Archive for October, 2025

1. CFP ACLA Seminar: “World Literature Through the Spectrum of Digital Humanities; Textual Geographies and Technologies of Decentralization.”

This seminar explores how digital humanities reshape the study of world literature by highlighting circulation, adaptation, and resistance across diverse cultural contexts. We welcome papers that engage with:

• Digitization and the geographies of texts, authors, and readers
• Challenges of applying DH to non-Anglophone and non-Latin corpora
• Worlding, minor literatures, and digital infrastructures
• Critical reflections on DH and world literature

For details and submission, please visit this Link: https://www.acla.org/seminar/65659de7-cc35-4a64-98c6-f33019e7b1de

 

 

 

2. Quran Commentary Tafsir Series from Fons Vitae

NOW ALSO AVAILABLE in PDF & eBOOK formats: Up until now, these fundamental tafasir have remained out of reach for many English speaking Muslims (and non-Muslims). Among the most important sources for understanding the Qur’an are the tafsir works, commentaries on the Qur’an, which help to properly explain and contextualise the Revelation. VIEW ALL COMMENTARIES…

The series aims to make widely available the leading exegetical works in translation for study and research in unabridged form, which are faithful to the letter and meaning of the Arabic

 

 

 

 

3. CFP – Eco-art-histories: Plants and Paintings in the Arts of Asia

Call for PAPERS

ASSOCIATION FOR ART HISTORY 2026 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

8-10 April 2026, University of Cambridge

Eco-art-histories: Plants and Paintings in the Arts of Asia

This panel explores eco-art-historical analysis to re-evaluate received knowledge about the place of plant lives in painting in Asia. Moving away from the art historical tradition of reading ‘iconographically’ into plants in paintings, we turn attention to the acknowledgment that art and ecological phenomenon have always been inescapably entangled and sharpen the focus here on the question of the artist’s place in negotiating their plant worlds—trees, bushes, flowers, weeds.

How did plant ecologies inspire artists of Chinese, Indian, or Persian painting? Is it viable as a critical approach to assume that the European herbals were enough for Mughal painters to learn and include species of flowers in their album paintings? Is Chinese landscape painting in dialogue with the ecologies the artists encountered or simply presents formulaic iconographies? Are plants in Persian paintings of 14th century mindless, isolated, and merely mechanical imitations of specimens seen in fragments of Song textiles or Yuan scroll paintings? How did painted plants represent the less explored forms of multiplex culturation and different manners of perceiving and receiving the nature and environment?

We invite innovative and interdisciplinary approaches, retooling the analytical approach for the study of painting in Asia through the lens of eco-art-history. Such retooling may happen through revisiting the relationship between the medieval/early modern Asian artist and their immediate – or mediated – environment and questioning what constitutes and entails the agency of the artist and their subjective experience of or encounter with nature and its consequential translation into art.

Please email your abstract for a short presentation of about 10-15 minutes to be followed by discussions by November 2, 2025 to:

Sussan Babaie, The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, Sussan.babaie@courtauld.ac.uk

AND

Mahroo Moosavi, Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, Max-Planck Institute, Mahroo.moosavi@khi.fi.it

Please keep your abstract to a maximum of 250 words and include a short CV!

Please note that you will need to be an AAH member and register for the conference to take part and present your paper.

For further information, see:

https://forarthistory.org.uk/events/cfp-association-for-art-history-2026-annual-conference/

Contact Email

Sussan.babaie@courtauld.ac.uk

URL

https://forarthistory.org.uk/events/cfp-association-for-art-history-2026-annual…

 

 

 

 

4. CfP – Facing the Mongol Empire: The Role of Art History (AAH Conference Session)

• AAH Conference: 8-10 April, 2026, University of Cambridge (UK)
• Call for Papers deadline: Sunday 2 November 2025

In the vibrant field of Middle Period art history, the study of cultures across Northeast Asia, the region from the Korean peninsula to the edges of the Taklamakan desert, is beginning to stand out. In this area Kitan/Liao, Tangut/Xia, Jurchen/Jin, Uighur, Chinese/Song, Korean/Goryeo and latterly Mongol/Yuan cultures, among others, co-existed and/or succeeded one another over the Middle Period (10th-14th centuries). This session seeks to centre and correlate the role (or roles) of art historical practices in approaches to this age in two parts, the first ranging from the Kitan period through to the unification of the Mongols by Chinggis Khaan (r. 1206-27) under the Great Mongol State and the second on the varied state and cultural manifestations under the successors of Chinggis. Proposals that bridge the two halves are also welcome.

