Archive for January 3rd, 2026

1. Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies

TIAIS INAUGURAL  ARTICLE PRIZE COMPETITION WINNER

We are also pleased to announce Professor Michael Rapoport of Florida Atlantic University as the recipient of the TIAIS inaugural Article Prize for his essay, “The Unambiguous Truth (al-ḥaqq al-ṣarīḥ): Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī on Philosophy and the ‘Truth’ in His Compendium (Mulakhkhaṣ).” Professor Rapoport’s work exemplifies exceptional analytic precision and carefully reasoned analysis, challenging current scholarly perspectives in offering a nuanced interpretation of the interplay between theology and philosophy in two of Rāzī’s important works. His essay combines meticulous textual reading with fruitful scholarly debate, advancing Rāzī studies and postclassical Islamic intellectual history in innovative and promising directions. Professor Rapoport’s article will be published in the first issue of TIAIS’ new Open Access journal, Islamic Intellectual Traditions.

https://tokatinstitute.org/news/tiais-inaugural-article-prize-winner

 

 

 

 

 

2. Introduction to Persian Manuscripts: Classical Persian through Living Books online course, which will start on January 26 and last for two weeks.

https://ferdowsi.org/introduction-to-persian-manuscripts-2026/

Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature

Yerevan, Armenia

Website: www.ferdowsi.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. CfP: International Meeting of the SBL

Biblical Traditions in Islamic Contexts unit at the International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (https://members.sbl-site.org/cfp-detail-im?z7412e263df1640689761ab72b66f59df=00fb281888-9c7f-46b6-b3e6-bad4fc23df7c&z423c93b755704c19a0e7ac980d5d638c=00fb281888-9c7f-46b6-b3e6-bad4fc23df7c).

Proposals are not limited to comparing Islamic texts (e.g., Qur’an) with the biblical traditions. They could also be about biblical communities, their biblical reception, transmission, etc, under Islamic rule throughout history. So, the scope is more expansive than you may think.

The conference is scheduled to take place from 5 to 9 July 2026, down under in Adelaide, Australia.

If you live in Australasia or the Asia-Pacific, this is a rare opportunity for a conference coming near you.

If you live elsewhere, then what better excuse to visit that amazing part of the world?
The deadline for paper or session proposals is 15 January 2026.

 

 

 

 

 

4. International Workshop “Radical Imaginations – Rethinking Gender Justice in the Middle East and North Africa”, Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway, 6-7 July 2026

The workshop will bring together scholars working on gender justice, law, lived experience, and social change across the MENA region. It aims to create space for critical, interdisciplinary conversations that rethink dominant frameworks and open new analytical and political possibil-ities.

Deadline for abstracts: 31 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/yc589pyd

 

 

 

 

 

5. International Conference: “Entrenchment and Experiment: Situating Authoritarian Turkey in the 1930s and 1940s”, University of Hamburg, 1-2 October 2026

This conference and the subsequent book project invite scholars to contribute cutting-edge research on authoritarianism as lived and practiced in Turkey between 1931 and 1950. We are especially interested in contributions that consider issues of institutional experimentation, state-society relations, and rule of law (including states of exception and legal arbitrariness).

Deadline for abstracts: 16 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2yzercmz

 

 

 

 

 

6. 2nd Edition of the Rabat Policy Forum: “Fractured Social Contract: Citizens, State, and Trust in Institutions in MENA”, Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis (MIPA), Rabat, 9-10 October 2026

This forum seeks to foster a high-level academic and policy dialogue on rebuilding state-society trust and envisioning a renewed social contract grounded in participation, protection, and pro-vision. Themes: The Old Social Contract. – The Role of Parliament in Shaping a New Social Contract. – Institutional Prerequisites for a New Social Contract. – New Social Movements and the Renewal of the Social Contract.

Deadline for abstracts: 28 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2ny7mnbs

 

 

 

 

 

7. Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) for History of the Middle East, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Preference will be given to candidates whose research expertise aligns with one of the following broad thematic areas: 1) Gender and sexuality; 2) War, revolution, and society; 3) Science, technology, and medicine. Expertise in public history and/or digital history will be considered an asset.

Deadline for appllications: 16 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/epebjk4d

 

 

 

 

 

8. Postdoctoral Fellowship (2 Years) in the Study of Turkey and Its Diasporas in a Global or a Comparative Perspective, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Scholars in all branches of the Social Sciences and Humanities may apply. We welcome and encourage applications from early career scholars whose work focuses on nondominant and underrepresented groups including religious, ethnic, and LBGTQ minorities and otherwise mar-ginalized groups.

Deadline for applications: 26 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3bfxh473

 

 

 

 

 

9. Summer School for Persian Language, Yerevan, Armenia, 6-10 weeks, 21 June – 28 August 2026

Courses are available at beginner, elementary, and intermediate levels and focus on all core language skills: reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar, and vocabulary. Small class sizes ensure close interaction with experienced instructors and rapid progress. Participants will also benefit from a strong cultural immersion component, including guided excursions.

Deadline for applications: 21 May 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2mdhwru9

 

 

 

 

 

10. Chapters for the Volume “On Ottoman Objects: A Sourcebook for the Cultural Herit-age of the Ottoman Peoples”, Edited by Ceren Abi, Published by Gordium

The volume seeks to expand the existing literature on cultural heritage in the Ottoman context by foregrounding the perspectives and experiences of the empire’s many communities – Mus-lim and non-Muslim, urban and rural, elite and subaltern. While it will include sources produced by individuals associated with the Ottoman state apparatus, it also aims to feature provincial voices and materials produced in different languages.

Deadline for abstracts: 31 May 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/27jn2upy

 

 

 

 

 

11. Chapters for “The Handbook of Ecofeminism” (Focus on Ecofeminists from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia)

The volume opens with foundational ecofeminists and environmental activists. Between these sections, contributors examine how ecofeminist perspectives foster more holistic scientific par-adigms, promote ethical responsibility toward nonhuman animals, and cultivate affirmative spir-itual practices. The volume demonstrates that ecofeminism is not only a critical framework for exposing injustice but also a generative force for imagining and enacting emancipatory futures.

Deadline for abstracts: 13 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ywbtfkam

 

 

 

 

 

12. Articles on how authoritarian ideas, practices, and technologies circulate transnationally — with a focus on the SWANA (South-West Asia and North Africa) region as a key hub of exchange.

If your research touches on authoritarian diffusion, surveillance, policing, regime learning, counter-revolution, digital repression, or international linkages between democracies and autocracies – Fabrizio Leonardo Cuccu and Paola Rivetti at Dublin City University would love to hear from you!

Deadline for abstracts: 10 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4z73fyvr

 

 

 

 

 

13. The new issue of “CyberOrient” (Vol. 19, Issue 2, 2025) is available for free at the link https://cyberorient.net/

Articles on “The War of Humor: A Visual Content Analysis of Israel’s Information Warfare in France and Spain” by Ninon Bouteloup. – “Finishing the Fight for Freedom: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Strategic Communication of the “Freedom Jihad” Narrative Frame on X” by Bořivoj Nachtmann. – “Lurking Terror in Andor: The Subaltern from Above” by Emir Alışık.