department of Mid-dle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC), Indiana University, Bloomington
We seek a scholar with research and teaching experience specialized in the contemporary MENA region, and with a substantive focus in one or more of the following areas: States and societies – Religion – Immi-gration and displacement – Water or fossil fuel resources – Human security (civil conflict).
Deadline for applications: 30 October 2024. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities /2024/08/29/assistant-professor-of-modern-middle-eastern-and-north-african-history-1
17.Tenure Track Assistant Professor in the Modern Arab Middle East, Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Brandeis University
Candidates in Anthropology or Sociology. Applicants must have training, linguistic expertise, and research and teaching interests in the region. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in hand when the appointment begins.
Deadline for applications: 31 October 2024. Information: https://www.brandeis.edu/crown/grants/index.html
18. Lecturer in South or Southeast Asian Islam, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
Qualification: Ph.D. in Religious Studies or related field; ability to teach courses on Islam in Asia across all periods, Islam and empire, contemporary Islam, and courses that would contribute to the minor in Asian Studies; experience mentoring culturally diverse students.
Deadline for applications: 1 November 2024. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/150783
19. ONLINE Course “Introduction to Arabic Translation” (10 Hours), Centre for the Languages of the Muslim World, Aga Khan University, London, 31 October, 7, 14, 21, 28 November 2024, 14:00 – 16:00 London Time
Aims of the course: Study a selected range of Arabic texts in order to comparatively analyse competing translations of each, via exercises in contrastive stylistics. – Identify and discuss typical rhetorical features of Arabic and English. – Facilitate an understanding of key issues in Arabic-to-English translation. – Introduce the underpinnings of translation methodology.
Information:
https://www.aku.edu/ismc/events/pages/event-detail.aspx?EventID=2595&Title=Introduction%25