Archive for 2025
- May 29, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
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- May 28, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
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Shii News – Academic Items
1.Workshop for PhD Candidates: “Researching, Writing and Publishing on Gender, Culture and Society: Upskilling Early Career Researchers in Türkiye”, British Institute at Ankara (BIAA), 23-24 October 2025 and 23-24 March 2026
This project aims to support final year PhD candidates and researchers who completed their PhD within the last five years from universities across Türkiye working in interdisciplinary gender studies. Participants will gain insight into writing for publication and applying for grants with editors of leading international journals and publishers of academic monographs. Participants will also be assigned a mentor who will support them to write an article suitable for publication.
Deadline for applications: 13 September 2025. Information: genderwritingworkshops@gmail.com
2. 16th Conference of the “European Association for Modern Arabic Literature (EURAMAL): “Catastrophe and Beyond: Representations of Violence and Trauma in Modern Arabic Literature”, University of St Andrews, 22-26 June 2026
The conference will explore how Arab writers engage with the different forms of violence and trauma that have shaped Arab modernity and how their work can be seen as an attempt to depict catastrophe and imagine a future beyond it. A special panel will be dedicated to Arab authors resident in the UK. The languages of the conference are English, Arabic and French.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 September 2025. Information: https://euramal.org/ & https://euramal.org/contact/join/
3. Applications are now open for the inaugural Āthār wa ashʿār course, to be held at the University of Tübingen in October, 2025.
This year’s course will comprise a practical, hands-on approach to basic and advanced features of al-Maktaba al-Shāmila (Shamela 3.6) and a variety of digital tools for Arabic and Islamic Studies, with a special focus on poetry. The course is open to all researchers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates and is free to attend.
Venue: University of Tübingen, Germany (in person only)
Dates: October 6-9, 2025
Āthār wa ashʿār is free to attend for accepted applicants, who will be responsible for arranging their own transportation and accommodations (lunch will be provided on days of the course). Participants must have full command of English and proficiency in reading Arabic; no prior experience with Shamela is necessary. Accepted applicants will be provided a guide with links to download the software and practice using it before the course. Please note that seats are limited.
Participants will learn how to:
o effectively use basic and advanced features of Shamela 3.6
o use Acrobat wizards to build bookmarked PDF collections
o synchronize a cloud-shared digital library with Shamela
o add new titles to Shamela, and customize the interface
o navigate the major critical editions of pre- and early Islamic poetry
o effectively use indexes of printed Arabic dīwāns
o locate biographical and genealogical data for poets, tradents, etc.
o work with the Shīʿī and Ibāḍī versions of Shamela, OCR applications, and other online and
desktop too
Equipment: Since Shamela 3.6 is not compatible with Mac devices, participants must bring long a PC (Windows 10/11) device with at least 25 Gb of available storage, and with the full version of Adobe Acrobat Pro/DC installed. A personal cloud subscription, such as OneDrive (recommended) or Google Drive, is optional.
Applications should include:
o A letter of motivation, including a brief statement confirming that the applicant will have
the required equipment and software when attending the course.
o A curriculum vitae
Application Deadline: June 30, 2025
Instructor: Raashid S. Goyal (University of Tübingen)
As seats are very limited, those interested are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Applications and all questions may be submitted to Dr. Shuaib Ally (shuaib.ally@uni-tuebingen.de).
4. The second printing (2025) of the book below, in a limited edition, is once again available.
The Inscription in Old Persian Cuneiform of the Achaemenian Emperors:
In Persian, English and French.
By: Rev. Ralph Norman Sharp
Introduction by: St John Simpson
https://www.mazdapublishers.com/book/inscriptions-in-old-persian-cuneiform
5. Mossadegh Foundation Lecture Series, University of Geneva: From Cypress to Platanus: Trees in the Persian Arts, Literature and Cultural Memory
Trees have long held profound symbolic, religious, and literary significance in the Iranian world, a tradition that dates back to the Achaemenid Empire. One of the most emblematic examples is the cypress tree, closely associated with divine kingship in the Zoroastrian tradition. In this context, the cypress symbolizes the legitimate sovereign as a divinely sanctioned patron of the faith. Among these revered trees, the most renowned is the Cypress of Kashmar, located in the Balkh-i Bami district of Tarshiz, Khurasan. This tree occupies a pivotal place in the foundational narrative of Zoroastrianism, commemorating the conversion of King Gushtasp by the prophet Zarathustra. An inscription carved into its trunk marks this seminal moment, celebrating the king’s acceptance of the “good religion” and his role as its earthly protector.
During the Islamic period, arboreal symbolism continued to thrive in Persian cultural production. Trees came to embody not only natural forces but also metaphysical and philosophical ideals, enriching Persian poetry and visual culture. They appear throughout the literary canon—from the epics of Ferdowsi and the courtly verses of Farrokhi Sistani to the mystical works of Jami and Saeb Tabrizi—serving as metaphors for kingship, divine love, spiritual inquiry, and the cyclical passage of time.
In parallel with this literary tradition, trees feature prominently in Persian visual arts, including illustrated manuscripts, album paintings, carpets, textiles, metalwork, and ceramics dating from the tenth to the late nineteenth century. Often depicted alongside blossoming peach and almond trees, they serve to frame romantic encounters, battle scenes, and royal pursuits. In urban design, the symbolic and aesthetic role of trees is also evident: cityscapes incorporate tree-lined avenues, gardens like the Chenaristan, and architectural elements such as pavilions and portals adorned with stylized or naturalistic arboreal motifs in tile and ceramic work.
This one-day international symposium seeks to adopt a multidisciplinary perspective in reassessing the cultural and artistic significance of trees in Persian history. Rather than treating trees solely as ornamental components within the Chahar Baghor other garden typologies, this event foregrounds them as central subjects of inquiry in their own right. Topics will include the literary prominence of trees, their symbolic and philosophical resonances in Persian art and architecture, and their ideological meanings as conveyed through textual and visual sources.
Hosted by the University of Geneva, the symposium will bring together ten scholars from Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Presentations will draw from diverse fields, including material and intangible cultural heritage, literary studies, art history, and philosophy, offering an enriched and nuanced understanding of arboreal imagery in the Iranian cultural sphere. A second round of the conference is scheduled to take place at the Centre for Iranian Studies at the University of Hamburg in 2026 under the direction of Professor Shervin Farridnejad.
PROGRAM
Thursday, June 17, 2025
9:30–10:00 | Welcome and General Introduction
Negar Habibi and Shervin Farridnejad
10:00–12:00 | Trees in Persian Material Culture from the Twelfth to the Nineteenth Century
A Motif In Between: Trees as Central Decorative Elements on Iranian Mina’i and Lustre Ware Bowls
Richard McClary, University of York
Beneath the Garden Tree: Specimen Tree Forms in Persian Manuscript and Carpet Designs
Moya Carey, Chester Beatty Library
Between Branches and Meaning: The Silent Language of Trees in Persian Lacquer Painting
Elika Palenzona-Djalili, University of Bern
12:00–13:30 | Lunch
13:30–15:30 | Arboreal Imagery in Persian Illustrated Manuscripts and Visual Culture
Verdant Thrones: The Tree as a Symbol of Authority in Persian Painting
Negar Habibi, University of Geneva
Rooted in Splendour: The Meaning of Trees in Timurid Gardens as Represented in Illustrated Manuscripts
Shiva Mihan, British Museum
The Poet Sarv: Thriving as a Motif in the Literary and Visual Cultures of the Safavids
Mahroo Moosavi, Max-Planck Institute, Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz
15:30–15:45 | Break
15:45–17:00 | Trees in Contemporary Iran
When Roots Remember: The Tree as a Place of Memory in Iran
Sepideh Parsapajouh, CNRS-CéSor
Dissemination or Pruning: The Figure of the Tree in the Novels of Shahrnoush Pârsipour and Nasim Marashi
Julie Duvigneau, INALCO
17:00–18:00 | Keynote Lecture
Blossoms on Fire, Branches of Wisdom, and Trunks of Desire: Trees and the Human Condition in Medieval Persian Poetry
Domenico Ingenito, UCLA
18:00–18:15 questions
18:15-18:30: Conclusion
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Private Visit to the Ariana Museum and its Persian Collection (for speakers only)
Contact Information
Department of Art History, University of Geneva
Salle 211, Bâtiment des Philosophes
Contact Email
6. International Journal of Islamic Architecture 14.2 is out now
For more information about the journal and issue click here>>
https://www.intellectbooks.com/international-journal-of-islamic-architecture
7. NMAA Online Program – Beyond Babur’s Gardens: A Symposium in Honor of Elizabeth Moynihan – June 3–5
Join the National Museum of Asian Art from June 3 to 5, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EDT daily for Beyond Babur’s Gardens: A Symposium in Honor of Elizabeth Moynihan. Registration is free and open to the public here.
Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Elizabeth Moynihan (1929–2023), this online symposium explores how ecological concerns and heritage imperatives have impacted the ways we study, view, and reconceptualize historical gardens.
In her long career as researcher, historian, and author, Elizabeth Moynihan left a profound impact on the study of Mughal gardens in South Asia. Her pioneering work includes extensive research on Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, and publications such as Paradise as a Garden in Persia and Mughal India (1979) and The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at the Taj Mahal (2000), among others. In 1996, Moynihan also directed a joint project for the Archaeological Survey of India and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, now the National Museum of Asian Art.
A rich collection of Moynihan’s work has been compiled online in the Elizabeth Moynihan Resource Gateway. It includes her research of the Lotus Garden in Dholpur, the Jai Mahal Garden in Jaipur, Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden) in Agra, and many other Mughal gardens. It also contains correspondence, field notebooks, drawings, sketchbooks, photographs, slides, rock specimens, blueprints, maps, and published articles.
Beyond Babur’s Gardens brings together experts in Mughal art and garden history from around the world. Each day will be centered around a theme: Garden Poetics and Planting; Mughal Gardens in Cultural and Environmental Context; and Conservation, Ecology, and Heritage Management. With a geographic focus on South Asia, Iran, and Central Asia, presenters will discuss topics including garden design, the sensorium, water and climate, rewilding and restoration, and sustainability. In addition to the Elizabeth Moynihan archives, they will synthesize interdisciplinary sources—from poetry and literature to art history and archaeology.
This symposium will weave together the stories of plants and gardens from the sixteenth century to the present day and consider how lessons from gardens past can revitalize efforts to preserve environmental and cultural heritage for the future.
Speakers include:
- Farshid Emami, Rice University
- Kathryn Gleason, Cornell University
- Rachel Hirsch, Harvard University
- Sahar Hosseini, University of Pittsburgh
- Ali Akbar Husain, Independent Scholar
- Ebba Koch, University of Vienna
- Pradip Krishen, Author and Ecological Restoration Practitioner
- Ratish Nanda, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, India
- Laura Parodi, Università de Genova
- Sugata Ray, University of California, Berkeley
- Nicolas Roth, Independent Scholar
- Jyoti Pandey Sharma, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
- James Wescoat, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (emeritus)
Please visit the program page for more information.
This program is made possible by a generous gift from Farhad and Mary Ebrahimi.
Contact Information
Lizzie Stein
Freer Research Center
National Museum of Asian Art
Contact Email
URL
https://asia.si.edu/research/beyond-baburs-gardens/
8. Should Blood Blend with Milk: A History of Incitement to Vengeance in Arabic Poetry from Jahili Voice to Militant Jihadist Verse
D Fakhro
Brill, 2025
https://brill.com/display/title/71953
9. Oxford Interfaith Forum – Online: ‘Friends of the Devil: Rebellion and the Construction of Early Islamic Caliphal Sovereignty’
29 May, 2025, 6pm UK time
Abstract: Between the eighth and tenth centuries, Muslim caliphs deemed rebellions against their rule as the work of Satan. In the Umayyad (661-750 C.E.) and Abbasid eras (750-1256), several government letters referred to any group who challenged caliphal authority as awliyā ʾ Iblīs (friends of the Devil). Government officials adapted qurʾānic conceptions of the Devil to legitimize the caliphs’ authority as God’s deputies. However, this political-religious conception of the Devil has continuity with the political theology of late antique Christian Roman emperors who used similar language for those who threatened their rule. In this talk, I trace this genealogy of the Devil and his supposed human allies as the caliphate’s archenemies in government letters written for the Umayyad caliphs Hishām b. ʿAbd al-Malik, and Marwān II (r. 744-750), and the Abbasid caliphs, al-Maʾmūn’s (r. 813-833), and al-Radī’ (r. 934–40). By closely examining these official letters, I will reveal in this talk how understanding this political framing of the Devil offers us key insight into the tense construction of early Islamic sovereignty.
Speaker: Dr Mohammed Allehbi is a Mohammed Noah Research Fellow at the Oxford Center of Islamic Studies.
Date: 29 May, 2025
Time: 18:00-19:00 BST | 19:00-20:00 CEST | 10:00-11:00 PST | 13:00-14:00 EST
Venue: online
More information and registration: https://oxfordinterfaithforum.org/thematic-international-interfaith-reading-groups/philosophy-in-interfaith-contexts/friends-of-the-devil-rebellion-and-the-construction-of-early-islamic-caliphal-sovereignty/
10. Events on Islam and the Middle East around Cambridge University – Online
Thu 29 May
Dr Claire Gallien, Dr Majid Daneshgar, Dr Michele Petrone
ONLINE
11:00am – 12:30pm Uk time
11. Fully funded PhD fellowship at Ghent University within the framework of the ERC Consolidator Grant project “KNOW: Polymathy and Interdisciplinarity in Premodern Islamic Epistemic Cultures (1200-1800)”.
We welcome proposals related to the intersections between Islamic law (fiqh) and medicine (tibb), broadly conceived. Possible areas of inquiry include: the intellectual and professional profile of jurist-physicians; the overlap and divergence between legal and medical casuistry; institutional and social contexts in which legal and medical knowledge were produced, debated, and applied; the role of interdisciplinarity in addressing complex ethical, bodily, or forensic questions.
For details and instructions on how to apply:
PhD position: https://www.ugent.be/en/work/scientific/doctoral-fellow-31
Project website: https://erc-know.ugent.be/en
The deadline for applications is June 15, 2025.
12. Zoom – The Oxford Seminars in Cartography 2024-25
Thursday 29 May – “Unmapping Africa in the Age of the Enlightenment”
Online event Petter Hellström (Uppsala Universitet)
Seminar runs from 4.30pm to 6.00pm (UK time) via Zoom Webinar
Join via: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/tosca
- May 27, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
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- May 26, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The University of Edinburgh – Teaching Fellow in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies Vacancy
https://elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/12516
Closing date: 17/06/2025, 23:59
2. Arash Ghajarjazi, Remembering ʿUmar Khayyām: Episodes of Unbelief in the Reception Histories of Persian Quatrains, Berlin: De Gruyter, 2025. (see https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111626017/html?srsltid=AfmBOooksJSvTLcblM9WuJCSimQksQd4Db9ec9KmswUfRrHnM1ic4M8a and https://beyondsharia.nl/2025/05/08/book-talk-remembering-khayyam-in-modern-iran/)
3. Kings and Dervishes
Sufi World Renunciation and the Symbolism of Kingship in the Persianate World
S A Arjomand
University of California Press, 2025
https://www.ucpress.edu/books/kings-and-dervishes/hardcover#table-of-contents
4. The Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures (NESA) at The Ohio State University is hiring a full-time lecturer (non-tenure track) in Arabic culture for the 2025-2026 academic year. This is a one-year position with the possibility of renewal. The position will involve teaching eight (8) courses in Arabic culture, literature, and/or language in-person, with the possibility of some courses online. Required: Master’s degree or PhD in Arabic language or a related field. Preference will be given to applicants who are highly proficient in both Arabic and English; have demonstrated excellence in teaching Arabic culture, literature, and/or language courses at the college level; and have experience using technology to enhance undergraduate learning.
For more information: https://osu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/OSUCareers/job/Columbus-Campus/Lecturer-in-Arabic_R128740-1
5. The American University of Beirut (AUB) Press announced the latest addition to the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Series on Arabic and Islamic Texts and Studies: a groundbreaking study titled Poetry and Spiritual Insights: A Study and Edition of Kitāb al-Shawāhid wa-l-Amthālby Abū Naṣr al-Qushayrī (d. 514/1120), presented by Professors Bilal Orfali, Ramzi Baalbaki, and Francesco Chiabotti.
Based on the Ayasofya 4128 manuscript from Turkey, this volume illuminates Qushayrī’s influential work, renowned for embedding Sufi teachings within the framework of adab—a synthesis of literary and ethical traditions—appealing to scholars and general audiences alike.
This publication brings to light the role of Kitab al-Shawāhid wa-l-Amthāl in weaving Sufism into the cultural and scholarly landscape of medieval Islam. Qushayrī’s innovative use of both oral and written forms to communicate Sufi doctrines, blending poetry with accessible language, effectively “translated” complex mystical concepts for the literati and religious scholars of his time. “This work, which took over a decade to complete, offers a crucial lens on Sufi poetry’s unique role in bridging the mystical and the literary,” shared Orfali.
Through Kitab al-Shawāhid, readers are invited to explore how Sufi teachings evolved within the sophisticated intellectual society of Nishapur, enriching the tradition’s adaptability and resonance across audiences. Baalbaki underscores the value of publishing Arabic manuscripts as “an essential contribution to preserving the textual heritage of Islamic culture,” while Chiabotti highlights Kitab al-Shawāhid‘s significance within Sufism, “a spiritual tradition with profound global impact and relevance.”
The authors’ meticulous study of Kitab al-Shawāhid not only provides an essential resource for understanding the dynamics of language, spirituality, and adaptation in medieval Islamic society but also advances scholarly discourse on the enduring legacy of Sufi poetry within Islamic culture.
The book will be launched during the 66th Beirut Arab International Book Fair during May 2025. For further details on this volume and other titles in the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Series, please visit the AUB Press official website.
To purchase the book, check:
www.aub.edu.lb/aubpress/Pages/shawahid.aspx
6. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 | Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
in the School of Modern Languages & Cultures, Durham University
The School of Modern Languages & Cultures at Durham University invites expressions of interest from outstanding candidates who wish to apply for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship through Durham University.
Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham gathers together our eight language areas (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Japanese and Russian) and Translation Studies, working within and across these to enable interdisciplinary investigations. Four areas of particular strength characterise our research activities: Medieval and Early Modern Studies;
Digital, Environmental and Medical Humanities; Translation; Visual and Performance Studies. We welcome enquiries from eligible candidates particularly those related to the key research themes in the department (https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/modern-languages-cultures/research/groups/ ), or to relevant Research Centres and Institutes (https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/modern-languages-cultures/research/centres-institutes/).
Candidates are invited to contact a prospective mentor in the School in the first instance (https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/modern-languages-cultures/about-us/our-people/#d.en.466981), with an up-to-date CV and summary of their research proposal (1 A4 page max) by 13 June 2025. If the mentor agrees to support your application, candidates will be supported through an internal review process ahead of submission to the external funder by 10 September 2025.
Further information, including details of eligibility criteria, can be found at: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/how-to-apply
For any informal enquiries, please contact Dr Amaleena Damlé at amaleena.damle@durham.ac.uk
7. The Book of Sana’a
Edited by Laura Kasinof
Comma Press, 2025
https://commapress.co.uk/books/the-book-of-sanaa
8. The editorial board of MELA Notes, the official journal of the Middle East Librarians Association (MELA), invites submissions for a special issue dedicated to exploring the history and legacy of pioneer libraries and archives, as well as the contributions of influential librarians and bibliographers in the field of Middle East Studies.
This issue seeks to illuminate the foundational roles these institutions and individuals have played in shaping scholarship, preserving cultural heritage, and supporting research across the region.
We seek original short articles and entries (minimum 3,000 words) that examine the development, impact, and historical significance of libraries, archives, librarians, and bibliographers across the Middle East. Submissions may focus on:
- Underrepresented or lesser-known research libraries and archives that have contributed to local or regional scholarship, as well as the broader field of Middle East Studies
- Major national or institutional libraries and archives that have significantly influenced academic research, public knowledge, or cultural preservation
- Institutions notable for their stewardship of rare manuscripts, archival collections, or unique primary sources
- Case studies of libraries and archives that have played pivotal roles in the development of the field of Middle East Studie, bibliographic innovation, or international scholarly collaboration
- Biographical or critical studies of influential librarians, bibliographers, or information professionals whose work shaped library collections, research practices, or bibliographic knowledge in the field of Middle East Studies
We welcome interdisciplinary approaches and encourage contributions from scholars, librarians, archivists, and practitioners engaged in Middle Eastern studies, library and information science, archival studies, manuscript studies, and related fields.
Submission Guidelines
- Length: Submissions must be a minimum of 3,000 words
- Language: Submissions must be in English
- Formatting: Please adhere to the journal’s Guidelines for Contributors, which include instructions on formatting, transliteration, and citation style
- Peer Review: All short articles and entries will undergo double-anonymous peer review
- License: Accepted pieces will be published under a CC BY 4.0 license
Important Dates
- Submission of Abstracts Deadline: Monday, June 30, 2025
- Submission of Full Short Articles and Entries Deadline: Monday, August 11, 2025
Please submit your abstract and, later, your manuscript through the MELA Notes submission portal.
Ensure that your final submission includes your name, institutional affiliation, and current mailing address at the conclusion of the text, if you expect to receive offprints.
For inquiries or further information, please contact:
Farshad Sonboldel,
Editor-in-Chief, MELA Notes
University of California, San Diego Library
Email: fsonboldel@ucsd.edu
9. Yale Library seeks a highly collaborative, knowledgeable, and user-centered Catalog/Metadata Librarian to join the Bibliographic Description Unit within Special Collections Technical Services, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Reporting to the Associate Director of the Bibliographic Description Unit, the Catalog/Metadata Librarian creates, enhances, and maintains original and complex bibliographic and authority records for a wide range of special collections materials in various formats. They may plan, direct, and review the work of cataloging assistants and/or student assistants and provide project management for cataloging and metadata projects. The incumbent will collaborate closely with colleagues across functional units and throughout special collections and the Library in support of the sustainable stewardship and discovery of special collections materials.
Required Skill/Ability 1:
Excellent reading and writing knowledge of Arabic.
Preferred Education, Experience and Skills:
Fluency in Persian, Coptic, Syriac, Turkish, or Armenian. Academic training in Islamic studies or Middle Eastern studies. Experience with Arabic script paleography. Special collections cataloging experience according to AACR2, RDA, and/or Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (DCRM). Record of involvement or desire to engage with special collections and other cataloging communities.
Questions? Please contact Michelle Al-Ferzly: michelle.alferzly@yale.edu
Curator, Yale Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
10. Summer School on Digital Humanities for Islamic Studies
Date: September 1, 2025 – September 4, 2025
Location: Switzerland
Subject Fields: Digital Humanities, Islamic History / Studies
The University of Bern is pleased to host a four-day summer school on Digital Humanities for Islamic Studies, designed for early-career researchers working with Arabic-script materials. This course provides a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with digital tools and methodologies, engage in scholarly exchange, and explore the latest developments in the field.
The program will feature expert-led sessions by renowned scholars in the field:
- Alicia González Martínez (University of Hamburg)
- Maxim G. Romanov (University of Hamburg)
- Peter Verkinderen (Aga Khan University, London)
Participants will explore key topics such as text digitization, computational analysis, data modeling, and digital corpora, with a focus on Islamic and Arabic-script historical sources.
Application Process
Due to the practical nature of the sessions, on-site participation is limited to 20 participants. Interested candidates must apply by Friday, June 13, 2025, by submitting the following documents:
Motivation Letter (explaining research interests and how the course aligns with them)
Curriculum Vitae (max. 3 pages, highlighting major achievements)
Additional Supporting Documents (if applicable, indicating previous experience in the field)
Format: All documents must be submitted as a single PDF file named “LastName_Name_Bern_IslamicateDH2025”
Submission: Send your application to Sefer Korkmaz at sefer.korkmaz@unibe.ch
Financial Support
A limited number of (partial) scholarships are available for participants who are unable to secure funding from their institutions. If so, please add a statement in your motivation letter specifying that you are also applying for financial support for the travel costs and not only for admission to the summer school.
Scientific Board
Prof. Tobias Hodel
Prof. Serena Tolino
Additional Information
The final program and reading list will be shared with accepted participants. More details will be available soon on the official webpage: University of Bern Summer Schools (https://www.unibe.ch/studies/programs/summer___winter_schools/index_eng.html)
For inquiries, contact organizers:
Sefer Korkmaz (sefer.korkmaz@unibe.ch)
Ilyes Mechentel (mohamed.mechentel@unibe.ch)
Please, find the flyer in this link: https://networks.h-net.org/system/files/attachments/2025summerschoolislamicateflyerv4-kopyasi.pdf
11. Call for Papers
The AHRC-Funded First International Conference of the Syrian Academics and Researchers’ Network in the UK (SARN UK)
18-19 September 2025 | University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
The Syrian Academics and Researchers’ Network in the UK (SARN-UK) and the Middle East and North Africa Centre at Sussex (MENACS), in association with SARN UK’s partner, the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) will co-host SARN UK’s first international conference, which is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
We are pleased to announce that our call for papers is now open. In addition to submissions aligned with the conference theme, ‘Rebuilding Syria: Reflections, Innovations and Collaborations’, we welcome papers on a range of topics related to Syrian culture, art, history and politics.
We accept individual as well as co-authored paper proposals.
Please complete this form to submit your proposal by 23.59 (BST) on 20 June 2025.
If you have any queries, please write to Feras Alkabani at f.alkabani@sussex.ac.uk
Conference Themes
Rebuilding Syria: Reflections, Innovations and Collaborations
The collapse of the 54-year Assad dictatorship on 8 December 2024 took the world by surprise. For many Syrians, this was a dream that eventually came true after 14 years of a bloody struggle that left much of the country in ruins.
Yet Syrians continued to work, resist and rebuild. Now more than ever, Syrians need to come together to share, discuss and envisage their future and that of their country.
This interdisciplinary conference invites academics and researchers working on Syria from within the UK and around the world to share their latest research in their areas of expertise to reflect, innovate and collaborate on rebuilding the new Syria.
Themes may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:
- The role of education in the rebuilding process
- Historical approaches and imaginative futures
- The role of art and music in healing and building bridges
- Transitional justice
- Civil liberties, gender relations and sexuality in civic society
- Diasporic connections and intercultural innovations
- Reflective storytelling in literature, art, cinema and dance
- Political plurality and civil society
- Cross-sectarian dialogue
- Multiple identities and belonging
- Syrian culture and soft power
Hardship Fund
We are not charging a registration fee, thanks to our AHRC fund.
We expect scholars with institutional affiliations to request funding to cover their travel and accommodation expenses from their institutions where possible.
However, we may be able to help cover (some of) the travel and/or accommodation costs for a small number of successful UK-based speakers up to a limited maximum total of funds (to be determined later).
But please note that this is the exception (not the norm). We, therefore, encourage you to seek external funding to pay for your travel and accommodation costs if you need to.
Best wishes,
SARN UK
12. Applications Open for Fall 2025 M.A. in Kurdish Studies
Zahra Institute is delighted to announce the opening of applications for our M.A. Program in Kurdish Studies. The deadline for applications for the Fall semester is 15 July 2025. The online, two-year M.A. program consists of 31 credits and welcomes full-time and part-time students.
The Master of Arts in Kurdish Studies is the first of its kind in the United States. It provides access to the language and cultures of approximately forty million Kurds, a Middle Eastern people living in Kurdistan and beyond, spread across the borders of several modern states and linguistic and cultural zones. It focuses on the humanities aspects of Kurdish Studies including history, literature, music, visual arts, and cinema.
For Fall 2025, we offer the following courses: Approaches to Kurdish Studies, History and Literature of the Kurds, Religion in Kurdish Society, and Kurmanji and Sorani Kurdish language courses.
Zahra Institute offers both M.A. and Certificate in Kurdish Studies. Kurdish language courses can be taken as electives in the M.A. program, or as standalone courses. In addition, we offer M.A. and Certificate in Critical Muslim Studies.
For application information, please visit our website: www.zahrainstitute.org.
13. AKU-ISMC’s Short Course on Governing Diversity: Toronto and London
The Aga Khan University (International) in the UK, in collaboration with the Ismaili Centre and the Aga Khan Museum, is pleased to offer an in-person short course in Toronto and London.
Governing Diversity: Engaging with a Complex World
This thought-provoking course explores how different states – from the Roman and Mughal Empires to modern Europe and North America – have approached ethnic and religious diversity. Through a mix of historical case studies, participants will examine how communities saw themselves represented (or not) in state structures, how they managed internal affairs, and how leadership balanced community needs with state demands.
Highlights include:
- Comparative analysis of minority experiences across time and geography
- Insights into legal, political, and demographic impacts on diversity
- A study session at the Aga Khan Museum
- Reflections from the local Ismaili community on historical lessons for today
Full Programme Agenda for Toronto Here.
Full Programme Agenda for London Here.
Please note that the agenda is subject to change, and the final version will be emailed to all registered participants before the event.
Toronto Programme Details
Date
September 16 – 12:00 pm EDT
September 18 – 5:30 pm EDT
Location
The Ismaili Centre, Toronto
49 Wynford Drive Toronto, ON M3C 1K1 Canada
London Programme Details
Date
November 4 – 12:00 pm GMT+1
November 6 – 5:30 pm GMT+1
Location
The Ismaili Centre, London
Cromwell Gardens, London, SW7
Register at:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/governing-diversity-engaging-with-a-complex-world-tickets-1259761022129?aff=oddtdtcreator – for Toronto
14. A Sufi Commentary on the Tao Te Ching: The Way and Its Virtue
Sufi commentary of Tao Te Ching by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
https://fonsvitae.com/product/a-sufi-commentary-on-the-tao-te-ching-the-way-and-its-virtue/
15. Postdoctoral researcher: “Genealogies of ‘humanity’ in Islamic charity’”
for the ERC project ‘Entangled Universals of Transnational Islamic Charity’, based at Leiden University.
The deadline for applications is 15 June.
16. HYBRIDE Atelier-rencontre avec Mehdi Berriah (Ifpo) autour de l’ouvrage “The Medieval Jihad. Texts, Theories, and Practices”, Mehdi Berriah et Abbès Zouache (eds.), IISMM, Paris, 18 juin 2025, 13h00 – 15h00 CET
Loin d’être une simple réaction de l’islam à la croisade ou d’être une idéologie monolithique déclinant un droit de la guerre imposant des normes de comportement à l’ensemble des acteurs sociaux, le jihad est un phénomène revêtant de multiples dimensions : religieuse, jurisprudentielle, idéologique, militaire, politique, économique, sociale, culturelle et littéraire. C’est à ces multiples dimensions que les auteurs de cet ouvrage ont été invités à réfléchir.
Information : https://iismm.hypotheses.org/files/2025/05/Affiche-IISMM_RencontreMBerriah.pdf .
Inscription : https://tinyurl.com/5zjrka5w
17. Conference “Pius XII and Decolonization: Catholicism in North Africa and the Levant, 1939-1958”, Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo, 10-11 November 2025
Key questions: What role did the Catholic Church – both as an institution and as a diverse religious community – play in decolonization? How did Vatican diplomacy interact with local clergy, indigenous populations, and political movements? To what extent were these interactions shaped by competition, hybridization, and exchange? The con-ference aims to critically engage with newly available sources, prioritizing transnational perspectives and highlighting the agency of marginalized actors.
Deadline for abstracts: 10 June 2025. Information: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/files/2025/05/Cfp-Cairo.pdf
18. Postdoctoral Research Associate (2 Years) in the Project “Economic and Cultural Connections within Mediterranean Ecosystems, c. 1250 – c. 1550” (Arabic and Hebrew Sources), King`s College London
Qualification: PhD qualified in relevant subject area. – Good research skills in historical methods e.g. the ability to carry out relevant research, including the relevant linguistic, bibliographic, and, if necessary, palaeographic skills. –
Ability to work with late medieval/early modern sources in Arabic and/or Hebrew and an understanding of the relevant communities under study, their history and historiography.
Deadline for applications: 1 June 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mtb8a7j7
- May 24, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Islamic Perspectives on God and (Other) Monotheism(s)’ – W Amin, et al., eds.
The ISBN is 978-1-915550-05-7 (hardback) and 978-1-915550-06-4 (paperback).
- May 23, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Zoom: ‘The Talking Tree Motif in the Service of Safavid Sufi Discourse’ – R Zenhari (22.5.25, 5pm GMT)
FROM MANUSCRIPT TO CARPET: THE TALKING TREE MOTIF IN THE SERVICE OF SAFAVID SUFI DISCOURSE
The presentation will highlight the formal and conceptual interrelations among two inscribed grave rugs (preserved in Lisbon, Gulbenkian Museum, Inv. T113; and Cincinnati, Cincinnati Art Museum, Inv. 1953.24); three dispersed illuminated folios of Jāmī’s Yusuf va Zuleykhā and Sa’dī’s Būstān (introduced by Christie’s, 2012 Live Auction 6537; and 2010 Live Auction 7871); and an illustrated manuscript of Niẓāmī’s Khamseh (Hazine 788), all attributed to Safavid workshops. Central to this exploration is the motif of the Talking Tree, which emerges as a dominant visual element across these works.
The discussion will focus on how this decorative motif, the literature, and the woven words interact, and how the motif evolves into a symbol that serves the Sufi discourse within the Safavid Shi’i context.
- May 21, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Syrian-Kurdish Intersections in the Ottoman Period
Eds., Stéfan Winter and Zainab HajHasan
U Toronto Press, 2024
https://utppublishing.com/doi/10.3138/9781487554408
2. American University – Beirut – Post-Doctoral Position: “Americas and the MENA Region” (American Studies/History)
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68767
3. The World History Association (WHA) would like to extend its call for proposals for sessions and papers presenting original research and pedagogical techniques for its annual conference this year in Louisville, KY (June 26-28, 2025).
While the overarching themes of the conference this year are Protest, Prohibition, and Pugilism, the WHA welcomes any topic involving world-global dimensions, including transnational, transcultural, interreligious, international and the like (see https://pretalx.com/wha2025/cfp). The WHA provides a unique opportunity to share research and pedagogy beyond our own respective fields in a mutually supportive interdisciplinary setting.
Proposals are welcome from graduate and doctoral students, scholars, teachers, and other qualified experts around the world. Proposals may take the form of:
Organized Panels (three to four panelists, one chair, and optionally, one discussant) – each paper should be a maximum of 20 minutes in length for three panelists; papers should be a maximum of 15 minutes in length for four panelists
Individual Papers (not part of an Organized Panel) – each paper should be a maximum of 20 minutes in length
Roundtable Sessions (between four to six participants) – five-minute opening statements from each participant followed by conversational dialogue with the audience
Workshop Sessions (between one to four participants) – these are hands on sessions on specific teaching techniques or practices that often include handouts, breakout sessions and/or assignment creation/reflection
Meet the Author Sessions – an excellent opportunity for exchanges between authors and audiences, including explanations of methods and suggestions for use
Innovative Sessions – innovative teaching, research, or other formats not outlined above Proposals from the fields of anthropology, geography, political science, literature, art history and criticism, digital humanities, other humanities and social sciences, as well as natural or physical sciences that address global historical change are also encouraged.
Each organized session should include a 250-word panel proposal and a 250-word proposal for each paper along with a short biographical statement for introduction by the session Chair. Individual papers and all other sessions should include a 250- word abstract and a short biographical statement for introduction by the session Chair.
PLEASE NOTE: Prearranged (organized) panels/roundtables/workshops are given priority in the program and receive earlier notification of acceptance. Individual papers will also be considered and, if accepted, are arranged into suitable panels by the Program Committee. Individual papers may receive later notice of acceptance, pending appropriate placement on panels.
Contact Email: info@thewha.org
4. Call for Submissions to an Edited Volume: Deadline July 1, 2025
“My Blood is Cheaper than Oil”: Arabic Literature and the Encounter with Petropolitics
How have 20th-century oil discoveries in the MENA region shaped the emergence of what came to be known as ‘Arab modernity’? How has modern Arabic literature reimagined domestic and social relationships with and through oil? And how have the increasingly precarious conditions of oil production, consumption, and theft over the course of a century transformed the Arabic literary imagination?
More than a material resource, oil is deeply entangled with the cultural production of home, nation, identity, race, religion, family, and legal status. Its presence permeates allegories, metaphors, literary genres, and framing practices. The violent traces of war and the haunting fumes of traumatic memory linger in the words and lacunae of Arabic literature. In Arabic discourse, oil has been both an evocative and lucrative symbol (of prosperity, modernity, war, and hegemony) and a material force shaping everyday life—driving urban development, education, the rise of civil society, the formation of a modern intellectual class, and traumatic phenomena such as epidemics, bodily deformities, forced migration, dispossession, and mass murder. Oil has also seeped into the domestic domain of literature, such as familial gestures, relations, affects, languages, and silences.
This edited volume seeks to center the narratives, affects, temporalities, and life worlds of oil in Arabic literature. From early encounters with oil discoveries and the rise of multinational petroleum industries to contemporary engagements with the aftermaths of petropolitics, the collection brings together diverse literary perspectives on oil’s profound impact on Arab cultures.
We invite chapter submissions for a peer-edited anthology on Arabic literature’s encounter with oil. Contributions may engage with Arabic poetry, short stories, or novels that explore the poetics and practices of oil culture in Arab spaces and their transnational ramifications. This call is open to a broad range of thematic and theoretical approaches. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Oil and migration, land dispossession, and diaspora
- Oil and archaeology, indigeneity, and monumental history
- Oil and war, coloniality, and environmental devastation
- Oil and transnationalism, globalization, and neoliberalism
- Oil and urban utopias/dystopias
- Oil as an archive and index of identity, race, and place
- Multisensory experiences of oil
- Memoirs of oil and empire
- Genealogies of oil
- Oil and the ecological nomad
- Storytelling through oil
Submission Guidelines:
Please send 250-word abstracts and a short bio to yhanoosh@gmail.com and yasminekhayyat@gmail.com by July 1, 2025. Notifications of acceptance will be sent within two weeks after the deadline. Full manuscripts (6000-10,000 words) will be requested by February 20, 2026. For any inquiries, feel free to contact the editors at the email addresses above.
Editors:
Yasmeen Hanoosh is Professor of Arabic Literature at Portland State University, as well as a literary translator and fiction writer. Her recent projects explore the politics of survival in Arab Detroit and the complexities of literary translation as a colonized subject. She recently co-edited Beyond Refuge in Arab Detroit (Wayne State UP, 2025) and a special issue of the Journal of Arabic Literature titled Cultural Production in Modern Iraq (Brill, 2025)
Yasmine Khayyat is Associate Professor of Arabic Literature at Rutgers University. Her work examines the intersections of memory, narrative, and the environmental and political histories of the Middle East. She is the author of War Remains: Ruination and Resistance in Lebanon (Syracuse UP, 2023), which examines the figuration of the ruin as a site of protest and resistance in contemporary Lebanese cultural production.
5. UCLA: Foreign in Two Homelands: Racism, Return Migration, and Turkish-German History
A lecture by Michelle Lynn Kahn (University of Richmond)
Thursday, May 22, 2025
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST
Bunche Hall 6275
Organized by the the UCLA Center for European and Russian Studies and UCLA Department of History
- May 20, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – ‘Shi’a Women in Italy’ and ‘Locating Diasporanian (Be)longing’ – M Mirshahvalad, A Agah (Copenhagen, 22.5.25, 14.00)
See
https://curis.ku.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/450132916/Research_Seminar_-_Shia_diaspora.pdf
for further information.
- May 19, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. Extended DEADLINE 30 May 2025 – Annual Arabic Pasts Workshop
Arabic Pasts is co-convened by Anna Chrysostomides (Queen Mary), Yossi Rapoport (Queen Mary), Hugh Kennedy (SOAS), Lorenz Nigst (AKU-ISMC), and Sarah Bowen Savant (AKU-ISMC).
The event is 9-10 October, 2025 in London.
The annual Arabic Pasts workshop brings together scholars at all career stages to reflect on methodologies, research agendas, and case studies for investigating history writing in Arabic in the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond in any period from the seventh century to the present.
This year the Arabic Pasts workshop welcomes Queen Mary University of London as a partner. We will host the workshop in person at the Aga Khan Centre and welcome proposals that deal with the practical and conceptual challenges of working on history writing in Arabic. We encourage scholars working at all career stages to join us.
By way of example, papers might elucidate the following sorts of questions – or others:
- How do nations today tell their stories with respect to their pasts? In what ways do educational institutions, museums, media organisations and proponents of heritage use history writing to shape loyalties and senses of belonging in society?
- When and how did pre-modern and modern historians writing in Arabic conceptualize the history of Palestine as a distinct geographical and political unit? What are the Arabic historiographical traditions regarding the city of Gaza and its hinterland, and how have they developed in the last two centuries?
- How is the past used in creative arts, re-enactment, games, and augmented reality?
- What do we consider works of fiction and how do they differ in authorial intent from historical chronicles? Does this authorial intent make a difference in how we treat these sources? What can we learn from combinations of fiction and non-fiction sources, if anything?
- What is the relationship between Arabic and other languages and scripts in bi/multi-lingual and bi/multi-alphabetic texts (tarikh, documents, other genres) across time?
- How can marginalised communities and their varieties of Arabic be given due attention?
- How can all genders (including non-binary) be given due attention when our sources are often composed by male political, intellectual and religious elites?
- How can we explore the past algorithmically? Can digital methods enhance our understanding of the past? Can they also limit or even alter it? Which new digital tools are being developed? What seem to be particularly promising approaches? What is lacking?
Prior to the workshop, we will also run a hands-on workshop on digital methods for Arabic texts – no experience necessary. Please get in touch early if you are interested in joining as we will have to cap participation.
Please submit an abstract of 300 words or less in word document by 30 May 2025 to ArabicPastsConf@aku.edu. Also please be in touch if you would like to join the digital methods workshop.
2. Fellowships for Women Researchers (Gotha Research Library)
Germany
Within the framework of the “Thüringer Programm zur Förderung von Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen und Nachwuchskünstlerinnen”, the University of Erfurt (Germany) is offering three short-term scholarships for up to five months for female academics who have completed their doctorate to research the holdings of the Gotha Research Library for the year 2025. The scholarship can be taken up on 1 August 2025 at the earliest and ends on 31 December 2025 in any case. Depending on the focus, the scholarship holders are linked to the Gotha Research Centre at the University of Erfurt or to the Centre for Transcultural Studies / Perthes Collection. The application deadline is 15 June 2025.
GOTHA RESEARCH LIBRARY
The Research Library (FBG), located in Gotha’s Friedenstein Castle, holds a remarkable collection on early modern and modern cultural history. After Berlin and Munich and alongside the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel, it houses the most significant collection in Germany of historical sources from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. To these were added in 2003 the Perthes Collection Gotha from the holdings of the Justus Perthes Gotha publishing house, established in 1785. It is considered one of the most significant cartographic collections worldwide.
The library keeps and catalogues these sources, which are part of a European cultural heritage. The library collection encompasses c. 700,000 prints, of which about 350,000 are early modern. Additionally, it holds c. 11,500 manuscript volumes containing a considerable collection of manuscripts, autographs, and literary remains pertaining, among other things, to the cultural history of early modern Protestantism, as well as a collection of some 3,500 oriental manuscripts – the third largest of its kind in Germany. Moreover, the library provides a remarkable collection of letters by German emigrants to America.
The Perthes collection with its collection of maps, cartographic library, and the press archives offers a unique collection in situ. The cartographic collection is comprised of c. 185,000 maps from the late eighteenth to the twentieth century, produced by Perthes and other cartographic printers throughout the world. The cartographic-geographic library comprises 120,000 volumes, a genealogical-statistical book collection, as well as a complete exemplar of the Almanach de Gotha, produced by the Perthes publishing house. The press’ archive, with 800 linear metres of archival material, includes, inter alia, the editorial archive of Petermann’s Geographische Mitteilungen, a collection of the press’ specimen copies, as well as 1,650 copper plates. The FBG is headed by Dr Kathrin Paasch.
GOTHA RESEARCH CENTRE
The Gotha Research Centre (FZG), founded in 2004, is a central academic body of the University of Erfurt. Its main objective is to conduct and facilitate international interdisciplinary research projects in the field of cultural and intellectual history of the modern period, in close cooperation with the institutions and their holdings at Friedenstein Castle. Further information on current projects and thematic focuses can be found here. In addition, the centre offers a rich programme of (guest)lectures, conferences, and colloquia. Our goal is to serve as a platform where scholars from all over the world can conduct research and discuss their ideas and work in progress in a challenging and congenial atmosphere. The Gotha Research Centre is headed by Prof. Martin Mulsow.
CENTRE FOR TRANSCULTURAL STUDIES / PERTHES COLLECTION
The Centre for Transcultural Studies / Perthes Collection (FKTS/SP), newly established at the beginning of 2021, is also a central academic body of the University of Erfurt. It sees itself as a platform for interdisciplinary research on the historical becoming of today’s global world. Its research is oriented towards the Gotha collection contexts since the end of the 18th century and focuses in particular on the Perthes Collection. The centre pursues independent as well as cooperative research projects, among others on the cartography of the oceans and the maps of Africa and Asia (further information here). It works closely with national and international scholars and strives for close cooperation with academics from the global south. The FKTS/SP is headed by Prof. Iris Schröder.
FUNDING PROFILE AND REQUIREMENTS
The programme aims at promoting academic research through the use of the resources of the Research Library Gotha and of the associated historic collection of the Justus Perthes Gotha Publishing House. Its academic orientation intends to carry on the universal spirit of the library itself and its diverse resources. In this sense, the programme has an open thematic and disciplinary character. The holdings of the Thuringian State Archive of Gotha, which is located in the Perthes-Forum, as well as collections held by the museums of the Schloss Friedenstein Foundation can be included in the research project, too.
The short-term is aimed at excellent young women academics with a doctorate who wish to start a new research project or continue or complete a work already begun and use the above-mentioned holdings for this purpose. At the time of the start of the fellowship, the applicant must provide evidence of having successfully passed the examinations within the framework of the doctoral procedure.
The monthly funding amounts to 2,000 euros. In addition, a family allowance of 300 euros is granted for one child and 150 euros for each additional child. The scholarship can be started from 1 August 2025 at the earliest. The scholarship must be completed by 31 December 2025. Regular presence in Gotha and active networking with local academics are required.
Please find the application details here: https://www.uni-erfurt.de/forschungszentrum-gotha/stipendien/fo
3. The University of Oxford is looking for a postdoctoral research associate to support a new collaborative project titled, ‘Knotted Histories: Early Modern Global Carpets, Global Exchange and the Public Country House.’
Led by Prof. Nandini Das (Oxford), Dr Francesca Leoni (Ashmolean Museum), Dr Christo Kefalas & Emma Slocombe (National Trust), ‘Knotted Histories’ aims to illuminate the potential of global carpet collections for rethinking scholarship and heritage sector practice relating to wider histories of production and consumerism, sociability and embodiment, and global networks of exchange.
For more details about the project, the post’s requirements and how to apply, please see the following link:
Closing date: 12 noon, 6 June, 2025
4. 2025 BRISMES Annual Conference
Newcastle University • 1-3 July 2025
We are pleased to announce that registration for non-speaking delegates for the 2025 BRISMES conference “Destruction, Loss, and Recovery in the Middle East” is now open until 12 June 2025.
Please see our provisional conference programme, which includes over 80 panels and plenaries covering diverse topics that fall within and beyond the conference’s main theme.
We look forward to our keynote speech by Dr Rana Barakat (Birzeit University), titled “Palestine Teaches: Why History Matters”. We are also very pleased to host the roundtable plenary “Ruins and Rebuilding: Academic and Activist Solidarities Across Borders”.
Registration for non-presenting delegates open:
https://register.oxfordabstracts.com/event/73980?preview=false
5. ONLINE Lecture “Crafting Communities into Contact: Contextualizing Glyptic Interconnections in the Levant, Egypt, and Aegean (ca. 2500-1500 BCE)” by Nadia Ben-Marzouk, W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, 21 May 2025, 16:00 CET
Stamp and cylinder seal amulets have long factored into debates on the nature of east Mediterranean inter-connectivity during the late third to early second millennium BCE. This lecture presents new research identifying and contextualizing the widespread appearance of a glyptic koine, arguing for sustained interaction and a new focus on the role of skilled labor in the making of an east Mediterranean exchange system.
Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/bdhj24sv
6. ONLINE Book Discussion “Edward Said: The Politics of an Oppositional Intellectual” with Author Nubar Hovsepian, American University in Cairo Press, 21 May 2025, 18:00 CET
The political, cultural, and personal dimensions of Edward Said’s thought will be discussed – from his groundbreaking work Orientalism to his enduring advocacy for Palestinian rights and his vision for justice and humanism in global affairs. The conversation will also reflect on Said’s relevance in today’s world and Hovsepian’s unique insights as both a scholar and someone who knew Said personally.
Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/3jxabb67
7. Conference “The Kurdish Issue and the Developments in the Middle East”, Centre for Mediterranean, Middle East and Islamic Studies (CEMMIS), University of the Peloponnese, Institute of Inter-national Relations (IDIS), Athens, 24 May 2025, 8:30 – 18:30 CET
Information and program: https://cemmis.edu.gr/images/events/cemmis_agenda_kurdish.pdf
8. ONLINE Séminaire “Paris, Venise, Rome et Constantinople en conflit. Qui protège les églises catholiques de Smyrne au XVIIe siècle ?” avec Alper Metin (Università di Bologna), École Francaise de Rome, 26 mai 2025, 17h30 – 19h00 CET
Ce séminaire éclaire un aspect méconnu de “l’Histoire de la Latinité” en Méditerranée orientale : la rivalité franco-italienne autour de la protection des églises et de l’administration des paroisses catholiques dans les territoires ottomans. L’étude des mutations survenues durant les guerres vénéto-ottomanes (1645-1718), qui renforcèrent l’influence française au détriment de la Sérénissime, révèle la complexité des enjeux politiques, religieux, architecturaux et urbains dans l’Égée.
Information et inscription : https://tinyurl.com/3ex5e27c
9. International Conference “Crises and Preaching in the Middle East: Lexis, Framing, Timings: 19th ‒ 21st Centuries in the Middle East”, PredicMO, Institut Français in Amman, 26-27 May 2025
By focusing on how crisis and preaching have intersected across religious traditions since the late 19th century, this international conference seeks to shed light on the transformation of religious discourse in the contemporary Middle East.
Information and registration: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/122793
10. International Workshop on “Education, Power and Possibility: Rethinking “Quality Education” in the Middle East”, Unit for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Societies (MOMuG), University of Bern, January 2026
This workshop seeks to critically interrogate the notion of “quality education” as international policy directive and universal ideal by examining how the concept of quality education is constructed, negotiated and/or challenged in the Middle East. Our focus will be on how local actors – including educators, students, civil society organizations, policymakers and communities – define and deliberate on what constitutes quality education. Etc.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 May 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2s6vh9f5
11. Postdoctoral Position (2 years) in the project “Mapping Occult Sciences Across Islamicate Cultures” Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Qualification: PhD in Early Modern Ottoman or Islamic Studies, or related fields; – an excellent command of Classical Arabic and Ottoman Turkish (the knowledge of additional languages such as Persian is considered an advantage); – an outstanding publication record relative to career stage; – academic writing and presentation skills in English.
Deadline for applications: 14 June 2025. Information: Contact fatmasinem.eryilmaz@uab.cat1
12. “German-Yemeni Autumn School” for German Master Students Studying in Germany, Amman, Jordan, 29 September – 3 October 2025
The Autum School is organized by the ” Woman Research & Training Center” at Aden University and the “Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO)” in Bonn. We are looking for students with good knowledge of English, who either a) have experience with civil society organizations or demonstrated interest in the topic of social cohesion, science communication and/or Yemen through courses taken and internships done.
Deadline for applications: 8 June 2025.
Information: https://carpo-bonn.org/weitere-inhalte/german-yemeni-autumn-school-in-amman
13. Call for papers : The pilgrimage to Mecca as a social experience
Three dimensions will be emphasized here: The hajj as religious experience and dramaturgy of salvation. – The hajj as an issue of governance and a vector of collective identity. – The hajj as a means of experiencing space.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 October 2025. Information: https://journals.openedition.org/arabianhumanities/15236
14. International Conference “Crises and Preaching in the Middle East: Lexis, Framing, Timings: 19th ‒ 21st Centuries in the Middle East”, PredicMO, Institut Français in Amman, 26-27 May 2025
By focusing on how crisis and preaching have intersected across religious traditions since the late 19th century, this international conference seeks to shed light on the transformation of religious discourse in the contemporary Middle East.
Information and registration: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/122793
- May 17, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment