Archive for October 28th, 2025
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Call for Application: SoFCB Junior Fellows Program, November 19, 2025
We are inviting applications for the 2026 cohort of Junior Fellows. The SoFCB is a community of scholars working across disciplines to advance the study of texts, images, and artifacts as material objects. Ten Junior Fellows will be selected to join the SoFCB in 2026; they may become Senior Fellows after completing two years of the fellowship’s required activities in good standing. The application deadline for the SoFCB Junior Fellows Program is Wednesday, 19 November 2025, at 11:50 pm ET. To learn more about the fellowship program and application, please visit: www.tinyurl.com/Apply-SoFCB-2025. For any questions about the SoFCB Junior Fellows Program, please email sofcb_staff@virginia.edu.
We would very much appreciate it if you could share our call for applications and welcome letter with interested students and colleagues at the Association of Print Scholars.
With warm wishes,
Pranav
Contact Information
Contact Email
URL
https://rarebookschool.org/admissions-awards/fellowships/sofcb/
2. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE AMERICAN CENTER OF RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
2026–2027
Deadline for the following fellowships is February 15, 2026.
The Amman Prize, Postgraduate:The Amman Prize supports four months of research and residence in Jordan. Prize winners are provided with a monthly stipend, room/board and a private workspace at ACOR. One award of $25,000 is expected in 2026, including $5,000 for travel and research expenses (including language training, if applicable). This award will support someone who has completed their formal course of study (holding an advanced degree[s] is not required). The recipient may be at any stage of their career. Research may be in any field of scientific, social scientific, or humanistic research whose principal concern is Jordan. Selection criteria are the merits, impact, and likelihood of completing a major work (e.g., book) during the term of the award. The successful applicant may be of any nationality; preference may be given to Jordanians, Americans, Canadians, Syrians, and Australians. A prior record of completing significant scholarly or creative work(s) is expected. Individuals who have been awarded a fellowship from ACOR in the past two years are not eligible. Undergraduate students are not eligible. Priority may be given to individuals who can complete the term of the award in calendar 2026.
The Amman Prize, ABD doctoral students: The Amman Prize supports four months of research and residence in Jordan. Prize winners are provided with a monthly stipend, room/board and a private workspace at ACOR. Two awards of $25,000 are expected in 2026, including $5,000 for travel and research expenses (including language training, if applicable). These awards will support Prizes to graduate students pursuing their dissertation research. Research may be in any field of scientific, social scientific, or humanistic research whose principal concern is Jordan, ancient, modern, or contemporary. Selection criteria are the merits, impact, and feasibility of the proposed research. The successful applicants must be a United States citizen enrolled in an institution of higher education located in the United States and will have completed all requirements for the PhD except for the dissertation by the start of the fellowship period. Individuals who have been awarded a fellowship from ACOR in the past two years are not eligible. Priority may be given to individuals who can complete the term of the award in calendar 2026.
Bert and Sally de Vries Fellowship: One award of $2,500 to support a student for participation on an archaeological project or research in Jordan. Senior project staff members whose expenses are being borne largely by the project are ineligible. Open to enrolled undergraduate or graduate students of any nationality except Jordanian citizens.
Burton MacDonald and Rosemarie Sampson Fellowship: One award either for a four-week residency at the American Center of Research for research in the fields of ancient Near Eastern languages and history, archaeology, biblical studies, or comparative religion, or for a travel grant to assist with participation in an archaeological field project in Jordan. The residency fellowship option includes room and board at the American Center of Research in Amman and a stipend of $1,500. The travel-grant option provides a single stipend of $2,500 to help with any project-related expenses. Both options are open to enrolled undergraduate or graduate students of Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status.
Donald O. Henry Fellowship: One award of $500 for a field project, publication, or related event in support of archaeological research in or about Jordan. The fellowship has a preference for the support of archaeological efforts related to prehistory and/or work in southern Jordan, but proposals involving all periods and locations are eligible, welcome, and encouraged. The most compelling proposal will receive the award. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers of all nationalities are eligible to apply.
Frederick-Wenger Memorial Endowment: Two awards of $2,000 to assist a Jordanian student with the cost of their education. Eligibility is not limited to a specific field of study, but preference will be given to study related to Jordan’s cultural heritage. Candidates must be Jordanian citizens and currently enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students in a Jordanian university.
Harrell Family Fellowship: One award of $2,500 to support a graduate student for participation on an archaeological project or for research in Jordan. Senior project staff members whose expenses are being borne largely by the project are ineligible. Open to enrolled graduate students of any nationality except Jordanian citizens.