Suggested areas of enquiry include: 1) Regional and transcultural/transhistorical character — how did the diverse ecologies of NE Asia shape the arts and patterns of artistic production across dynastic and political boundaries? 2) The priority of sources —scholarship on the groups that inhabited this region have historically relied on texts for information: how are these contradicted, or complicated, by objects and visual histories? 3) Buddhism, especially Himalayan and other esoteric strands of doctrine, and its relation to other religions. 4) Hierarchy of media within art history. 5) How nomad polities shaped the roles of women, and women as role models in cultural production and the generation of value systems. 6) The problematic notion of universal culture under a world empire.

This session will be in two parts. In the first, we consider the arts and the role(s) of art history in the context of nomad-sedentary relations from the arrival of the Kitans in around 908 to the unifying reign of Chinggis Khaan, which marked the launch of the Mongols’ quest to dominate the world. In the second, we shift attention to the ensuing rapid and vast expansion of the Mongol empire under Chinggis’ heirs and successors, whereby many regions of Eurasia far distant from the Mongol homeland in Northeast Asia were now incorporated or else entered into various new diplomatic, confessional, tributary and other relations with the Mongols. Proposals that bridge the two halves are also welcome. We anticipate 3-5 papers per half of the session, followed by a discussion and Q&A.

Submit your Paper via this form. Please download, complete and send it directly to the Session Convenor(s) below by Sunday 2 November 2025:

Eiren Shea, Grinnell College, sheaeire@grinnell.edu

Shane McCausland, SOAS University of London, sm80@soas.ac.uk

Contact Email

sheaeire@grinnell.edu

URL

https://forarthistory.org.uk/facing-the-mongol-empire-the-role-of-art-history/

 

 

 

 

 

5. CFP – Animal Representation in the Global Middle Ages – Bridging the Natural and Social Worlds (AAH Conference Panel)

Animals occupied a multivalent space in the medieval world. As part of nature, they were embedded in ecological systems, yet they were also abstracted into symbols of power, religious allegory, and medicinal knowledge—ultimately serving as a nexus between human societies and the natural environment. This panel explores the representation of animals across the global Middle Ages (c. 500–1500 CE), examining how diverse cultures imbued fauna with meaning through their representation. Moving beyond Eurocentric frameworks, we investigate how animal representations functioned as dynamic sites of meaning-making, from the meticulously rendered beasts in Islamic manuscripts, the symbolic menageries of Chinese paintings and prints, to the creatures that materialized along the Afro-Eurasian trade routes.

How did artists and patrons deploy animal iconography to articulate political authority, spiritual ideologies, or ecological knowledge? In what ways did the circulation of creatures, whether real or imagined, confer social prestige or negotiate cultural encounters? How did depictions of animals reflect or shape premodern environmental consciousness? Adopting a global perspective, we seek to illuminate the interconnectedness of medieval visual cultures while challenging anthropocentric narratives in art history. Of particular interest are studies that demonstrate how animals, as living beings and symbolic constructs, actively participated in shaping artistic traditions across regions. We welcome submissions focusing on understudied geographies and encourage interdisciplinary approaches bridging art history and environmental humanities. Ultimately, this panel aims to reconsider the global Middle Ages through its creaturely representations, revealing how such species—real, mythical, and metamorphic—fundamentally shaped medieval visual knowledge.

Session format

The session will include between three and eight 20-minute research papers, each followed by 5 minutes for questions.

This panel is part of the Association for Art History 2026 Annual Conference, which will be held from 8–10 April 2026 at the University of Cambridge.

https://forarthistory.org.uk/events/cfp-association-for-art-history-2026-annual-conference/

Paper Proposals

The 2026 Annual Conference is open to all, members and non-members of the Association for Art History. Anyone can submit a paper. Speakers, delegates and conveners pay to attend.

Please include in your paper proposal:

• Title of your paper (please make sure the title is concise and reflects the contents of the paper because the title is what appears online, in social media and in the digital programme).
• Brief abstract (max 250 words)
• Your name
• Affiliations (or if independent/freelance)
• Email address for your convenor to contact you
• Social media handles

Submit your Paper via this form. Please download, complete and send it directly to the Session Convenor(s) below by Sunday 2 November 2025:

Yuxi Pan, SOAS University of London, 714232@soas.ac.uk

URL

https://forarthistory.org.uk/animal-representation-in-the-global-middle-ages-br…

 

 

6. Al-Mahdi Institute invites paper submissions for its upcoming international conference, “Who Cares? Care and Support Practitioners in Muslim Contexts” (27–28th April 2026).

This interdisciplinary event explores the question of who provides care within Muslim communities, how such work is sustained, and under what ethical, social, and theological frameworks. Scholars and practitioners are invited to examine issues such as mental health, domestic abuse, family breakdown, migration, and the professional–religious dynamics that shape care provision in Muslim contexts.

Selected papers will be featured in an edited volume with Brill.

Abstracts (max. 400 words) are due by 12 January 2026.

Full details: www.almahdi.edu/msc-cfp

 

 

 

 

 

7. Journée d’étude – Sociétés et environnement dans le monde islamique médiéval (16/10/2025)

Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to send you, below, the programme for a workshop that my colleague Mathieu Eychenne and I are organising at Paris Cité University on the 16th of October. This workshop, entitled Societies and the Environment in the Medieval Islamic World (7th-16th centuries): Current State of Research and Future Prospects, is open to anyone interested.
Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues and students.
Kind regards,
Camille Rhoné-Quer and Mathieu Eychenne

Chers collègues,

Nous avons le plaisir de vous envoyer, ci-dessous, le programme d’une journée d’étude que mon collègue Mathieu Eychenne et moi-même organisons à l’Université Paris Cité le 16 octobre. Cette journée, intitulée Sociétés et environnement dans le monde islamique médiéval (VIIe-XVIe s.). État des lieux et perspectives de recherche, est ouverte à toute personne intéressée.

N’hésitez pas à relayer cette information auprès de vos collègues et étudiants.

Bien cordialement,

Camille Rhoné-Quer et Mathieu Eychenne

Programme

9h — Accueil des participants

9h10 — Introduction

Camille Rhoné-Quer et Mathieu Eychenne

9h20 — Éléments pour une histoire environnementale de Damas au Moyen Âge. Sources et perspectives

Mathieu Eychenne (Université Paris Cité, ECHELLES – UMR 8264)

9h45 — L’économie circulaire au Maghreb et en al-Andalus : quelques remarques préliminaires

Yassir Benhima (Université Lyon 2, CIHAM – UMR 5648)

10h10 — Discussion

10h30 — Pause café

10h45 — Des mangroves aux montagnes, des wadis aux oasis. Relations sociétés-environnements en Arabie orientale durant la période médiévale islamique par l’archéobotanique

Vladimir Dabrowski (CNRS, Orient & Méditerranée – UMR 8167)

 11h10 — Les hommes et leur environnement dans l’Égypte médiévale (VII^e-XVI^e s.)

 Nicolas Michel (Aix-Marseille Université, IREMAM – UMR 7310)

11h35 — Environnement et sociétés dans la Syrie du Nord médiévale : l’apport des données archéologiques et géographiques

Marie-Odile Rousset (CNRS, Archéorient – UMR 5133)

12h00 — Discussion

12h30 — Déjeuner

 14h — La vallée de la basse Moulouya au Moyen Âge : dynamiques de peuplement et transformations socio-environnementales

Jennifer Vanz (Université Paris-Est Créteil, CRHEC – EA 4392)

14h25 —  Mandu, cité de l’eau : paysages et environnements au croisement des disciplines (Inde centrale, XIV^e-XV^e s.)

Anne Casile (IRD, PALOC – UMR 208)

 14h50 — Discussion

15h10 — Pause café

 15h25 — Quid de l’environnement aux marges d’al-Andalus ? Approche interdisciplinaire des systèmes agrosylvopastoraux d’Albalat (X^e-XII^e s., Estrémadure, Espagne)

Jérôme Ros (CNRS, ISEM – UMR 5554)

 15h50 — Archives archéozoologiques du Plateau iranien entre l’Antiquité et le Moyen Âge et indices de changements environnementaux

Marjan Mashkour (Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, BioArch – UMR 7209)

 16h15 — (Re)penser la place des moutons dans la vallée de l’Amou Darya à l’époque islamique médiévale : un exemple d’approche interdisciplinaire

Camille Rhoné-Quer (Aix-Marseille Université, IREMAM – UMR 7310)

 16h40 — Discussion

 17h10 — Conclusion

Contact : mathieu.eychenne@u-paris.fr ou camille.rhone@univ-amu.fr

 

 

 

 

8. The Institute of Ismaili Studies:

Sculpting the Self: Islam, Selfhood, and Human Flourishing IHTLS lecture invitation 8 October 2025

Please join us at 5 pm (London, UK time) on Wednesday, 8^th of October, for the next session of the Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series organised by the Institute of Ismaili Studies.

