1. CfP: Subalterns in the Persianate world in the Zand and Qajar periods
3nd workshop: RECOVERING ‘LOST VOICES’:
THE ROLE AND DEPICTION OF IRANIAN/PERSIANATE SUBALTERNS FROM THE 13TH CENTURY TO THE MODERN PERIOD
A multi-year research project funded by the British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS).
The third workshop on subalterns across the entire Persianate world in the Zand and Qajar periods will be held at the University of Edinburgh, UK, on 27-29 October, 2026.
Papers from PhD students, ECRs and unaffiliated scholars – for whom limited financial support may be available – are encouraged.
Read more at:
http://www.shii-news.imes.ed.ac.uk/projects/the-subalterns-project/
RSVP to anewman@ed.ac.uk by Friday, 12 June, 2026.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT AKPIA 2026-2027 POSTDOCTORAL/POST-PROFESSIONAL FELLOWSHIPS FOR RESEARCH IN ISLAMIC ART, ARCHITECTURE, URBANISM, DESIGN, AND PRESERVATION
3. 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 29 janvier 2026, 17h-19h, en salle 3.03 à l’INaLCO(65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris XIII, 5eétage).
Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir notre collègue M. Marc Toutant, chargé de recherche au CNRS (CETOBaC), pour une conférence intitulée : Le Tuḥfat al-ṭālibīn, une grammaire moghole du turc oriental. Enseignements philologiques, culturels et politiques.
Résumé :
Le Tuḥfat al-ṭālibīn est une grammaire du turc oriental (ou « chaghatay ») rédigée en persan à la fin du xviiie siècle par un certain Ḥayāt ‘Alī Dihlawī pour un dignitaire moghol. Conservé uniquement sous forme manuscrite dans plusieurs bibliothèques du sous-continent, l’ouvrage n’a jusqu’ici fait l’objet d’aucune étude. Parfois mentionnée brièvement dans les catalogues de manuscrits, cette grammaire fait pourtant partie des rares témoignages directs qui peuvent nous indiquer le rapport que les descendants de Babour (1483-1530), le fondateur des Grands Moghols, entretenaient avec leur langue maternelle. Bien que le persan se fût imposé définitivement dès le règne d’Akbar (1556-1605), il existe tout un ensemble de traités grammaticaux et lexicaux qui montrent que le turc conservait une certaine importance pour ces Timourides indiens (Babur était issu du lignage de Tamerlan), qu’il s’agit à présent de préciser. L’autre intérêt du Tuḥfat al-ṭālibīn est qu’il inclut de nombreuses citations de poètes centrasiatiques et fait à ce titre figure de répertoire culturel.
Fondée sur l’examen de trois copies provenant respectivement de Hyderabad, de Rampur et d’Islamabad, cette présentation aura ainsi pour objectif de répondre aux questions suivantes : comment écrit-on une grammaire du turc en persan durant la période moghole ? Que nous disent les nombreuses illustrations poétiques du Tuḥfat al-ṭālibīn à propos de la réception de la culture centrasiatique en Inde à la fin du xviiie siècle ? De quelle façon le traité de Ḥayāt ‘Alī Dihlawī rappelle-t-il le lien des Moghols avec la dynastie de Tamerlan ?
Orientations bibliographiques :
– Alam (M.). 2015. “Mughal Philology and Rūmī’s Mathnavī”. World Philology, dir. par S. Pollock, B. A. Elman, K. Chang. Cambridge : Harvard University Press. 178-200.
– Guizzo (D.) 2002. I tre classici della lessicografia persiana d’epoca moghul: Farhang-i Ğahāngīrī, Burhān-i Qāṭiʿ e Farhang-i Rašīdī. Venise : Cafoscarina.
– Péri (B.) 2020. “Turki Language and Literature in Late Mughal India as Reflected in a Unique Collection of Texts”. Turkish History and Culture in India. Identity, Art and Transregional Connections, dir. par A. C.S. Peacock & R. P. McClary. Leyde : Brill. 367-387.
– Siddiqi (W.H). 1997. Fihrist Nuskhahā-yi khaṭṭī fārsī, Kitābkhāna-yi Rażā – Rāmpūr, Delhi: Diamond Printers.
– Turan (F.). 2009. “Turkic grammar books written in Mughal India during the 18th and 19th centuries”. Turkic Languages 13. 163-171.
Vous retrouverez l’intégralité du programme 2025-2026 du séminaire mensuel de recherche “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du Monde iranien” en ligne sur le site du CeRMI: https://cermi.cnrs.fr/seminaires-de-recherche/societes-politiques-et-cultures-du-monde-iranien-2025-2026/
Dans l’attente du plaisir de vous retrouver à l’occasion de ces séances, qui se déroulent en présentiel sur le site de l’INaLCO (65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris XIII), nous vous adressons tous nos vœux les meilleurs pour la nouvelle année, à vous et à vos proches.
En ces temps si sombres, nos pensées sont avec les Iraniens. Puisse 2026 apporter paix et justice à nos amis et collègues en Iran, et à travers le monde.
Bien cordialement,
Les organisateurs –
Simon Berger et Justine Landau
Contact: justine.landau@sorbonne-nouvelle.fr
Due to current events (including the inaccessibility of some digital libraries and research databases), the deadline for submitting abstracts for the 11th Annual Conference on Shi‘i Studies has been extended to 31 January 2026.
If you have not yet submitted an abstract, you may do so at: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamic-college.ac.uk%2Fcall-for-papers-eleventh-annual-conference-on-shii-studies%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C9fc742b73b8d4708611e08de55108f93%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639041728474672666%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C80000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=AoxRsJQ2N%2FOhTrMPv9%2B1j5hX14Ej0RGfE2%2FoYRq0SD0%3D&reserved=0
Conference information:
Date: 9 May 2026
Location: In-person at The Islamic College (London, UK) and online
Papers are welcome on any aspect of Shiʿi studies, including but not limited to theology, philosophy, mysticism, law and jurisprudence, contemporary issues, history, anthropology, sociology, art, literature, the ḥawzah, ritual practice, and interfaith/interfaith studies. Papers may address any branch of Shiʿism.
Special theme: Shiʿism and the study of the Qur’an. This year, we are hosting special panels on Shiʿi approaches to the study of the Qur’an. We particularly encourage the submission of papers on topics such as Shiʿi approaches to Qur’anic exegesis (tafsīr), past and present; the history and compilation of the Qur’an; Qur’anic manuscripts; translations of the Qur’an, classical and modern; or any other topic pertaining the study of the Qur’an which involves a Shiʿi angle.
Publication: Presenters will have their work featured in conference proceedings and/or an edited volume on the Qur’an published by ICAS Press, offering an opportunity for quick, quality publication of research.
Submit an abstract at: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamic-college.ac.uk%2Fconference-on-shii-studies-submit-an-abstract%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C9fc742b73b8d4708611e08de55108f93%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639041728474716909%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C80000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MkRjGvls%2Fat5a1FW2Ux8r2BwRtkeIpyOQd6izEspLDU%3D&reserved=0
E-mail enquiries to: shiistudies@islamic-college.ac.uk
Abstract deadline: Due to current events, the deadline has been extended to 31 January 2026
Online presentations: Limited slots for online presentations are available. When submitting your abstract, indicate whether you would like to present in-person or online. This option cannot be changed.
1. Della Valle’s Travels Through Persia, 1617-1622, Translated by Willem Floor
https://mage.com/travels-in-persia-1617-1622-by-pietro-della-valle/
2. The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies invites submissions of interest for our upcoming conference‘War, Empire, and Sabotage in an Age of Genocide,’ co-hosted with the SOAS Middle East Institute. The conference will take place at SOAS University of London on 23-25 June 2026.
The submission deadline is next Sunday, 18 January 2026 at midnight (UK time).
In addition to submissions aligned with the conference theme, we welcome papers on a broad range of topics related to Middle East Studies. Relevant fields include, but are not limited to, politics, culture & society, literature, anthropology, economics, history, linguistics, and translation studies, with a focus on the MENA region. We welcome proposals for Panels, Roundtables, Individual/Co-authored Papers, and Creative Interventions.
https://www.brismes.ac.uk/conference/about-the-conference/conference-theme
3. Advanced Persian through History of Art Texts
About the course:
This 12-week advanced Persian course strengthens students’ ability to read and analyze sophisticated Persian prose through foundational texts on the history, theory, and practice of Iranian art. Focusing on Persian treatises and art-related writings—such as manuals of calligraphy and painting, artists’ biographies (tazkiras), architectural descriptions, and courtly reflections on aesthetics—the course trains students to engage directly with technical vocabulary, stylistic conventions, and evaluative discourse in art history. Emphasis is placed on close reading, genre awareness, and contextual interpretation. The course is especially beneficial for advanced Persian learners, graduate students, and scholars of art history, Islamic art, Iranian studies, and manuscript culture who seek direct access to Persian art discourse in original sources.
Course Details:
Schedule: Fridays, 30 January 2026 – 10 April 2026
Time: 09:00–10:00 AM (US Pacific), 12:00–13:00 (US Eastern), 06:00–07:00 PM (Central European)
Format: 24 online sessions
Class days and times may be adjusted in accordance with the request of enrollees.
Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials.
Contact Email
URL
https://www.ghandeparsi.com/winterschool/arttexts
4. The American Center of Research in Amman Archaeological Ceramics Courses, Summer 2026
The American Center of Research is pleased to announce two new courses for 2026, taught by Assistant Professor Sarah Wenner:
* Introduction to Classical Period Ceramics of Southern Jordan and Northern Saudi Arabia: Introductory
* Introduction to Classical Period Ceramics of Southern Jordan and Northern Saudi Arabia: Advanced.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 15, 2026.
For further information, please visit the course webpage:
https://acorjordan.org/ceramics-field-schools-2026/
5. Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Orient Institut Beirut (OIB)
6. Between Veil and Vanguard: Ideological Battles over Afghan Femininity
Sayed Hassan Akhlaq
Review of Middle East Studies, Volume 59 / Issue 2, December 2025, pp 55 – 67
7. MESA 2026 Call for Papers Opens
https://mesana.org/annual-meeting/call-for-papers
Deadline for abstracts: 17 February 2026.
8. ONLINE Webinar Series “Empowering Muslim Women in Scientific Research” on “Gender Attitudes and Trends over the Last Decade: Examining Female Labor Force Participation” by Prof. Amaney Jamal (Princeton), University of Manchester & University of Sharjah, 28 January 2026, 14:00 – 15:30 CET
Female labour force participation in MENA has been and continues to be quite low when com-pared cross-nationally. Using data from the Arab Barometer, this presentation will examine ap-proximately 20 years of data capturing societal attitudes from across MENA on female employ-ment and empowerment. What progress has and has not been made over the last two decades?
Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/mr2tsm6f
9. HYBRID Book Launch: “The Ascetic Qur’an and Its Kharijite Readers” by Nora K. Schmid (University of Tübingen), January 29, 2026, 15:00 – 17:00 CET
This book reframes Islamic asceticism away from premodern zuhd literature to the ascetic dimen-sion of the Qur’an and its Kharijite reception. Situating the asceticism of the Qur’an in late antiq-uity, it shows how interiorizing and enacting scripture shaped early Islamic culture. Respondents are Sean Anthony, Adam Gaiser, and Sebastian Guenther.
Information and registration: https://www.qasla.eu/book-launch-nora-schmid
10. European Workshops in International Studies (EWIS): “Diaspora Diplomacy Reconsidered: Mapping Possible Futures” (Focus MENA Countries), Izmir University of Economics, 1-3 July 2026
This workshop engages with the concept and practice of “diaspora diplomacy”, exploring how diasporas develop their own diplomacies and participate in a wider geopolitical worldmaking be-yond the state, and considering the geographies of their diplomatic practices. From state-led efforts to mobilise migrants as cultural ambassadors, to transnational diaspora political participation, “diaspora diplomacy” operates in spaces where international relations and everyday life intersect.
Deadline for abstracts: 11 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/yc42pnsvv
11. PhD Thesis Prize of the British Association of Islamic Studies (BRAIS) on the Study of Islam and the Muslim World
This international prize is awarded annually to an outstanding doctoral thesis. English-language submissions on any aspect of the academic study of Islam and the Muslim world, past and pre-sent, including Muslim-minority societies are accepted. Applicants can be based in any country.
Deadline for applications: 30 January 2026. Information: https://www.brais.ac.uk/prize
12. International Summer Academy: “Chagatai Manuscript Reading Course”, University of Münster, 29 June – 3 July 2026
The course aims to provide the participants with advanced knowledge of one of the central lan-guages of the Islamic world through the study of primary texts. Chagatai is not only one of the most important Turkic languages but also an essential source and literary language for studying
the history of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Northwestern China. However, due to the disciplinary division of this area between Slavic Studies, Sinology, Turkic, Islamic and Iranian Studies, Cha-gatai is rarely taught.
Deadline for applications: 13 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4kvdzbvn
13. ONLINE “Politics Beyond Politics” in the Journal “Middle East Bulletin – A Greek Review of Middle Eastern Affair”, Vol. 47, January 2026, 51 Pages
Articles: The Politics of Turkish drama series. – Growth in a Desert of Censorship? Cinema in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran. – Tourism as a Political Instrument in the Contemporary Middle East: The Cases of Israel, Turkey, Egypt and Dubai. – The use of social media during Israel-Palestinian & Iranian-Israeli conflicts. – Israeli Universities and Academic Boycott: The limits of neutrality. – Etc.
Table of content and direct access to the text: https://tinyurl.com/44zuadbm
Speaker: Delia Cortese
Date: 30 January 2026
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm (London time)
Location: In-person and Online
Register at:
https://islamic-college.ac.uk/event-register/
Register via the site at the above link.
1.Guerre et paix en islam de David Cumin
David Cumin : Guerre et paix en islam, géopolitique et polémologie des régions et des pays du monde musulman (XXe-XXIe siècles)
Tome 1 : Approche globale (268 pages – isbn: 9791093817149)
Tome 2 : Approche aréale (606 pages – isbn 9791093817156)
Ouvrage disponible – profitez du tarif de souscription jusqu’au 20 janvier 2026
https://editionsguilhem.com/catalogue/344977-Societe
2. Tuḥfat al-Mulūk fī al-Taʿbīr
Editors: Lina Jammal, Bilal Orfali
AUB Press, 2026
One of the earliest known Arabic works on dream interpretation, attributed to the Sistani ruler Abū Aḥmad Khalaf bin Aḥmad al-Sijistānī (d. 399/1009).
https://aub.edu.lb/aubpress/Pages/Tuhfat_al-Muluk.aspx
3. The Turn to the Environmentالاتجاه نحو المحيط
AUB Press, 2026
During the late 1980s, the artist Hanaa Malallah (b. Baghdad, 1958) made frequent visits to the Iraq Museum, sketching archaeological artifacts in an attempt to grasp the temporality by which they could at once belong to the past and yet exist in the present. In the wake of the Gulf war in 1991, when the museum was closed and sanctions isolated Iraq from the outside world, Malallah shifted her attention from the museum to its surrounding environment, and she began to explore the city of Baghdad as a field of traces with a temporal structure like that of the archaeological artifact. This research resulted in a distinctive manner of constructing her panels—using found materials to build patterns that seem to encode some indecipherable meaning but only communicate the meaning of time itself—and it set her on a path of further research that moved increasingly in the direction of semiotics and logic.
Malallah conceptualized this turn to the environment in dozens of short texts that she published in newspapers in Baghdad and London over the 1990s. This book gathers that body of art theory not only to provide insight into the evolution of Malallah’s practice, in its taking up a question first posed by Jewad Selim and renewed by Shakir Hassan Al Saʿid, of the relationship between the modern artwork and the historical artifact, but also to open a window into the practice of art in Iraq during a decade of intellectual isolation and material deprivation
https://aub.edu.lb/aubpress/Pages/turn-to-the-environment.aspx
4. Zahra Institute: Spring 2026 Kurdish Studies Courses & Speaker Series
Register Now for Spring 2026 Courses
Zahra Institute is pleased to offer M.A. and Certificate programs in Kurdish Studies and Critical Muslim Studies. All courses are also available as standalone options for those seeking focused academic enrichment.
Our Spring 2026 courses include Kurdish Media, Approaches to Kurdish Studies, and language courses in Kurmanji.To register, contact:
admissions@zahrainstitute.org
2026 Spring Speaker Series Begins February 11
We are delighted to announce the launch of Zahra Institute’s 2026 Spring Speaker Series on February 11. This semester’s lineup brings together scholars and experts exploring a range of topics, including Kurdish politics, cultural heritage, literature and identity, Islamic intellectual history, and Muslim chaplaincy in the US.
For details on both see the website: https://www.zahrainstitute.org.
1. Séminaire “L’Afghanistan à travers les âges” – 4e séance mercredi 14 janvier 18h-19h30
nous avons le plaisir de vous convier à la troisième séance du séminaire “L’Afghanistan à travers les âges”, qui se tiendra mercredi 14 janvier 2026, 18h-19h30, en salle 3.01 à l’INaLCO (65 rue des Grands Moulins, Paris XIII, 3e étage).
Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir Mme. Laurianne Sève, directrice de la Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan, pour une conférence intitulée : Nouvelles recherches sur Aï Khanoum (Afghanistan).
Résumé:
La ville d’Aï Khanoum, située dans le nord-est de l’Afghanistan, à la frontière avec le Tadjikistan constitue l’une des grandes découvertes de la Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan. Fouillée entre 1965 et 1978 sous la direction de Paul Bernard, le directeur de la DAFA de l’époque, elle a révélé un ensemble de monuments de grande ampleur, dont beaucoup sont fortment marqués par la culture grecque (un théâtre et un gymnase notamment). Plusieurs de ces monuments ont fait l’objet de publications parues peu de temps après l’arrêt des fouilles, provoqué par l’invasion de l’Afghanistan par l’URSS. Ces travaux ont permis de proposer une première interprétation de l’histoire de la ville et de son peuplement. Les publications se sont ensuite espacées, et bien que le travail soit encore en cours, la façon dont on envisage la ville et ses fonctions n’a pas toujours beaucoup progressé. Aï Khanoum était marquée par une forte mixité culturelle et c’est principalement à travers cette problématique, fortement renouvelée dans le cadre des post-colonial studies que de nouvelles approches ont vu le jour. L’objet du séminaire sera de présenter ces interprétations et de proposer une autre façon de concevoir la ville et son histoire.
Orientations bibliographiques:
Vous trouverez l’intégralité du programme 2025-2026 du séminaire mensuel de recherche “L’Afghanistan à travers les âges” en ligne sur le site du CeRMI: L’Afghanistan à travers les âges – Centre de recherche sur le monde iranien
2. The Islamic College
Ta’wil and the Unfolding of Historical Meaning in the Qur’an
Professor Maria Massi Dakake
Friday, 23 January 2026
6:00-7:30 pm (London time)
Online (register for link)
https://islamic-college.ac.uk/tawil-registration/
3. Online Persian Winter School – From Beginner to Advanced
Following the successful completion of the 2025 Ghand-e Parsi Persian Autumn School, we are delighted to announce the launch of our Online Persian Winter School.
The Ghand-e Parsi 2025 Winter School is a seasonal program designed to offer learners from all backgrounds a rich, structured, and immersive experience of the Persian language and Persianate culture. With carefully designed courses at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels, the Winter School provides a comprehensive learning pathway—from building foundational communication skills to engaging deeply with historical, literary, artistic, and mystical Persian texts.
In addition to the core language levels, the program includes a diverse selection of cross-level courses that open interdisciplinary perspectives, such as Digital Humanities, Persian through Arabic, and Persian through Music. Taught by distinguished instructors including Mohammad H. Naraghi, Peyman Eshaghi, Domenico Arturo Ingenito, and Mehdi Rezania, the Winter School brings together language learning, cultural exploration, and scholarly expertise in a unique and intellectually enriching environment.
All course sessions are fully recorded, allowing participants to review materials and watch sessions outside of live class hours.
Below you will find the list of courses offered this winter:
Elementary Courses
Intermediate Courses
Advanced Courses
Cross-Level Courses
We warmly invite you to join us for this Winter School and take part in a meaningful journey into Persian language and culture. Whether you are continuing your studies or joining Ghand-e Parsi for the first time, we hope this program will be both inspiring and rewarding.
Dates: January 26 – April 12, 2026
Registration Deadline: January 20, 2026
🔗 Learn more about all courses:
https://www.ghandeparsi.com/winterschool
🔗 Testimonials:
https://www.ghandeparsi.com/testimonials
📝 Register here:
https://forms.gle/RLeytfi9nMU5RpdXA
4. Al-Ghazālī’s Moral Psychology
From Self-Control to Self-Surrender
Joel Craig Richmond
Available in hardback and ebook editions
For more information and to order at a discount visit the webpage:
https://equinoxpub.com/projects/al-ghazali-moral-psychology
5. HIAA ONLINE WORKSHOP: Teaching Islamic Art to Artists – Friday, January 16
9-10:30 am Pacific
11 am-12:30 pm Central
12-1:30 pm Eastern
To register: https://temple.zoom.us/meeting/register/K1dGohPMQyy_DkgTk_5Bqw
Join us for a conversation with Glaire Anderson, Kerr Houston, D. Fairchild Ruggles, and Foad Torshizi about different approaches for teaching the history of Islamic Art and Architecture to students in the art and design disciplines, many of whom are looking to their futures in studio art, architecture, animation, graphic design, and fashion. The objective of the workshop is to share strategies for student engagement in
Islamic art with the broader HIAA community, while critically evaluating how Islamic art history is integral to an arts-based education. Topics of discussion will include the value of hands-on workshops, the teaching of Islamic art objects as precedents to contemporary practice, and digital tools to create immersive experiences of Islamic art. Organized and moderated by Nisa Ari.
URL
https://temple.zoom.us/meeting/register/K1dGohPMQyy_DkgTk_5Bqw
6. The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies, in partnership with the Toronto Book Club, present the Iranian Studies Book Launch Series.
This event will feature Arezou Azad’s latest titles for Edinburgh University Press in The Islamicate East series, The Warehouse of Bamiyan & The Rise and Fall of the Barmakids.
Please join us on Monday 19 January at 12PM EST / 5PM GMT / 6PM CET.Pre-registration is essential.
https://utoronto.zoom.us/meeting/register/IRIPumA0RiywhWQndxY9ZA#/registration
7. The complete programme of the Monday Majlis series (online) in the spring term Centre for the Study of Islam, Exeter
19thof January (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Gabriel Said Reynolds, A Faithful Dog and a Clay Bird: The Qur’an in Its Christian World
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/3uYLlGdRRcGlh0sgg2JnOw
26th of January (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Orhan Elmaz, Digital Tools and Methods in (+/- Contemporary) Quranic Studies
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/fbHQXhbxSm6-9gtiDQ4ovQ
2nd of February (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
James E. Montgomery, A Future, Remembered—The Poet-Prophet al-Mutanabbī
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/mUwZSgnkQ3mQLiOxe2qCnw
11th of February (Wednesday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Andrew Marsham, Perspectives on the Umayyad Empire
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/mdvrgHS4Sq6MNpJ7eKzrWQ
18th of February (Wednesday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Rosabel Ansari, Al-Fārābī and the Study of Islamic Philosophy
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/8TC1t86eSMqXmUAzEP9SQg
23rd of February (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Michael Cook, Women as Jurists: The Case of Kasani’s Wife
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/INbq3y5ERAeojbtkOi2aSg
2nd of March (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Yuka Kadoi, Museumisation in Arabia: The Reach and Limits of Cultural Heritage
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/T4SPygHTQpm4ICdTA1ThUg
9th of March (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Samuel Hodgkin, The Blind Bard: The Afterlives of Rōdakī’s Poetics
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/PqKX8HD6SaulZJfU76hsQQ
16th of March (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Matthew L. Keegan, Islam and Adab: Reading al-Hariri’s Maqamat in an Age of Commentary
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/0IINz8EATQKNhFUjkvj7dA
23rd of March (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).
Mehdi Aminrazavi, Islamic Philosophy and its Receptivity to Non-Islamic Traditions
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/31PX0Ik-RuWt6P1XrhM3gw
In the spirit of the label ‘Majlis’ and also to make the talks even more interesting, our speakers present the topic discussed as embedded in their own journey.
You can watch the previous Majlises here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8YRkUahFj_81oJzCSDLTx4kVQQgeHLc-.
However, we don’t record the Q&A in order to keep the discussion free.
If you’d like to be included in the CSI (Centre for the Study of Islam, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter) mailing list, please write to I.T.Kristo-Nagy@ex.ac.uk
8. Second European Round Table on Modern Persian Literature, 15-17 January 2026, Institute of Iranian Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences
https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/ifi/veranstaltungen/event-details/modern-persian-literature
9. ONLINE Book Talk “Islamic Theology and the Problem of Evil” by Safaruk Chowhury (Cambridge Muslim College), American University in Cairo Press, 13 Jan-uary 2026, 18:00 CET
This rigorous study examines four major dimensions of the problem of evil: human disability, animal suffering, evolutionary natural selection, and Hell, offering fresh insights into how Islamic theology has grappled with these enduring questions.
Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/3cc9bd39
10. ONLINE Book Launch “International Relations in a Multipolar Middle East” by Francesco Belcastro and Edward Wastnidge, Hosted by the Open University, 23 January 2026, 12:00 – 13:00 CET
This volume explores the international relations of today’s Middle East. The tumult following the Arab Uprisings has expanded the arenas competed over by regional powers, global ac-tors and non-state players. As global politics moves towards a new, multipolar era, the volume’s co-editors help shed important light on how this transition is impacting on the re-gion.
Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/2h29ccdf
11. Workshop “Jewish Literature under Muslim Rule: Textual Transformations and Inter-Religious Encounters” by the Simon Dubnow Institute (Leipzig) & Unit of Judaic Studies (University of Munich), Munich, 14-16 April 2026
The workshop invites proposals exploring the impact of Muslim rule on Jewish literature, with a particular focus on religious texts – including translations of the Bible, commentaries, and philosophical and legal writings. This workshop seeks to sharpen the lens by examining how the realities of Muslim political authority and Islamic intellectual traditions influenced or shaped Jewish religious writing.
Deadline for abstracts: 20 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mvej4ubr
12. 40th Annual Middle East History and Theory Conference (MEHAT): “Playing with the Scales: The Local, Regional, and Global in Middle Eastern Studies”, University of Chicago, 1-2 May 2026
How do micro-scale engagements with Middle Eastern agents help us to understand global developments, like the transformation of law and statehood and the emergence of capital-ism? What role do regional configurations, whether defined in terms of shared ecological, economic or political contexts, trade, religious or intellectual networks, play in shaping the interaction of individual, local, and global scales?
Deadline for abstracts: 31 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/dvzubk37
13. Several Postdoctoral Fellowships (10 Months) in the Humanities and Social Sciences 2026-27, Orient-Institut Beirut
The fellowships are specifically designed for postdoctoral candidates engaged in outstand-ing research projects in the humanities and social sciences. We invite applications across disciplines, time periods, and geographic coverage. Proposals are encouraged to articulate the contemporary stakes of the research project, whether historiographical, cultural, reli-gious or political dimensions.
Deadline for applications: 1 March 2026.
Information: https://www.orient-institut.org/postdoctoralfellowships.html
14. Several Doctoral Fellowships (10 Months) in the Humanities and Social Sciences 2026-27, Orient-Institut Beirut
The fellowships are specifically designed for doctoral candidates engaged in outstanding research projects in the humanities and social sciences. We invite applications across dis-ciplines, time periods, and geographic coverage. Proposals are encouraged to articulate the contemporary stakes.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 March 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4m4tf77v
15. “DECRIPT Program”: Call for Research and Transfer Projects (Focus Middle and Near East), INALCO, Paris
Deadline for proposals: 30 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3wvr9wbx
16. “DECRIPT Program”: Call for Applications for 20 International Research Residencies (1 Month, Focus Middle and Near East), INALCO, Paris
During their stay, researchers must propose to conduct or formalize high-level academic research related to the program’s core scientific question on civilizational narratives and/or civilizationism, in connection with the Middle and Near East or its methodological area. Compensation: €3,400 covering transportation and living expenses. Location: Paris, Bordeaux, Lille.
Deadline for applications: 28 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2nmn5nyk
17. “Gerda Henkel Prize” for Excellent and Internationally Acclaimed Researchers (Focus Historical Islamic Studies)
The Foundation invites scholars of universities worldwide, as well as renowned cultural and academic institutions, and calls on scholars in these institutions to nominate suitable candi-dates. The prize is open to scholars from all countries. Individuals as well as teams of several researchers can be nominated. The Gerda Henkel Prize is worth 100,000 euros.
Deadline for nominations: 30 January 2026. Information: https://www.gerda-henkel-stif-tung.de/en/prize
18. “Armed Groups and the Politics of International Legitimation” (Including Pales-tine, Afghanistan, Libya), Edited by Stephan Hensell & Klaus Schlichte, Oxford Aca-demic, 15 December 2025
This book is the first comparative study of armed groups that try to gain international legiti-macy. It analyses how and when these attempts are successful. Based on practice theory and global history, it highlights the interaction of practices and publics in the process of le-gitimation and introduces four different historical times, spanning from 1945 to the present.
Complete text: https://academic.oup.com/book/61785
19. “Al-Junayd: The Sufi Master of Baghdad” by Arin Salamah-Qudsi, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2025, 184 Pages
This book offers the first comprehensive reconstruction of al-Junayd al-Baghdādī based on his own writings, especially his treatises and letters. Tracing his legacy from the classical period to the modern age of media and cyberspace, the study provides a fresh portrait of Junayd and his enduring place in Islamic piety and thought.
Information: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-87094-1