James A. Sauer Fellowship: One award of $1,500 for educational assistance to support a graduate student participating in an ACOR-approved archaeological fieldwork or research project in Jordan. For the 2026–2027 cycle, the Sauer Fellowship is open to enrolled graduate students of any nationality except Jordanian.
Jennifer C. Groot Memorial Fellowship: Two awards of $3,000 each to support beginners in archaeological fieldwork who have been accepted as team members on archaeological projects in Jordan. The fellowship is intended to help defray the costs of participation in excavations. Open to undergraduate or graduate students of U.S. or Canadian citizenship, with a preference for individuals who graduated in the past 12 months (i.e., January to December 2025) and/or have been accepted to a graduate program for fall 2026.
Jennifer C. Groot II Memorial Fellowship: This fellowship provides financial support to help improve the preparation and qualifications of Jordanians, or residents of Jordan, for future graduate-level study in Europe or the Americas. The fellowship must conclude with the submission of a qualified application for graduate study outside of Jordan or an application to a funding program that supports the same (e.g., a Fulbright scholarship). The scholarship will provide support for taking English-language courses and/or preparations for and taking required standardized tests (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, GRE), as well as support from ACOR staff. Preference is given to those studying archaeology, history, or fields related to the cultural heritage of Jordan.
Jordanian Graduate Student Scholarship: One award of $3,000 to assist a Jordanian graduate student with the annual costs of their academic programs during the period June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027. Candidates must be Jordanian citizens and currently enrolled in either a master’s or doctoral program in a Jordanian university. Eligibility is limited to students in programs related to Jordan’s cultural heritage (for example: archaeology, anthropology, linguistics/epigraphy, history, conservation, museum studies, and fields related to cultural resource management).
Kenneth W. Russell Fellowship: One award of $2,500 for educational assistance for a Jordanian graduate student enrolled in an archaeology or cultural heritage degree program in any country. For the 2026–2027 cycle, the Russell Fellowship is open only to enrolled graduate students of Jordanian nationality.
Lawrence T. Geraty Travel Scholarship: One award of $1,250 for an undergraduate or graduate student from an accredited institution to conduct in Jordan excavation and/or research approved by ASOR’s Committee on Archaeological Research and Policy (CAP). The award is intended to assist in travel costs and/or accommodation at the American Center of Research, based on need. Funding may be combined with other fellowships and must be spent within a calendar year.
Pierre and Patricia Bikai Fellowship: Two awards for one month each, or one two-month award, for residency at the American Center of Research in Amman. The fellowship is open to enrolled graduate students of any nationality, except Jordanian citizens, participating in an archaeological project or conducting archaeological work in Jordan. The fellowship includes room and board at the American Center of Research and a monthly stipend of $800.
Thomas Parker Memorial Fund:One award of $1,750 for an undergraduate student, graduate student, or postdoctoral researcher of any nationality. Proposals are accepted for support for fellowships, field projects, and events in Jordan. Preference is given to archaeological fieldwork or publication efforts, but proposals in all areas of academic inquiry are welcome and encouraged. The most compelling proposal will receive the award.
Conference Travel Award for Jordanians: This award is intended to assist Jordanians resident in Jordan participating in and delivering a scholarly paper at an international conference held in the United States or Canada. One award of $3,500 will be made for an in-person paper presentation and one award for a paper presentation in a virtual conference (i.e., conference registration, membership when required) will be available annually. Awards are eligible in any field of study related to ACOR’s mission. Poster presentations are not eligible.
Applications should be submitted online at orcfellowships.smapply.org/.
Inquiries should be directed to fellowships@acorjordan.org.
3. From Manga to Manifesto: Youth Culture, Protest, and the Global Circulations of ONE PIECE
1 Theme, 2 Days, 3 Departments
CALL FOR PAPERS
In 2025, the emblematic flag of the Japanese manga ONE PIECE has surfaced in youth-led protests from Nepal and Indonesia to Morocco and Madagascar, transforming a symbol of fictional pirate rebellion into a banner of real-world dissent. In this two-day interdisciplinary workshop scholars from Middle Eastern, Japanese and African studies explore together how popular culture travels across linguistic, cultural, and political boundaries to animate new forms of protest and solidarity among Generation Z.
We invite contributions that investigate the transnational lives of symbols, the appropriation of Japanese visual culture in African and Middle Eastern contexts, and the ways in which global media imaginaries shape local expressions of political agency. How does ONE PIECE’s narrative of freedom, friendship, and resistance against corrupt authority resonate with the lived experiences of young activists in postcolonial societies? What does the circulation of such symbols outside of the ‘Western’ imaginary reveal about the shifting landscapes of global cultural exchange, digital communication, and generational identity? And are there cases of protest centered in Asia, Africa or the Middle East that operate outside (or resist being absorbed into) global capitalist frameworks?