Professor Muhammad U. Faruque’s talk is titled  “Sculpting the Self: Islam, Selfhood, and Human Flourishing”, with Dr Daryoush Mohammad Pour as discussant.

To join, please register for online only attendance at  https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/sculpting-the-self/

 

 

 

 

 

9. The Sharmin & Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies Postdoctoral Research Associate(s) Application Details

The Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University invites applications for the position(s) of postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) or associate research scholar (ARS) in the relevant fields of Iran and the Persian Gulf in the 19th – 21st century.

Anticipated to start in September 2026, the position is open to scholars of all academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The Term of Appointment is based on rank: the PDRA position is for one year with the possibility of renewal pending satisfactory performance and continued funding; those hired as an ARS have a three-year appointment. The center promotes interdisciplinary approaches to advancing the study 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, 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 as well as a taxable moving allowance to help defray domestic or international moving expenses. The work location for this position is in-person on campus at Princeton University.

This offer is contingent upon completion of all requirements for the Ph.D., received between 2023 and the start date. If you do not have proof of Ph.D. before your start date, however, you may be temporarily appointed (for at most one year) as a Senior Research Assistant with a 10% reduction in salary. Upon providing verification that you have completed all requirements for the Ph.D., you would then be promoted in rank and salary. Researchers may not pursue another degree while in this appointment, nor may they hold any other fellowships or visiting positions concurrently. Appointment(s) cannot be deferred to a later term.

Candidates are required to apply online and submit the following documents: (1) cover letter with title and summary of proposed research project (200 words); (2) research proposal (max. 1500 words, exclusive of bibliography), including description of project, bibliography, timetable, explicit goals, and the reason for pursuing 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 November 3, 2025, 11:59 p.m. EST. Preferred start date is September 1, 2026.

Please visit iran.princeton.edu for further information about the Mossavar-Rahmani Center. View the post on AHIRE to apply.

This position is subject to the University’s background check policy.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

 

 

 

 

 

10. University of Maryland’s Roshan Institute for Persian Studies Announces the Establishment of Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Persian Digital Library

The University of Maryland’s Roshan Institute for Persian Studies has received a major new gift to establish the Dr. Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Persian Digital Library (EOMPDL) to preserve, study and share Persian literary heritage.  The gift comes from the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute, a private foundation created by Mir-Djalali, a distinguished linguist, educator and philanthropist dedicated to the preservation and global celebration of Persian language, literature and heritage.

Funded by a $1.5 million endowment and $310,000 in startup funds, the EOMPDL will be the first open-access Persian digital library to feature texts that have been professionally edited and vetted by scholars. Building on UMD’s internationally recognized leadership in Persian digital humanities, the initiative will provide free, global access to a constantly expanding body of classical and modern Persian texts. The project will also partner with institutions to help safeguard thousands of at-risk manuscripts and rare books from collections in India, Pakistan and beyond.

As such, the initiative will serve as a hub for training a new generation of digitally fluent Persian scholars, with access to previously inaccessible Persian manuscripts and printed books. “Thanks to this generous support, we are poised to dramatically expand access to Persian literature and create a sustainable future for Persian digital humanities,” saidStephanie Shonekan, dean of UMD’s College of Arts and Humanities. “This investment will inspire the next generation of scholars and attract the brightest minds to contribute to this important work, ensuring that this rich cultural legacy remains accessible for generations to come.”

A 2007 gift from Mir-Djalali enabled the establishment of the university’s Roshan Institute, which has emerged as a global leader in the field of Persian digital humanities. It developed the first major corpus of Persian texts prepared using internationally recognized standards for digital editing and markup. It also created critical digital tools for researchers, including open-source software and digitized collections.

Supported by nearly $3.25 million in grants from the Mellon Foundation, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, UMD researchers have revolutionized the use of open-source optical character recognition and handwritten text recognition technologies for Persian texts, which allow users to automatically extract digital texts from scanned images of books or manuscripts. UMD scholars have also spearheaded collaborative projects with universities, libraries and cultural institutions around the world to digitize endangered Persian manuscript collections. “We are delighted with this additional field-building gift in recognition of the institute’s achievements in Persian digital humanities and other academic domains,” said Fatemeh Keshavarz, the Roshan Institute’s chair and director.  Matthew Thomas Miller, assistant professor of Persian literature and digital humanities, will lead the creation of the EOMPDL and serve as the Library’s director. He has spearheaded Persian digital humanities work at the Roshan Institute since 2015. “We are opening a new chapter in the preservation and study of Persian literature,” Miller said. “Ultimately we aim to foster deeper appreciation and understanding of Persian culture and ensure its treasures are preserved for future generations.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. ONLINE Webinar: ‘Iran and Afghanistan: Toward a Connected (Literary) History’

with Aria Fani

British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS), 15 October 2025,  5:00 pm UK Time
Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged solely through contact with Europe, Reading across Borders shows how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from a shared Persian heritage and sustained cross-cultural exchange. In this talk, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, exploring how Afghans and Iranians invented modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and spread “literature” as a recognizable concept, adapting older Persian ideas to fit new national imaginaries. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals circulated in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diasporas, the book reveals how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—literary contact between the two societies. This once-vibrant history of exchange was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural and political tensions between Iran and Afghanistan today.

Information and registration:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ssVlfjs5Q9mTwWxv6kJyQw#/registration

 

 

 

 

 

12. CFP: Roshangar- The Undergraduate Persian Studies Journal

We’re thrilled to share the Call for Papers for the Fall 2025 issue of Roshangar: The Undergraduate Persian Studies Journal (digital, peer-reviewed). This issue focuses on architecture and urbanity in Iran and the Persian-speaking world. We warmly welcome submissions from undergraduates anywhere in the world. The contributors do not need to be a Persian Studies major/minor or a UMD student.

What we’re looking for

• Research essays (English): 1,500–2,000 words, double-spaced, .doc/.docx, MLA citations
• Research essays (Persian): 500–800 words
• Poetry: 1–3 pages
• Creative work (e.g., translations, photo essays, creative nonfiction, etc.) is encouraged if it meaningfully engages the theme
• Abstract: up to 200 words for all submissions
• Bio: 150 words

Deadline: Monday, November 10, 2025

How to submit
Please email your submission, abstract, and brief bio to roshangar@gmail.com. Before sending, kindly review our style guide on the Roshangar website.

 

 

 

 

 

13. New Release: Theatre in Travel: Collected Articles
By Duman Riyazi

Asemana, 2025
ISBN: 9781997503125

To read more:

Click here.

To order your Copy

Click here.

 

 

 

 

 

14. CFP – RECLAIMING CRAFT: DECOLONIAL PERSPECTIVES ON HERITAGE AND INNOVATION IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD
Craft traditions from the Muslim world have often been framed through colonial and Eurocentric lenses, reducing them to exotic artifacts or static relics of a bygone era. This session seeks to disrupt these narratives by exploring and reimagining traditional crafts in present and future contexts while maintaining their profound historical and cultural significance. Can crafts be represented in contemporary art and museums without erasing their original meaning or commodifying their heritage? Can current theoretical and/or methodological frameworks dismantle colonial legacies and promote equitable engagement with these traditions?

We invite submissions of papers presenting a critical examination of the decolonizing process of craft histories within the Islamic world and their evolving paths. Case studies exploring different artistic traditions are welcome, as well as ones focusing on specific media (including ceramics, textiles, metalwork, woodwork, calligraphy). Panel contributors could address topics such as intersections between craft and contemporary art expressions, technological adaptations of crafts, the role of Islamic aesthetics, and resistance to cultural appropriation. We also encourage different methodological approaches to examine the various facets of craft preservation and innovation, such as postcolonial theory, material culture studies, Islamic art historiography and Islamic epistemologies. Submissions may be in the form of traditional research papers or more informal practice-based presentations. We would also consider combining some presentations into a roundtable discussion, allowing for a more collaborative dialogue.

Ultimately, the session seeks to reframe traditional crafts as dynamic, living practices that contribute to the formation of cultural and spiritual identities, an exploration of the ways in which decolonial perspectives can encourage sustainable and innovative approaches to craft representation and evolution in a global context.

Submit your Paper via this form. Please download, complete and send it directly to the Session Convenor(s) below by Sunday 2 November 2025:

Sami L. De Giosa, University of Sharjah, lgiosa@sharjah.ac.ae

Mariam Rosser-Owen, V&A Museum, m.rosserowen@vam.ac.uk

For further information, see:

https://forarthistory.org.uk/reclaiming-craft-decolonial-perspectives-on-heritage-and-innovation-in-the-islamic-world/

 

 

 

 

15. CFP – Sohbat: Third Biennial Graduate Student Symposium on Islamic Art and Architecture

Sohbat: Third Biennial Graduate Student Symposium on Islamic Art and Architecture

Department of the History of Art | Yale School of Architecture

March 26-27, 2026.

Yale University

CALL FOR PAPERS

Theme

The ever-wider scale of destruction in our present moment has engendered a sense of urgency not only about the preservation and reconstitution of memories but also our roles in this world, stretched across multiple personal and professional identities. We invite papers from a range of historical, geographical, and methodological positions, to respond to this urgency by asking, how can art and architectural histories recuperate the material past, as well as sensory and cognitive experiences that register in the memory and mentalities of a community? To what extent do events of destruction and reconstruction catalyze and heighten sensibilities of the ephemeral?

Taking the imagery of the canopy, which can simultaneously symbolize the sky and suggest a roof or a dome, as a starting point, we ask how the histories of Islamic art and architecture help us recover or reimagine rituals and practices of belief, care, and creativity? How can we see beyond buildings and surfaces to consider and care for embedded systems (craft, ecology, land, etc.) while paying attention to shifts in political, environmental, and global movements?

Logistics

• The symposium will provide meals and two nights of accommodation; travel subsidies are possible depending on funding availability. We encourage students to apply for additional

funding from their institutions for expenses related to travel.

• Each student speaker will present their paper for 15 minutes. There will be time for Q&A in each panel.

Submission Guidelines

Please send your abstract (250 words), a working title, CV, and the images of two artworks related to your proposed paper to singleslidesohbat@gmail.com by 11:59 PM on October 31, 2025.

Please title your email “Submission.” Please send inquiries and submissions to

singleslidesohbat@gmail.com

Notifications will be sent by November 24, 2025.

Symposium Organizers

Graduate Student Organizers: Anas Alkhatib, Hasan Nisar, Julia Qingye Wang, and Yupeng Wu.

 

 

 

 

 

16. Lecture – “The Metaverse and its Premoderns: Islam in an Expanding Reality”

Christiane Gruber, Professor of Islamic Art, University of Michigan

📅 Thursday, October 16, 2025
🕙 10:00–11:20 AM
📍 110 Warren, Room 312, Rutgers University–Newark

In this talk, Christiane Gruber explores how today’s Muslim imaginary worlds in the Metaverse draw on pre modern Islamic artworks, objects, and creative expression. She examines the “realm of similitudes” (‘alam al-mithal) from historical Islamic dream thought and considers how technology shapes immersive virtual spaces that connect the past, present, and future. Attendees will gain a fresh perspective on the intersections of faith, art, and digital innovation.
Can’t make it in person? Register for our webinar here

Contact Information

Alex Dika Seggerman, Associate Professor, Rutgers University-Newark

Contact Email

alex.seggerman@rutgers.edu

URL

https://sites.rutgers.edu/islam-humanities/event/the-metaverse-and-its-premoder…

 

 

 

 

 

17. 2025 Hybrid Bilingual Interdisciplinary Conference: “Druze in the Levant and the Diaspora – Discourses of Tradition and Modernity”, The University of Kansas, 16-17 October 2025. 

Information and registration: https://druze.ku.edu/2025druzeconference

 

 

 

 

 

18. International Conference On Arabic Language And Linguistics (ICALL), 21.11.25

welcome researchers, students, scholars, and professionals from around the globe. You can meet exceptional personalities, build connections and create remarkable participation.

Information, program, and registration: https://internationalconferencealerts.com/eventdetails.php?id=3257723

 

 

 

 

 

19. International Conference “Water Management and Environmental Change in Central Asia and the MENA Region: Politics, Society, and Transnational Connections Since 1945”, University of Padua, Italy, 5-6 February 2026

The conference seeks to bring together scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds to examine the history, legacies, and current challenges of water management and land use. A particular focus will be given to the multifaceted relationships between the socialist bloc and the Middle East.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3ka6fmww

 

 

 

 

 

20. The Sewanee Medieval Colloquium: “Resistance and Refuge in the Medieval Mediterranean”, Sewa-nee, 10-11 April 2026

This sub-theme calls for papers that consider the various forms of resistance and refuge evident across the medieval Middle Sea, broadly-construed. Topics could touch upon a wide assortment of questions across an extensive timeframe across the Middle Ages (c. 500-1500).

Deadline for abstracts: 1 November 2025.

Information: https://www.sewaneemedievalcolloquium.com/refuge-in-the-medieval-mediterranean

 

 

 

 

 

 

21. Call for Papers

Conference on Manumission in the Islamicate World

University of Leicester, UK

_22 April 2026

The study of slavery, manumission and abolition has generally focused on the Western world and the trans-Atlantic slave-trade. The conference seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of slavery and manumission practices within the Islamicate world, and develop conversations and conceptual connections amongst scholars working across different epochs, dynasties, and geographies.

Deadline for abstracts: 31 October 2025. Information: https://www.dosseproject.com/outputs/

 

 

22. Tenure Track Professor in Contemporary Middle East Studies, East Asian and Arabic Research Unit, KU Leuven

Profile: PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies or Middle East/North Africa Studies. – _Demonstrated expertise in the study of the politics, society, culture or media of the contemporary Middle East and/or North Africa. – _Proficiency in Arabic at native or near native level is required. – _Strong and validated, international academic portfolio with highly regarded publications.

Deadline for applications: 26 November 2025.

Information: https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60559597?lang=en

 

 

 

23. Two Postdoctoral Fellowships Focused on the Histories, Cultures, Societies, and Media of the Global South (Especially Arab World), Northwestern University in Qatar

We are currently accepting applications related to any of our current research themes (Genealogies and Epistemologies of the Global South; Arab Media, Culture, and Politics; Southern Digitalities; Critical Security Studies) and are particularly interested in scholars conducting comparative or transnational research on media, culture, and/or politics in or between the Arab world, Latin America, and Africa.

Deadline for applications: 1 December 2025.

Information: https://www.qatar.northwestern.edu/research/ias_nuq/cfa-pd-2026.html

 

 

 

24. Visiting Assistant Professor in Middle East/Islamic History (3 Years), Colby College

Although the position is for a scholar of medieval Islam, or of the medieval or early modern Middle East or Ottoman Empire, an interest in offering courses which speak to the present would be welcomed. We are particularly interested in candidates who bring to the classroom experiences, identities, ideas, and ways of engaging that resonate with the increasingly diverse student body at Colby.

Deadline for applications: 17 October 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/173987

 

 

 

 

 

25. Position in Modern Iranian History (1700 CE to the Present), Princeton University

We seek a dynamic and innovative scholar whose research engages critically with the historical development of Iran and the Persianate World in this timeframe. While the core of the position is historical in nature, we welcome applications from candidates whose work is grounded in History or other related humanities or social science disciplines, and whose scholarship brings fresh perspectives to the study of Iranian history and culture.

Deadline for applications: 15 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mnmh762

 

 

 

 

26. Membership for Historical Research on the Islamic World, Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton University

Accepted Members receive access to the extensive resources of the Institute, including offices, access to libraries, subsidized restaurant and housing facilities, and some administrative services. A number of memberships are provided by funds dedicated to supporting scholars who meet specific criteria.

Information: https://www.ias.edu/hs/membership

 

 

 

 

 

27. Mediterranean Seminar Prize for the Best Authored Monograph in Mediterranean Studies, 2026

Eligible publications are dated 2023 – _2025. Although we focus on the pre- and Early Modern, books ranging from any period will be considered. Books from any of the relevant Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines are welcome, including but not limited to all fields of history, art and material culture, literary and cultural studies, anthropology, and sociology.

The submission deadline is 31 December 2025.

Information: https://mediterraneanseminar.squarespace.com/book-prize-2026-call

 

 

 

 

28. Call for Papers – ZDMG (Section: Islamic Studies) – 2025

The ZDMG calls for the submission of new and innovative articles in Islamic Studies of various thematic foci to be published in the issues 176.2 (2026) und 177.1 (2027). We particularly welcome articles with a historical orientation grounded in philological analysis. Contributions should focus on pre-modern Muslim societies (up to approximately 1800 CE) and address topics such as history, religion, culture, law, literature, or social structures.

Deadline for submission: 15 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdhmd2td