Archive for 2025
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The International Journal of Islam in Asia: Religion, Cultures, Histories, Connections(IJIA), published by De Gruyter Brill, has just been relaunched.
IJIA is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes high-quality articles on Islam and Muslims in Asia and the diaspora. The journal encourages explorations of the diverse expressions of Asian Islam and Muslim cultures, histories, and connections across Asia through multidisciplinary methods, bringing together fields such as history, anthropology, religious studies, Islamic studies, material culture studies, art history, sociology, and gender studies.
The journal is open to standalone articles, photo essays, and guest edited issues on a single topic or theme.
For more information, please see the journal web page (https://brill.com/view/journals/ijia/ijia-overview.xml).
Journal correspondence should be sent to: ijiabrill@gmail.com. All journal submissions must be submitted directly through the online submission system (https://www.editorialmanager.com/IJIA).
Contact Email: ijiabrill@gmail.com
URL: https://brill.com/view/journals/ijia/ijia-overview.xml
2. YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies invites contributions for its seventh and eighth volumes to be published in December 2025 and December 2026. YILLIK is a peer-reviewed, open access, international academic journal featuring cutting-edge research on Istanbul’s past and present, published by the Istanbul Research Institute in print and online (via DergiPark). YILLIK is indexed by SCOPUS, ERIH PLUS and the MLA International Bibliography.
YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies is accepting submissions of original research articles, opinion pieces and visual essays (Meclis), book and exhibition reviews in Turkish or English, by researchers working on any period of the city through the lens of history, history of art and architecture, archaeology, sociology, anthropology, geography, urban planning, urban studies, and other related disciplines in humanities or social sciences.
Articles submitted for publication in the journal are first evaluated by the Editorial Board. Articles deemed suitable by editors in terms of subject matter and quality will be sent to two anonymous reviewers elected in accordance with their expertise from the Advisory Board or from the larger field. Reports from the double-blind reviewers are combined with the comments of the editors and sent back to the author. Depending on their quality and relevance, articles may be accepted or rejected, or the author may be asked to revise the work.
The review process is mandatory for research articles, while book and exhibition reviews along with the Meclis pieces only require editorial evaluation. The editors of the YILLIK pledge to complete the submission process as quickly and constructively as possible. Our aim is to limit the duration of the evaluation process, from the submission to the journal to the forwarding of reviewer reports to the author, to six weeks.
The deadline for the submission for the seventh volume, to be published in December 2025, is May 5. Some of the accepted articles with revisions may be published in the eighth volume in December 2026.
Every year, one of the articles written by a student or recent PhD will be awarded the YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies Early Career Article Prize. For details, click here.
Those who wish to submit a book or exhibition review are strongly recommended to ask for the opinion of the Editorial Board in order to avoid duplicate reviews.
YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies conforms to Chicago Manual of Style 18th Edition. Before submitting your article, please refer to our submission & publishing style guide.
For the “YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies Publishing Ethics and Peer Review Statement” click here.
Peer-reviewed article submissions must be made through DergiPark.
For other submissions and questions: istanbulstudies@iae.org.tr
3. 18th International Congress of Turkish Art
We are honored to announce that the 18th International Congress of Turkish Art (ICTA) will be held from September 17-20, 2027, in Skopje, North Macedonia. The International Congress of Turkish Art has a distinguished history of convening every four years for nearly 65 years, and this esteemed tradition will continue with the upcoming congress. It will be hosted by the Balkan Studies Foundation at the National Gallery Chifte Hamam and the National Gallery Daut Pasha Hammam in Skopje, 2027.
Announcement of the 1st circular 18th ICTA: 10 October 2024
Submission Deadline for abstracts: 01 May 2025
Announcement of the accepted abstracts: 01 March 2026
Announcement of the 2nd Circular 18th ICTA: 01 September 2026
18th ICTA Congress: 17-20 September 2027, Skopje-North Macedonia.
For further information:
https://balkanfoundation.com/18th-international-congress-of-turkish-arts/
For application: https://icta.congress.gen.tr/
URL
4. Call for Submissions: South Asia Muslim Studies Association (SAMSA) Biennial Book Prize
The South Asia Muslim Studies Association (SAMSA) is pleased to announce its Biennial Book Prize, recognizing outstanding scholarship on the Muslims of South Asia across all disciplines and fields. We invite submissions of books published in 2023 and 2024 for consideration.
Award Description
This prestigious award honors innovative and methodologically rigorous research that advances our understanding of South Asian Muslim histories, cultures, societies, and lived experiences. The prize reflects SAMSA’s commitment to promoting excellence in scholarship that contributes significantly to South Asian Muslim studies.
Eligibility Criteria
- Books must be scholarly monographs (single or co-authored) published in English during the calendar years 2023 or 2024
- Works must make a substantial contribution to the study of Muslims in South Asia
- Edited volumes, textbooks, translations, and reprints of previously published works are not eligible
- Submissions welcome from all disciplines, including but not limited to history, anthropology, political science, religious studies, literature, sociology, and area studies
Submission Process
- Authors or publishers should send one copy of the nominated book to each member of the prize committee (addresses will be provided upon initial inquiry)
- Please include a brief cover letter with the book’s publication details and author’s contact information
- Electronic submission of supplementary materials may be requested following the initial nomination
Timeline
- Submission Deadline: April 27, 2025
- Winner announcement: Annual Meeting for South Asian Studies, Madison, WI, October 2025
For submission addresses or any inquiries regarding the prize, please contact:
Dr. Yasmin Saikia
SAMSA Book Prize Committee Chair
ysaikia@asu.edu
We encourage scholars and publishers to contribute to this celebration of outstanding scholarship on South Asian Muslim studies.
5. The Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC)is proud to announce the publication of Islamic Themes in US Hip-Hop Culture by Anders Ackfeldt. Exploring how Islam has been produced in American hip-hop culture by both Muslims and non-Muslims, the book is the most recent addition to AKU-ISMC’s Music and Performance in Muslim Contexts series, published in association with Edinburgh University Press and the Aga Khan Music Programme (AKMP). Published Open Access – download your free copy here.
And join us on Tuesday, 13 May 2025 for a Book Launch to celebrate with author Anders Ackfeldt and AKU-ISMC. Philip Wood will engage the author in a discussion of the historical continuity of Islamic themes running through US musical culture – themes also often connected to African American religious initiatives and empowerment politics.
Tuesday 13th May 2025, 17:30 – 18:45 (London).
Aga Khan Centre (Atrium Conference Room),
10 Handyside Street,
London N1C 4DNw
The event is free, but booking is essential. Book your ticket HERE to join us in person.
Or if you want to join the event online, register HERE.
6. Aug 8, 2024
Faces of God
Images of Devotion in Indo-Muslim Painting, 1500-1800
Islamic art is often misrepresented as an iconophobic tradition. As a result of this assumption, the polyvalence of figural artworks made for South Asian Muslim audiences has remained hidden in plain view.
Faces of God: Images of Devotion in Indo-Muslim Painting, 1500-1800 (Brill, 2023) situates manuscript illustrations and album paintings within cultures of devotion and ritual shaped by Islamic intellectual and religious histories. Central to this story are the Mughal siblings, Jahanara Begum and Dara Shikoh, and their Sufi guide Mulla Shah. Through detailed art historical analysis supported by new translations, this study contextualizes artworks made for Indo-Muslim patrons by putting them into direct dialogue with written testimonies.
Podcast: https://newbooksnetwork.com/faces-of-god
7. Intensive Online Course on Islamic Feminism
July 14–20, 2025
Join us for an immersive week-long online course exploring the evolution, challenges, and future of Islamic feminism. Led by renowned scholars, this course delves into historical roots, Quranic reinterpretations, gender justice, and contemporary debates—offering fresh insights and visionary perspectives.
Course Highlights:
Expert Instruction – Learn from leading scholars in the field
Comprehensive Curriculum – A deep dive into key topics
Interactive Sessions – Engage in discussions & Q&A
Flexible Learning – Access live online lectures
Course Schedule & Lecturers
Day 1: The History of Islamic Feminism
Dr. Miriam Cooke (Duke University, USA)
Day 2: Innovative Perspectives: Reinterpreting the Quran on Women’s Issues
Dr. Asma Afsaruddin (Indiana University, USA)
Day 3: The Potential of Sufi Heritage for Islamic Feminism
Dr. Sa’diyya Shaikh (University of Cape Town, South Africa)
Day 4: Gender Equality and Justice in the Quran: A Critical Review
Dr. Juliane Hammer (UNC-Chapel Hill, USA)
Day 5: Islamic Feminism, Islamophobia, and the Muslim Woman
Dr. Lana Sirri (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Day 6: The Future of Islamic Feminism: Perspectives and Innovations
Dr. Mulki Al-Sharmani (University of Helsinki, Finland)
Day 7: Ethical Horizons: Gender, Power, and Justice in Islamic Thought
Dr. Zahra Ayubi (Dartmouth College, USA)
Scholarships Available
For more details and registration, visit: https://sadrai.com/islamic-feminism
8. R Mathhee, ‘Shah ‘Abbās I:The Myth, the Monarch, and the Man’,
Iranian Studies, 2025
9. Conference “Arab-German Relations in the Mirror of History” by the Orient-Institut Beirut and the Egyptian Society for Historical Studies, Cairo, 8-10 November 2025
Themes: 1. How did the early encounters between Arabic and German speakers shape modern and contemporary relations? – 2. What political and cognitive divides can be identified in the course of Arab-German relations? – 3. To what extent are the areas of Arab-German relations independent or interconnected? – 4. How did history and historiography influence the development of Arab-German relations, and what types of historical did these relations produce?
Deadline for abstracts: 15 April 2025. Information: https://www.orient-institut.org/fileadmin/user_upload/OI_Beirut/20251703-Call_for_Papers_for_the_Conference_on_Arab.pdf
10. “58th Seminar for Arabian Studies”, International Association for the Study of Arabia (IASA), Abu Dhabi, 12-14 December 2025
Papers submitted should address a research approach that engages with answering unknown questions or challenge existing assumptions as opposed to papers that strictly report on empirical observations. Two types of papers will be accepted: 1. Short rapportage with the results of current fieldwork (or labwork) of any sort. – 2. Synthetic overview with a review and/or analysis of a wider research question of any sort.
Deadline for abstracts: 13 June 2025. Information: https://iasarabia.org/the-seminar/
11. Call for Papers
Trajectories of Islam between Europe and South Asia Feb. 2026
University of Göttingen, Germany
The workshop explores the routes and connections through which people, ideas, and practices of and about Islam and Muslims have traversed back and forth between South Asia and Europe from the 18th century to the present day. The workshop highlights the production of Muslim religious knowledge as a result of mutual entanglements between South Asian and European actors, ideas, and archives.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 April 2025. Information: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1173975894513293&id=100057026816918&_rdr
12. Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Respect Graduate School, Bethlehem, PA
Qualifications: Expertise in Qur’anic Studies, Hadith Studies, or Islamic Jurisprudence, and demonstrated proficiency in comprehending and analyzing classical Arabic texts. A record of publications and conference presentations. Strong demonstrated potential for excellence in research, teaching, and student mentorship, including at least one year of teaching experience in Islamic Studies with positive student evaluations.
Deadline for application: 4 May 2025. Information: https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37799750/assistant-professor-of-islamic-studies?utm_source=EmailAFriend&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=37799750
13. Islamic Studies Summer School: “Approaches to the Study of Islam”, Istanbul University, 14-20 July 2025
Information and application: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/118758
14. “Fall Study-Abroad Programmes in Arabic and Middle East Studies “, Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo (NVIC)
The BA in Middle East Studies at NVIC is designed for second- and third-year undergraduate students in the humanities, social sciences, or related disciplines. – 2. The MA in Arabic & Islamic Studies at NVIC is a rigorous and immersive language-acquisition programme, specifically tailored for advanced students of Arabic.
Deadline for application: 1 May 2025.
Information: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/nvic/education/international-students-nvic
15. Articles on “Indigenous Conversion(s) to Islam: Causes, Processes, and Consequences” for a Special Issue of the Journal “Religions”
The main goal is to identify local and global patterns and dynamics, and provide up-to-date and analytical insights into the growing appeal of Islam among Indigenous populations across the world. Topics: How and why Indigenous people embrace Islam. – Their phases of conversion. – Individual and societal consequences and challenges of Indigenous conversions to Islam. – Deconversion. – How different groups of converts experience Islamic conversion. Etc.
Deadline for abstracts extended to 7 April 2025.
Contact: ayca.arkilic@vuw.ac.nz. Information: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/6TKFN20FIG
- March 29, 2025
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.PhD Position in International Relations, Project “Unbounding the Arab World: Anti-Colonial Geopolitics, Transnational Territorial Imaginations and Post-Imperial Worldmaking, c. 1908-1977”, University of Groningen
Qualifications: Master’s degree in International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, Political Science, History, or related fields; interest in anti-colonial geopolitics, pan-movements, and territorial imaginations in/of the Arab World; research experience or knowledge of intellectual history; proficiency in English and preferably Arabic or other relevant regional languages.
Deadline for applications: 30 April 2025. Information: https://karimeltaki.com/phd-position-in-international-relations/
2. ONLINE Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar: “Reading Arabic Manuscripts”, 23-26 June 2025
This seminar will provide participants with the paleographical tools and skills to read premodern handwritten Arabic texts with greater speed and accuracy. Intensive practice sessions, both prepared and impromptu, will be paired with readings in the major reference works in English (and occasionally other modern languages).
Deadline for applications: 28 April 2025.
Information: https://www.mediterraneanseminar.org/overview-reading-arabic-manuscripts-2025
3. Articles for “Indonesian Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Humanity”, State Islamic University (UIN) Salatiga, Indonesia
IJORESH is committed to studying the empirical dynamics of Abrahamic religions in the Asian context, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Submission deadline: 30 May 2025. Information: https://ejournal.uinsalatiga.ac.id/index.php/ijoresh/index
4. Hybrid – Columbia University: Arabic Studies Seminars Chiara Fontana 3/27 9th-century Baghdad’s Mirabilia: Artisans and Literati
Upcoming meeting with Professor Chiara Fontana on Thursday (3/27) at 7pm EST in Faculty House.
The talk is titled 9th-century Baghdad’s Mirabilia: Artisans and Literati. Please note that due to new regulations, non CUID holders will not be allowed into Faculty House without prior notice. If you intend to be present in-person and do not have a Columbia ID, please RSVP ASAP. If we don’t receive your RSVP we will not be able to let you in. You should receive a QR code before Wednesday morning–if not, please reply to this message. The talk will be live streamed here on ZOOM for guests who can’t make it in person.
We will begin at 7:00 pm. If you would like to join the speaker for dinner at 6:00 pm at Faculty House please RSVP to the seminar’s rapporteur (rma2152@columbia.edu). The cost of dinners is $30, payable via card or check. Attendees who are fasting may take their dinner into the seminar room.
Abstract:
The early rhetorical treatises, as testing grounds for emerging aesthetic concepts, are deeply tied to specific socio-cultural contexts and influence readers’ literary preferences. They invite reflection on the evolution of balāgha (Muslim eloquence) during the Arabic-Islamic classical period, particularly in response to the profound influence of urbanization on literature. This talk, while providing an overview of 9th-century Baghdad’s cultural growth, explores how historical moments of urban development linked to cultural enlightenment could have inspired some authors to develop a new approach to literary writing as the study of the 9th-century rhetorical treatise Kitāb al-tashbīhāt by Ibn Abī ʿAwn (d. 322/934) shows. This innovative approach enabled the Abbasid authors to explore, analyze, and employ their own languages and literary traditions as powerful tools and reflect on new literary styles, models, and perspectives whilst harmonizing a secular, progress-driven mentality with more unorthodox forms of critical thinking.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/92597500745
5. Post: Valparaiso University – Visiting Assistant Professor in History
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68667
Closing date:
31 March 2025
6. Religion, Politics, and Architecture in Iran
MESA Global Academy Event, organized by the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies
A panel featuring Leyla Hajimehditajer (Independent Scholar), Maryam Heydarkhani (Visiting Researcher, Center for Arabic Language and Muslim Cultures, University of Calgary), and Zahra Khoshk Jan (Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Sociology, University of Chicago)
Moderator: Nayareh Tohidi (Professor Emerita, Cal State Northridge)
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM PST
Online
https://www.international.ucla.edu/cnes/event/17152
- March 26, 2025
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Zoom: ‘Shi’i Devotional Drama in Iran’ – L Deacon (26.3.25, 5pm UK time)
Book Launch: Karbala in the Ta’ziyeh Episode, Shi’i Devotional Drama in Iran
British Institute of Persian Studies
26 March, 2025
5pm UK time
More information and to register:
https://www.bips.ac.uk/event/book-launch-karbala-in-the-taziyeh-episode-shii-devotional-drama-in-iran/
- March 25, 2025
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The Qurʾān You Don’t Expect: An Overview of the Multifarious Forms of a Well-Known Text
A special issue of the Journal of Islamic Manuscripts (JIM) will be dedicated to the unexpected outcomes of the Quranic manuscript and material production and its textual excerpts. We welcome contributions that examine unusual features of Quranic manuscripts—or early printed volumes—as well as textual Quranic excerpts in under-studied surfaces. The goal is to document the multifarious aspects of the Quranic production and investigate the geographical, chronological, religious, linguistic and sociocultural contexts in which these unusual manuscript shapes and material uses—on the edge of what can be considered a familiar and somewhat normative text and book-form production—were rooted and made sense.
This special issue therefore aims to cover, discover, illustrate and analyse the contexts of production of what goes beyond the well-known form of the Quranic codices. These range from Quranic scrolls to illustrated Quranic manuscripts and prints, from Quranic cipher texts to Qurans in exceptional formats (large or small), from Qurans written on watermarked paper bearing Christian symbols to Qurans with translations, from relic Qurans to forged Quranic manuscripts (for example, falsely attributed to famous people), from xylograph Qurans to epigraphic Qurans, notably on textiles and coins. The issue aims to include a wide range of nuances in which the sacred text of Islam appears in manuscript or written form, with the aim of contributing to the study of the Quran as a living text.
Please send your paper proposal (500 words plus selected bibliography) to the following addresses for the end of May 2025:
Arianna.dottone@uniroma1.it or benazzouna@unistra.fr
You will be informed about the paper selection in June 2025 and the final text (between 8.000 and 12.000 words, and 8–10 HR images) will be expected for the end of December 2025.
For the stylesheet and transliteration chart, please refer to JIM website.
Contact Information
Nourane Ben Azzouna
Contact Email
URL
https://brill.com/view/journals/jim/16/1/article-p121_7.xml
2. Rethinking the Qur’ān in Late Antiquity
J Cole
De Gruyter, 2025
3. Ottoman Jewry, Leadership, Charity, and Literacy
Y Ayalon
Brill, 2024
4. Pacifism and Non-Violence in Contemporary Islamic Philosophy: Mapping the Paths of Peace
Tom Woerner-Powell
CUP, 2025
Open Acess at:
5. Le CeRMI a le plaisir de vous convier à la prochaine séance du séminaire “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du Monde iranien”, qui se tiendra le jeudi 10 avril 2025, 17h-19h, en salle 4.15 à l’INaLCO(65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris XIII, 4eétage).
Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir M. Nima Asefi (Universität Hamburg), pour une conférence intitulée: “Central Iran during the Late Sasanian and Early Islamic Periods : A Study Based on the Pahlavi Archive of Hastijān and the Tārīkh-e Qom”.
Résumé:
Our understanding of Iran after the Muslim conquests relies mainly on chronicles written two centuries or later after the facts. For a long time, the scarcity of local accounts and limited access to original administrative documents left scholars with little direct evidence from the final years of the Sasanian Empire and the first two centuries of the Islamic period.
In the late 20th century, the discovery of the Pahlavi Archive of Hastijān provided researchers with valuable evidence from Central Iran during the first century following the collapse of the Sasanian Empire. Chiefly spanning the period of 3 to 50 years after the death of Yazdgird III, the last Sasanian king, this economic archive sheds new light on the distribution of wealth, the prerogatives of governors (darhandarzbed, ōstāndār), as well as storekeepers and public ration managers (dārīg). It also documents the presence of Arabs in the region, or the celebration of the Frawardīgān festival, thus offering invaluable insights into the history of that period.
A most useful complement to these documents is provided by the late 10th-century local chronicle of Tārīkh-e Qom, which describes the events following the arrival of the Ash‛ari Arabs in the region, between the years 62 and 82 after Yazdgird’s death. The book does not merely discuss the region of Qom and its surroundings extensively, it offers precious cues to identify protagonists and locate places mentioned in the Hastijān archive. Based on Tārīkh-e Qom, for instance, a recurring placename formerly misread as “Namtar” could be restored as “Namēwar,” and identified with the village of “Nīmwar” which is still standing to this day. Similarly, Tārīkh-e Qom provides a host of information about the life and whereabouts of one Yazdānpādār/Yazdānfāδār, an important character mentioned in both corpora. By cross-reading the data from the Pahlavi Archive of Hastijān and the Tārīkh-e Qom, therefore, we gain new insights about the life and circumstances of the people of central Iran right after the Arab conquests.
Orientations bibliographiques:
– Ansari, M. R. (ed.), 2006, Tārīx-e Qom, Qom: Ketābxāne-ye Omoumi-ye Āyatollāh Marʿaši Najafi.
– Weber, D., 2010, “Villages and Estates in the Documents from the Pahlavi Archive: The Geographical Background.” Bulletin of the Asia Institute, New Series, Vol. 24, p. 37-65.
– Weber, D., 2014, “Pahlavi Documents of Windādburzmihrābād. The Estate of a Zoroastrian Entrepreneur in Early Islamic Times (with an Excursus on the Origin of the Fulanabad-Type of Village Names).” Bulletin of the Asia Institute, New Series, Vol. 28, p. 127-147.
– Weber, D., 2014, “Arabic activities Reflected in the Documents of the Pahlavi Archive (Late 7th and Early 8th Centuries).” In R. Gyselen (ed.), Documents, argenterie et monnaies de tradition sassanide, Res Orientales 22. Bures-sur-Yvette, p. 179-189.
– Gignoux, Ph., 2013, “Les documents de Dādēn dans l’Archive de Berkeley/Berlin.” In Pavel Lur’e & S. Tokhtasjev (eds.), Commentationes Iranicae (Sbornik statej k 90-letiju V.A. Livšica). St. Petersburg, p. 157-165.
– Gignoux, Ph., 2010, “La société iranienne du 7e siècle AD d’après la collection de Berkeley.” In Carlo G. Cereti (ed.), Iranian Identity in the Course of History. Proceedings of the Conference Held in Rome, 21–24 September 2005, (Serie Orientale Roma CV, Orientalia Romana 9), Rome, p. 145-152.
Pour rappel, vous retrouverez le programme 2024-2025 du séminaire mensuel de recherche “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du Monde iranien” sur le site du CeRMI :
6. Invitation: Bilingual Lecture Series – Abbas Amanat
Calendar and Identity:
Why did the Persian solar calendar survive for 1400 years and become an important feature of Iranian identity?
Abbas Amanat
Monday, April 7, 2025 at 3:00 pm (Pacific), Bunche Hall 10383
Alternate live stream on Zoom:
https://ucla.zoom.us/j/95885037418
(No need to register in advance, just click the link at 4:00pm on April 6 to join)
Since the end of the Sasanian era the Persian solar calendar, and the associated rite of Nowruz, endured as became a significant features of Iranian, and to some extent the Persianate, cultural identity. With Hijra as its starting point but based on vernal equinox, it is a unique solar time reckoning throughout the Muslim world and beyond. This talk explores the circumstances that allowed the survival and its adoption as a national calendar of Iran at the turn of the 20th century. A book of the same title is in the press.
7. Pourdavoud Lecture Series with Yuhan Vevaina
Zoroastrian Hermeneutics in Late Antiquity
The Sūdgar Nask of Dēnkard Book 9
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 4:00pm Pacific
Royce Hall 306
Hybrid Zoom Option Available
The Sūdgar Nask of Dēnkard Book 9 is a commentary on the ‘Old Avesta’ of the 2nd millennium BCE produced in Pahlavi (Zoroastrian Middle Persian) in the Sasanian (224–651 CE) and early Islamic centuries. This commentary is a value-laden, ideologically motivated discourse that displays a rich panoply of tradition-constituted forms of allegoresis. It mobilizes complex forms of citation, allusion, and intertextuality from the inherited Avestan world of myth and ritual in order to engage with and react to the profound changes occurring in Iranian society. Despite its value and importance for developing our nascent understanding of Zoroastrian hermeneutics and the self-conception of the Zoroastrian priesthood in Late Antiquity, this primary source has attracted scant scholarly attention due to the extreme difficulty of its subject matter and the lack of a reliable translation. This 2-volume work represents the first critical edition, translation, and commentary of this formidable text which will contribute to the philological, theological, and historiographical study of Zoroastrianism in a pivotal moment in its rich and illustrious history. Reading the Sūdgar Nask is a hermeneutic process of traversing texts, genres, and rituals in both the Avestan and Pahlavi corpora, thus activating nodes in a web or network of textual and meta-textual relations that establish new forms of allegoreses or meaning making. It is argued that this entire hermeneutical complex of weaving a ‘new’ text composed of implicit proof text and explicit commentary renews, extends, and, ultimately, makes tradition.
8. Macaulay Family Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Art of the Islamic World
Smarthistory is seeking applications for a one-year Macaulay Family Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow to develop public art history content in the area of the arts of the Islamic world. This is a one-year full-time position, beginning September 2025. Applicants will have a Ph.D. in art history (earned within the last three years) as well as teaching experience.
The successful applicant will have a commitment to public scholarship and teaching and will be self-motivated and comfortable working remotely for a small organization. The Fellow will work closely with Smarthistory founders and Executive Directors Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker and content editor Dr. Marika Sardar. The position will largely consist of writing Smarthistory-style essays on the art of the Islamic world for a broad public audience. These essays will augment the work of numerous authors who have contributed to Smarthistory over the years. See https://smarthistory.org/islamic/ for existing content created prior to 1900 (note: Modern and Contemporary work is located elsewhere on the site, all of these sections will soon undergo a significant reorganization). The Fellow will also be expected to work with contributors and content editors, to seek new contributors, and help develop syllabi.
The Fellow will receive professional development mentoring, periodic performance evaluations, and will be supported in developing professional relationships with academic contributors, curators, and museums over the course of the year. This is a temporary full-time position with an annual salary of $60,000 (plus a generous health insurance option and a retirement match). The Macaulay Family Foundation Fellow can work remotely but will ideally be available during eastern-time zone working hours.
Smarthistory is a not-for-proft organization dedicated to making engaging yet rigorous art history accessible to learners around the world for free. Learn more about the organization and its mission here: https://smarthistory.org/about/.
Only those with a Ph.D. in art history will be considered (degrees expected to be received by the end of the academic year—prior to August 2025 may apply).
Application deadline: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
URL
https://smarthistory.org/macaulay-family-foundation-postdoctoral-fellowship-in-…
9. Great Mughals Conference – online tickets
The V&A will be hosting a two-day conference in conjunction with the Great Mughals exhibition on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th March.
In-person tickets are almost sold out, but online tickets are available via the website: https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/lXn7Yo3pzK9/the-great-mughals-conference-online-mar-2025
All of the talks will be streamed online, and ticketholders will receive a joining link prior to the event.
10. UW-Madison Annual Conference on South Asia, October 22-25, 2025
Call for Abstract Submission
Panel Discussant: Professor Sylvia Houghteling, Associate Professor of History of Art, Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania
The panel, “Ecological Imaginaries in South Asia’s Art History” invites abstracts for the Annual Conference on South Asia at UW-Madison in Wisconsin from October 22-25, 2025.
The preeminent archive of art and architectural histories—objects, structures, and creative renderings—is produced by the human species. Thereby, human agents such as artists, patrons, and audiences become the essential interlocutors in this disciplinary narrative. How can non-human agency activate the material and materiality of artmaking in new ways? What are the pathways to invigorate and rethink disciplinary methodologies and paradigms in the wake of epochal climate crises? And, how can this recalibration enrich scholarship on spatial and visual cultures of South Asia?
The early glimmers of such an ecological alertness can be seen in longue durée histories of the Mediterranean. Within art history, ecological imaginaries emerge in the North American context through the Land Art Movement and a call from art historian W J T Mitchell to study landscape not just as a “genre” but as a “medium” holding social, political, and cultural meaning (Mitchell 1994).
While the ecocritical turn in art histories of North America and Western Europe began to crystallize in the first decade of the twenty-first century, the ecological turn in South Asian Studies was first discernible in disciplines such as history and anthropology. However, the last few years has seen a growing momentum in South Asian scholarship on exploring the intersections between art history, hydro architecture, climate, materiality, monsoon, and geology in the construction of affect in spaces and works of art. This panel seeks to build on this burgeoning ecological turn in South Asia’s art history to pave the course for critical inquiries on the subject.
The panel invites abstract submissions from Art History and allied disciplines such as Architecture, Geography, Geology, Urban Studies, Anthropology, South Asian Area Studies among others.
The Annual Conference on South Asia invites scholars, students, and professionals to Madison, Wisconsin, for a four-day event featuring research panels and round tables, lectures, performances, film screenings, booksellers, association receptions, and other special presentations! The conference has grown year-by-year since its inception in 1971 and welcomed over 1,200 registered attendees in 2024.
Abstract Submission Deadline: Wednesday, 02, April, 2025
Eligibility:
- Paper must have 2 points of focus— ecology, South Asia
- Upon selection, pay registration fees through the conference website— $115 for students, $255 for non-students (refundable; student fees typically covered by conference grants offered through your institution/ department/ south asia studies institute at your institution)
How to submit?
Email Title: Abstract Submission for Ecological Imaginaries in South Asia’s Art History
Submission Format: Pdf attachment
Documents: 200-300 word abstract and CV
Email address for submission : krishnashekhawat@berkeley.edu
Selected participants will be contacted very shortly after 02 April, 2025.
Organizer: Krishna Shekhawat, University of California, Berkeley
For further information on submission guidelines: See section, “Panel and Single Paper Submission Guidelines” at https://southasiaconference.wisc.edu/conference-submission-guidelines/
11. Online Course: Classical Persian through Historical Texts: Reading Beyhaqī’s History of Mas’ūd
Upcoming online course titled “Classical Persian through Historical Texts: Reading Beyhaqī’s History of Mas’ūd“.
As the title suggests, the main text that we are going to study during this one week course, is the mid-11th c. historical masterpiece of Beyhaqī. You can learn more about the course and the program by visiting the course’s webpage.
The deadline for applications is March 26th, and the course will start on March 31st.
I also want to mention that the course is free of charge.
Ruben Nikoghosyan
Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature
Yerevan, Armenia
Website: www.ferdowsi.org
12. The next lecture in the Virtual Islamic Art History Seminar Series will take place on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 12:00 New York / 16:00 London / 17:00 Venice / 19:00 Istanbul.
Amber Elisabeth Peters (Ca’Foscari University) will present “The Ocean in Early-Modern South Asian Art.”
To attend, please make sure to register in advance here:
https://wellesley.zoom.us/meeting/register/ipegVg01RVGFLnpNRDJigA
Upon registration, you’ll receive the link to access the lecture.
You may also wish to save the date for our subsequent talk, which will be the final lecture of the semester. On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Carol Bier (Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union) will present “Geometry in Islamic Art: Number, Shape, and the Nature of Space.”
As always, you can find a full schedule of upcoming talks and register for our list-serv on our website at www.viahss.org . Although not every talk is recorded, we also have recordings of several recent talks available on the VIAHSS Vimeo page at vimeo.com/viahss . Lastly, you can follow us on Instagram at @theviahss to stay up to date on upcoming events!
13. “AI and the Digital Humanities for the Study of Asia, Africa, and Oceania.”
We are particularly interested in the following strands: Institutional organisation of/around DH and AI. – DH research design with AI. – AI and language. – AI and cultural heritage. – DH, AI and ethics.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 March 2025. Information: https://digitalorientalist.com/2025/03/04/cfp-the-digital-orientalists-virtual-conference-2025/
14. “XIII International Medieval Meeting Lleida”, Universitat de Lleida, Espanya, 3-6 June 2025
Main themes in Medieval Studies: Wars and Crusades. – Institutions, Law and Government. – Islam. – Judaism. – Political History. – Social and Economic History. – Woman and Gender Studies; Etc.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 March 2025. Information: https://www.internationalmedievalmeetinglleida.udl.cat/en/
15. 58th International Conference of the “ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies” on “The Aramaeans BC: History and Archaeology,” Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, 14-15 July 2025
Deadline for registration: 31 March 2025.
Information: https://www.aramsociety.org/conferences/current-conferences/
16. 58th International Conference of the “ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies” on “The Amorites and Hurrians”, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford, 17-18 July 2025
Deadline for registration: 31 March 2025.
Information: https://www.aramsociety.org/conferences/current-conferences/
17. “Third Conference of Early Modern Ottoman Studies (EMOS)”, Historians Association, Istanbul University, 4-6 September 2025
We invite historians, researchers, and scholars (with a PhD degree or having already started with their doctoral research) specialized in the political, diplomatic, social, economic, cultural, military, etc. intricacies of Ottoman early modernity.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 April 2025. Information:
https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20060592/emos-early-modern-ottoman-studies-2025
18. Workshop “New Approaches to Khārijite History, 7th – 10th Century CE”, SCORE Social Contexts of Rebellion in the Early Islamic Period, University of Hamburg, 16-17 October 2025
The organisers invite contributions that study Khārijism from a decidedly historical perspective. Social-historical approaches are especially welcome, as are more experimental methods and those that bring in (sociological, anthropological …) theory. In order to respond to the dearth of research on Khārijism, we strongly encourage historians of the early Islamicate world and adjacent fields who do not usually work on Khārijites to consider submitting an abstract.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 April 2025. Information: https://www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/voror/medien/kharijite-history-cfp.pdf
19. “Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding”, Nominations for 2025
The total prizes for each sub-category of main languages are up to $200,000 USD. The total value of the award is $2 million. They include the translation from Arabic to German, Turkish and English and vice versa.
Deadline for nominations: 31 March 2025. Information: https://www.hta.qa/pages/topic/1872
- March 22, 2025
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Shii News – Online: ‘Material Culture, Art, and Architecture of Pre-Safavid Shīʿīsm’
The ‘Embodied Imamate’ Project are pleased to announce our upcoming online lecture series, “Material Culture, Art, and Architecture of Pre-Safavid Shīʿīsm,” which will begin on March 28 and will run through the end of the year.
If you would like to attend, please register by sending an email to a.santi@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
We look forward to your participation and hope to see you there.
For more information about our project and upcoming initiatives, visit our website: https://embodiedimamate.hcommons.org/
- March 21, 2025
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Shii News – The Imam Zainul Abideen Legal Internship for the Freedom of Unjust Prisoners
The Imam Zainul Abideen Legal Internship for the Freedom of Unjust Prisoners
“The one who strives to free a believer from captivity, Allah will free him from the Fire” (Wasā’il al-Shīa, vol. 16, p. 18)
In this blessed month of Ramadhan, the American Muslim Bar Association (AMBA) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Imam Zainul Abideen Legal Internship for the Freedom of Unjust Prisoners.
In Islamic tradition, if someone is wrongfully imprisoned, it is obligatory upon the community to work for their release. In this spirit and ever since its inception, AMBA has worked on cases involving the unjust imprisonment of Muslim prisoners by providing legal support, culturally competent insight to defense teams, fundraising, rallying community and organizational support from allies, leading advocacy efforts, and writing statements of support. These efforts led to the successful resolution and release of two Muslim community members who had been unjustly imprisoned.
Over the past year, AMBA has been working with a family in NY whose son has been unjustly imprisoned in the People’s Republic of China for the past 7 years on a life sentence. To bolster these efforts, AMBA is launching the Imam Zainul Abideen paid internship to be filled by a rising or current second-year or third-year law student.
Imam Zainul Abideen (peace be upon him), the great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was unjustly imprisoned by the tyrant of his time following the seminal battle of Karbala, Iraq in the year 680 AD. It was his patience, fortitude, and indomitable spirit which eventually led not only to his own freedom but the fall of the same tyrant only a few years later.
AMBA is accepting applications for the internship immediately.
Please email your resume, an email/letter of interest and 2 references (1 from a law professor or attorney; 1 from a community leader) to info@ambalegal.org.
Job Description: The Imam Zainul Abideen Legal Intern will engage in one or more of the following: advocacy efforts with government agencies, set meetings with elected officials, liaise with human rights and prisoners’ rights organizations, organize PR campaigns on social media, and work directly with affected families and their defense attorneys to help secure release of their innocent loved ones, all with guidance from the AMBA President. This will involve becoming familiar with the details of the legal case of the imprisoned community member, having excellent writing and editing skills, social media expertise, and a sincere interest in advocating for the unjustly imprisoned.
Requirements: 2L or 3L at an accredited US law school, with excellent academic credentials and a demonstrated interest in advocacy, human rights, criminal justice or related fields.
Commitment: 5-10 hours per week
Location: Fully remote
Compensation: $18/hr
Deadline: March 30th, 2025/Ramadhan 30th, 1446
Contact: info@ambalegal.org
- March 21, 2025
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Shii News – Academic Items
1.Fully-funded 3-year PhD positionwithin the ERC-funded ALiDiM project, based at the Department of Asian and North African Studies at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
The call for applications to the Asian and African Studies PhD programwill be available from March 27 to May 7, 2025, with the position starting on September 1, 2025.
This PhD research will explore the development of classical Arabic linguistic studies within the broader framework of Islamic disciplines. The successful candidate will contribute to the work package on the influences on the Arabic linguistic thinking, specifically exploring the interplay between Islamic scholarly traditions and classical Arabic language studies.
We are looking for a motivated researcher with a background in Arabic and/or Islamic studies, proficiency in classical Arabic (preferably with experience in classical Arabic texts), and an interest in interdisciplinary research on Islamic intellectual history. The PhD student will be an integral part of our interdisciplinary team, participating in regular seminar-style meetings where ideas are exchanged, and research is discussed collaboratively. The team emphasizes collaboration and mentorship, providing training opportunities for professional development.
For further details on the position and on the ALiDiM project, please visit our website.
The call for applications will be published on the university website on March 27, 2025, with applications due by May 7, 2025. Please note that, as part of the required documentation, candidates must submit a research proposal that aligns with the topic outlined above, as detailed in the call for applications.
For further details regarding the scientific aspects of the position, prospective applicants are welcome to contact me directly (simona.olivieri@unive.it; alidim@unive.it).
- March 18, 2025
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Shii News – Academic Items
1.SOAS Centre for Iranian Studies
07 – 08 May 2025
In these lectures, two distinctive understandings of Wisdom, from the Zoroastrian and the Sufi Muslim traditions respectively, are discussed in juxtaposition, in a study of two of the most famous examples of their religious literature. Definitions of terms such as ‘wisdom’, ‘knowledge’, ‘understanding’, ‘mysticism’ and ‘esotericism’ will be given, and answers sought, in what will, it is hoped, be an accessible, non-elitist, down-to-earth, exposition.
2. SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies
Kutar Memorial Lecture Series – Sogdian fire-worship: Between Zoroastrianism and Buddhism
6.00pm, Thursday 01 May 2025
In this lecture, the author will attempt to summarise what we know of fire worship in Sogdiana (the land in present-day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) which was inhabited by eastern Iranian people. These groups, being active traders on the Eurasian tracks, developed a sophisticated culture in the pre-Islamic period. The images on mural paintings and other media, archaeological discoveries, and the few references in the written texts show that worship in front of a fire was a significant part of the ritual practices of Sogdians.
3. Zahra Institute: 2025 Spring Speaker Series and Annual Lecture
Untold Kurdish Women’s Histories
Wednesday, 19 March: 12pm Central / 1pm Eastern
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/94141584925?pwd=ebwnEB2UsKcak3VxkYCKZe1PZgacZN.1
Farangis Ghaderi (Ph.D, University of Exeter) is a Kurdish scholar, lecturer in Gender and Kurdish Studies, and Director of the Centre for Kurdish Studies at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies of the University of Exeter, UK. She is co-editor of Women’s Voices from Kurdistan (2021) and the Principal Investigator of the Kurdish Digital Archive project at the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on Kurdish cultural production, Kurdish women, translation, literary history, and archives.
‘The Black Box of the Republic’: Dersim ’38 and the Making of the Modern Turkish State
Wednesday, 2 April: 12pm Central / 1pm Eastern
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/96441162849?pwd=GaXrM34WzeUrMGtPKG3KYnNtOFlXRi.1
Cevat Dargın (Ph.D., Princeton University) is a historian and Visiting Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. His research focuses on the transformation from indirect imperial to centralized nation-state rule in the modern Middle East and North Africa during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Currently he is working on several projects, including a book manuscript which explores the formation of the modern state at the intersection of race, religion, and territory in the late Ottoman Empire and post-Ottoman territories.
Annual Lecture
The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin
Saturday, 5 April: 2:30 – 5pm Central
Where: Loyola University Chicago – Crown Center
Ticket: Free & open to the public | Dinner provided | Register here
Jonathan Phillips (Ph.D., University of London) is a leading historian of the Crusades and presenter of the Public Television series Ancient Roads: From Christ to Constantine. He is the author of several award-winning histories, including The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin (Bodley Head 2019), described by The Times of London as “Superbly researched… enormously entertaining… one of the outstanding books of the year.” His current research focuses on both the history of the Third Crusade and the memory of the crusades in Western Europe and the Near East.
4. Arabic Scholarship at Jordan Language Academy (JLA) – Summer 2025
Objective
The Jordan Language Academy (JLA) Scholarship aims to support exceptional students who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, and a strong commitment to language learning. This highly competitive scholarship is available to students nominated by their academic departments for a four-week, full-time summer language program at JLA in Amman, Jordan.
Scholarship Details
- Location:Jordan Language Academy, Amman, Jordan
- Duration:4 weeks (Full-time)
- Available Sessions:
- June 10 – July 7, 2025 OR
- July 8 – August 4, 2025
- Language Level:Intermediate
- Scholarship Awards:
- One full scholarshipcovering 100% of tuition fees for one session
- One partial scholarshipcovering 50% of tuition fees for one session
Eligibility Criteria
- Academic Excellence:Strong academic record with proven potential in language studies.
- Financial Need:Priority consideration for students demonstrating financial hardship.
- Language Proficiency:Applicants must have an intermediate level of Arabic proficiency.
- Departmental Nomination:Formal nomination by the applicant’s academic department is required.
- Commitment to Cultural Exchange:Enthusiasm for cross-cultural engagement and learning.
- Personal Statement:A compelling statement outlining the applicant’s motivation for studying at JLA, future academic goals, and how the scholarship will support their aspirations.
- Interview:Shortlisted candidates must participate in an interview.
Nomination & Application Process
- Academic departments must submit a nomination letterendorsing the applicant.
- Nominated students must complete a formal application, including:
- Academic transcripts or records
- A personal statement detailing academic goals, financial need, and commitment to language learning
- A faculty letter of recommendation
- Arabic Essay:A 500–700 word essay in Arabic explaining the applicant’s motivation for studying at JLA, how the scholarship will support their goals, and their role in promoting cultural exchange
- JLA will evaluate applications based on academic merit, financial need, interviews, and nomination endorsements.
- Selected recipients will receive an official scholarship award notification with enrollment instructions.
Deadlines & Notification
- Application Deadline:April 20, 2025 24:00 GMT (Late applications will not be considered).
- Notification Date:Scholarship recipients will be informed by May 1, 2025.
Scholarship Disbursement
- Scholarship funds will be directly applied to tuition fees at JLA.
- Recipients are responsible for covering additional costs, including accommodation, travel, optional excursions, and personal expenses.
For inquiries or further details, please contact Jordan Language Academy at info@jordanla.com .
5. ‘The Socio-historical Process of Women’s Scientific Progress in Iran’
In: Feminine Visibility in Contemporary Iran
Brill, 2024
A Tavassoli and M Abedi
6. We are still accepting applications for a number of summer courses at the University of Virginia and elsewhere. An offering that may be of particular interest to H-Islamart is:
- M-85 Introduction to Islamicate Manuscripts, taught by Kelly Tuttle at the Free Library of Philadelphia
We hope you’ll consider immersing yourself in bibliographical inquiry alongside us this summer. In-depth course descriptions can be found at: https://rarebookschool.org/schedule/. To apply, visit: https://rarebookschool.org/admissions-awards/application/. We have transitioned into the rolling admissions phase of our admissions cycle, so we recommend applying as soon as possible!
Please feel free to reach out to rbsprograms@virginia.edu, or myself directly (emma.reilly@rarebookschool.org) with questions.
All best,
Emma
—
Emma Reilly (she/her)
Miranker Online Program Manager
Rare Book School
at the University of Virginia
Contact Information
Contact rbsprograms@virginia.edu or myself directly (emma.reilly@rarebookschool.org).
7. Le Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien (CeRMI, UMR8041 CNRS) a le plaisir de vous convier à la XXVIème Journée Monde Iranien, qui se tiendra le vendredi 4 avril 2025 de 10h à 18h dans l’Auditorium du Pôle Langues et Civilisations de l’INaLCO, 65 rue des Grands-Moulins, Paris XIII (accueil café à partir de 9h30).
Vous trouverez le programme détaillé de la Journée en pièce jointe, et en ligne à cette adresse sur le site du CeRMI: https://cermi.cnrs.fr/xxvie-journee-monde-iranien/
Dans l’attente du plaisir de vous retrouver toutes et tous pour cette XXVIème Journée, organisée cette année par notre collègue Wouter Henkelman (EPHE-PSL).
8. ONLINE Lecture “Saints of Dayr al-Naqlun: Fragments of Devotional Life in the Medieval Egyptian Countryside” by Lev Weitz (Catholic University of America), Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture, Harvard University, 25 March 2025, 17:00 CET
This talk brings together documentary sources with archaeological and art-historical evidence from Dayr al-Naqlun, a monastery in Egypt’s Fayyum Oasis, to explore the distinctive ritual practices of Coptic Christianity in the rural hinterland of the Fatimid Caliphate.
Information and registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_23rCJf35S1KkSJVsjUIrIQ#/registration
9. HYBRID OTS-NYU Roundtable: “Halide Edib and Refik Halid Karay in Translation and as Dissidents”, New York University, 4 April 2025, 18:00 CET
This is an interdisciplinary round table on translation, Turkish literature and history, hosting literary scholars and translators İclal Vanwesenbeeck and Nefise Kahraman as well as the Middle Eastern/ Ottoman historian Christine Philliou.
Information and registration: https://nyu.zoom.us/meeting/register/lfGY6sbDTb2ZkTvI3AmUwA#/registration
10. “1st Annual Social Sciences Graduate Student Symposium of the Diyanet Islamic Research Insti-tute”, Lanham, MD, 3-4 May 2025
The Diyanet Center of America promotes informed discussions on Islam and Muslim societies, emphasizing classi-cal Islamic sciences and their contemporary relevance while supporting interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and public engagement.
Deadline for abstracts: 5 April 2025. Information: https://diyanetamerica.org/symposium/
11. „Congress of Qur’anic Studies (CQS)”, Faculty of Theology, Istanbul University, 26-28 September 2025
The congress aims to facilitate networking and intellectual exchange among researchers in the fields of Qur’an and tafsir, offer young academics opportunities to explore different perspectives, discuss past, present, and future studies, and create an environment for collaboration. To encourage discussions from various perspectives and through different academic formats, 12 working groups have been established.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 April 2025.
Information: https://cqs.istanbul.edu.tr/en/content/call-for-papers/call-for-papers
12. International Workshop “Greek Myths in Arabic Literature: Reception, Translation, Circulation, Re-Creation”, Rome, 6-8 November 2025
The workshop aims to stimulate debate on different types of texts, including poetry, staged or manuscript plays, fiction, translations, essays in the periodical press, encyclopaedic entries, school and university curricula, as well as in oral literature, music, cinema, and visual arts. The main focus is modern and contemporary Arabic literary production (1800-today), but special sessions will be dedicated to the reception of Greek myths in premodern Arabic literature.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 May 2025.
Information: https://www.digimyth.eu/digimythpublications/cfp-workshop-greek-myths-in-arabic-literature/
13. Session on „Digital Humanities and Cultural Research“ During „The International Conference on Shaping Knowledge Beyond Digital Archiving”, Abu Dhabi, 21-23 April 2026
Digital tools are redefining the study of literature, history, and cultural heritage. Researchers are using AI-driven text analysis, digital archives, and computational humanities methods to uncover new insights into manuscripts, language studies, and historical narratives. This theme explores innovative digital approaches that contribute to the preservation, interpretation, and recontextualization of cultural and historical knowledge.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 July 2025. Information: https://shapingknowledge.com/en
14. Postdoctoral Researcher (4 Years) in Ottoman History, University of Amsterdam
The researcher will be responsible for the Ottoman subproject within the “Daily Bread” project, which compares food protests between circa 1500-1800 in Dutch, Italian and Ottoman cities. This subproject can include protests in Istanbul and/or additional (major) provincial cities. The postdoc will select relevant cases, building on the existing historiography and their own expertise and linguistic scope. Excellent knowledge of Ottoman Turkish is a must.
Deadline for applications: 10.4 2025.
Information: https://werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies/postdoctoral-researcher-in-ottoman-history-netherlands-13900
15. Altaf S. Al Sabah Visiting Chair (1 Year +) in Women and Societal Development Studies, American University of Beirut
We seek an advanced assistant or associate professor with a demonstrated record of scholarship on women and gender in the Middle East. While the specific area of expertise is open, the successful candidate must contribute to at least one of the core disciplines within SOAM. Applicants should hold a PhD in Women and Gender Studies or a related discipline and demonstrate a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching.
Deadline for applications: 31 March 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/163961
16. Visiting Assistant Professor (1 Year) in the History of the Mediterranean World, Hampden-Sydney College, Virginia
Successful candidates’ teaching will situate Mediterranean history in a transregional context; preference will be given to candidates focusing on late antiquity or the medieval era.
Deadline for applications: 24 March 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/164566
17. “26th Session of the Intensive Ottoman and Modern Turkish School”, Conducted by the Ottoman Studies Foundation (Boston, Mass.) in Cunda, Turkey, 7 July – 15 August 2025
The program provides daily instruction (2 hours) in reading and translating Ottoman Turkish texts in both manuscript and printed forms. There is a so-called ‘Early Ottoman course’ covering pre-nineteenth-century manuscripts and documents and a ‘Late’ one covering printed texts and documents in rik’a. The school also provides tuition in Persian (including Persian and Arabic elements in Ottoman) and Modern Turkish.
Deadline for applications: 24 March 2025. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20062151/call-applications-26th-session-intensive-ottoman-and-modern-turkish
18. Summer Language Intensive Program in Modern Turkish and Ottoman Turkish, Istanbul University, 7 July – 8 August 2025
This program is ideal for MA and PhD students in the fields of history, literature, and Islamic studies. Included in the Program: 100 hours of intensive language training. – Access to the Islamic Studies Institute Special Collections Library. – Seminars by field experts. – Guided tours to key historical sites: Historical Peninsula, Süleymaniye Manuscript Library, and Presidential Archives. – Istanbul University certificate upon completion.
Information: https://islamtetkikleri.istanbul.edu.tr/en/content/summer-program/summer-language-intensive-program-2025
- March 15, 2025
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