Written and illustrated by the Japanese author Oda Eiichirō (b. 1975) and published since 1997, the modern pirate story ONE PIECEcounts with more than 500 million copies in circulation worldwide as the best-selling manga series ever. By examining the ONE PIECEpirate flag with its characteristic straw hat as both a cultural artifact and a political signifier, the workshop seeks to map the intersections of popular culture, protest aesthetics, and transnational youth mobilization. We welcome papers from across the humanities and social sciences — including anthropology, cultural studies, political science, and regional studies — that contribute to understanding how Japanese pop culture (not limited to ONE PIECE) is reimagined in local acts of resistance.
Research Workshop at the Asia-Africa-Institute of the University of Hamburg, 26-27 March 2026, Asia-Africa-Institute, Hamburg, Germany; organized by Nora Derbal (Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies), Kerstin Fooken (Japanese Studies) and Hewan Semon Marye (African Studies)
Instructions:
Limited travel funding may be available for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty from low-income countries and institutions. We aim to publish the revised papers as a special issue in a refereed journal.
Submissions: Individual proposals should include an abstract (300 words), email address, affiliation, and short biography of presenter(s). Please also indicate if you will need assistance with travel funding.
Email submissions to both Nora Derbal (nora.derbal@uni-hamburg.de) and Kerstin Fooken (kerstin.fooken@uni-hamburg.de).
Deadline for submission of proposals: December 1st, 2025
Notification of acceptance: December 15, 2025
Contact Information
Nora Derbal, University of Hamburg, Asia-Africa-Institute, Germany
Contact Email
URL
https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/voror/aktuelles/26-03-26-from-manga-to-manifesto…
4. Lambeaux de la nature
Fragments de sciences naturelles
de Avicenne
5. Rashwan, Hany. et al.(2025) ‘Balāgha is not rhetoric: The untranslatability of Arabo-Islamic literary terms’,Translation and Interpreting Studies: The Journal of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association. doi: 10.1075/tis.25037.ras.
https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/tis.25037.ras#html_fulltext
6. Mon. Nov. 3 12-1:30pm EST webinar: Atiq Rahimi and Homeira Qaderi in conversation
The Iran Colloquium at Yale will be hosting one of the most exciting events in the Afghan novelist Homeira Qaderi’s multi-year series of Persian-language public conversations with fellow writers. This time, she will be speaking with the Cannes award-winning Franco-Afghan writer and director Atiq Rahimi!
This will be a webinar in Persian, open to all, on Monday November 3, 12-1:30pm Eastern US time. Register here, and for more information on the event, see here.
This event is co-sponsored by the Yale Center for Middle East Studies and the Central Asia Initiative, supported by the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund. We hope to see you there.
7. Amir Khosrow Afshar Visiting Fellowship, 2026-27
The LSE Iranian History Initiative welcomes applications for the Amir Khosrow Afshar Visiting Fellowship for the 2026-27 academic year. The Afshar Fellowship provides an opportunity for an external post-doctoral scholar of modern Iranian history, including both early-career researchers and established scholars, to travel to London and be affiliated with LSE while conducting research on any aspect of the modern history of Iran between 1500 and 1979. This might include research at the UK National Archives, the British Library, the LSE Library and Archives, or other libraries and archives in London and the UK.
The Iranian History Initiative particularly welcomes applications from scholars based outside of the UK; from scholars whose research involves the use of Persian-language primary sources; and from scholars working on any aspect of the history of Pahlavi Iran (1921-1979).
The Afshar Fellowship is tenable for a period of one month during either the Autumn (28 September to 11 December 2026), Winter (11 January to 25 March 2027) or Spring (26 April to 11 June 2027) terms at LSE. Fellowships are not tenable outside of these dates of term. Afshar Fellows will be reimbursed up to £2,000 for the cost of return economy travel to London, up to £125 per night for accommodation for a maximum of 31 days stay in London, and up to £125 for UK visa expenses.
Fellows will be formally affiliated with the Iranian History Initiative and the Department of International History at LSE. Afshar Fellows will receive an LSE ID card, granting them access to campus buildings, including the LSE Library. An IT account, including LSE e-mail and access to the LSE Library’s online resources, will also be provided. Afshar Fellows are expected to attend IHI and departmental events during the period of their residency in London and to present their research in a departmental forum or public event.
Applications, consisting of a research proposal (no more than three pages) and CV, should be made by email to Dr Roham Alvandi (R.Alvandi@lse.ac.uk) by no later than 19 January 2026. Applications will be assessed by a selection committee, and the fellowship will be awarded by the Department of International History’s Research Committee.
- October 28, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment