Categories : Academic items
Shii News – Academic Items
1.New Version of the Daiber Collection Manuscript Database Released
The Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at The University of Tokyo is pleased to announce the release of the beta version (public test version) of the new Daiber Collection database, which provides access to approximately 520 Arabic-script manuscripts held by the institute. Nearly two decades have passed since the launch of the original database, and a comprehensive update is now underway to enable more advanced use.
This upgrade is being carried out in collaboration with the Uehiro Project for the Asian Research Library (U-PARL) and the Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, both within The University of Tokyo.
On June 30, 2025, we released the first phase of the beta version of the new database, and we warmly invite all users to participate in its testing. This initial release features manuscripts No. 1 through No. 50 from Collection I of the Daiber Collection (which consists of two parts). Additional updates will be made on a regular basis.
[Related Links]
- Beta Version of the Database: https://daiber.u-parl.lib.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/
- Project Overview: https://daiber.u-parl.lib.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/about/
- How to Use the Database: https://daiber.u-parl.lib.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/guide/
Call for Cooperation in “Cultivating” the Beta DatabaseThe beta version of the database is an open-ended archive that will grow through the active contributions of a diverse range of stakeholders. We warmly welcome feedback on metadata corrections and general impressions of the beta database. Please share your thoughts using the following form: https://u-parl.lib.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ja/contact . Kindly use “Regarding the Daiber Collection” as the subject line.
Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo
2. V&A collections are open for researchers again!
In case you haven’t heard the news, the V&A collections which were previously stored at Blythe House, and which have been inaccessible for about the last six years, are open again for study appointments! So as you make your plans for summer research trips, factor in the fact that you can finally come and study all those V&A objects you have been unable to access in recent years.
Object study appointments will now mostly take place at the fabulous V&A East Storehouse, which is a brand new visitable storage facility in Stratford, East London, part of the regeneration of the London Olympic site:
https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/storehouse/visit
No appointment is necessary to visit Storehouse itself, which is also free of charge. It has many amazing objects to discover around the public walkway in the central hall. These are all presented through the lens of the ‘working museum’, and include many objects related to Islamic art history, not least the Agra Colonnade and the Torrijos ceiling.
This is where you will also go for most study appointments, and these can now be booked through the new Order an Object service:
https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/order-an-object
You can order upto 5 objects at a time, and you can have appointments of 1 to 3 hours in length. You can book adjacent appointments with different objects and over contiguous days.
The Order an Object service will be available 7 days a week at Storehouse, and will also operate at the V&A South Kensington on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
You might find that some objects are not available via this service. This is probably because the object has been assessed as being too fragile for public consultation. In this case, please contact the curators as you have done in the past! We will do what we can to arrange access appointments for you.
We are looking forward to welcoming researchers back into the V&A collections!
URL
- July 08, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. The Egyptian Journal of History and Philosophy of Science (EJHPS)
EJHPS is a peer-reviewed academic journal committed to publishing high-quality research that examines the historical and philosophical dimensions of science. The journal emphasizes contributions that delve into the rich heritage of the history and philosophy of science, including Islamic science and its global influence. For further information, please visit our website: https://ejhps.journals.ekb.eg/.
In addition, EJHPS hosts a monthly online public talk via Zoom, featuring a distinguished scholar discussing a selected topic within their area of expertise. All the members of the list are welcome to give a talk, attend and to participate.
2. Hikmat International Institute
International Academic Course on Islamic Mysticism (ʿIrfān)
Intensive Online Summer School
First, we so excited to announce that registration is now open for our highly anticipated International Academic Course on Islamic Mysticism (ʿIrfān)!
In this unique and deeply enriching course, we will be joined by some of the world’s most renowned scholars to explore the profound spiritual and philosophical dimensions of Islamic Mysticism.
This is a rare opportunity to engage with essential topics such as the nature of the soul, divine love, unity, mystical nature of human and the cosmos, and much more — all within a structured academic framework.
🖥️ Live Online Sessions (August 4 – 23, 2025)
📜 Certificate upon completion
🎓 Limited number of scholarships available
We encourage you to register as soon as possible to secure your spot and, if needed, apply for a scholarship.
https://hikmat-ins.com/islamic-mysticism/
3. Invitation to Digital British Islam: Westminster Policy Seminar
Digital British Islam: Policy Seminar
Monday 7th July 2025
Committee Room 18, House of Commons
Houses of Parliament, St Margaret St, London SW1A 0AA
12:00 – 14:00
Sponsored by Ayoub Khan MP
During the event, Prof Gary R. Bunt (University of Wales Trinity Saint David) and Prof Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (Coventry University) will share findings and policy recommendations from the Digital British Islam project on key areas including gender, religious authority and political agency. The event will highlight important findings around digital inclusion amongst Muslim communities and elements of social justice and equality online.
The Digital British Islam project is a collaboration between the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, University of Edinburgh and Coventry University.
Places are limited and require registering in advance to attend. Please book your place on this form no later than Thursday 3rd July 2025: https://forms.office.com/e/kxsmVbFpJw
If you have any further queries, please contact laura.jones@ed.ac.uk
4. CfP – KNOW Workshop on Scholarly Practice in the Post-Formative Period (Ghent, 2–4 June 2026)
The ERC project KNOW: Polymathy and Interdisciplinarity in Premodern Islamic Epistemic Cultures (1200–1800) invites proposals for its first international workshop:
Problem Areas, Disciplinary Boundaries, and Scholarly Practice in the Post-Formative Period
Ghent University, 2–4 June 2026.
Submission deadline: 31 July 2025.
We welcome contributions that examine how scholars navigated and redefined disciplinary boundaries in Islamic intellectual traditions in the post-formative period.
For further details and submission guidelines, please visit:
5. The School of Modern Languages at the University of St Andrews invites applications for a fully funded PhD scholarship in Global Digital Humanities,
a dynamic and rapidly evolving field at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary
research.
This award supports innovative doctoral research that either employs or
critically examines digital methodologies within the context of Modern
Languages.
You will join an intellectually vibrant and internationally connected research
environment that draws on expertise from eight language areas, Arabic,
Chinese, French, German, Italian, Persian, Russian, and Spanish, and
collaborates with the School of Computer Science. This is your opportunity to
gain advanced technical and analytical skills while contributing original
research to the evolving landscape of digital scholarship in the humanities.
We welcome proposals across a wide range of topics, including, but not limited
to:
* Digital Pedagogy
* Digital Publishing and Encoding
* Digital Preservation and Archival Practice
* Digital Storytelling
* Languages and Technology
* Memory Studies in the Digital Age
* Quantitative Literary Analysis
* Transmediation through Gaming
Find the full details and application information at
https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.st-andrews.ac.uk%2Fstudy%2Ffees-and-funding%2Fscholarships%2Fscholarships-catalogue-search%2F%3Fquery%3D%2522Digital%2520Humanities%2522&data=05%7C02%7C%7C99eff596e4e743225e5208ddbadc990f%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C638872178821681494%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=D%2BGclKSzVLgIKf0N2RUgfKbiEPTkappk2eTBzCZBbpI%3D&reserved=0,
which is updated regularly.
Questions to :
Dr Orhan Elmaz
Senior Lecturer in Digital Humanities and Arabic
oe2@st-andrews.ac.uk
6. Persianate Prose and the Making of Malay Muslim Literature
Text, Translation and Commentary of the Durr al-Majalis
M Daneshgar,
EUP, 2025
7. Sufism and Power in the Ottoman Empire
The Writings of Ismail Hakki Bursevi (1653–1725)
K N Atanasova,
EUP, 2025
8. Afghanistan: Volume 8, Issue 1.
Following a successful Subscribe to Open campaign, volume 8 of Afghanistan is entirely Open Access! Explore the latest issue for articles on the Afghan Jamiat-i Islami party, the ethnocultural alienation of Hazaras in Afghanistan, the latest books relating to Afghanistan and more.
– Browse the issue: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fddlnk.net%2Fc%2FAQjSfRDG5JYHGPmorJQFIN61yKYB-aanNJDXWPw9IcNzuPn8j00EB295tfN-
9. CFP Workshop: Beyond Eurocentrism and Arabocentrism, 12–13 September 2025, University of Aberdeen, UK
The workshop is co-organized by Florian Zemmin, Nicola Carpentieri, Nile Green, Jakub Zbrzeżny, and myself, and will be hosted by the School of Divinity, History, Philosophy, and Art History at the University of Aberdeen, UK.
The workshop will cover travel and accommodation expenses for participants whose papers are accepted. The deadline is 30 July 2025.
The workshop hopes to foster a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of the Arabo-Islamic intellectual tradition, one that recognises its pluralistic foundations and the dynamic interplay of race, ethnicity, religion and language in shaping premodern knowledge production. We hope to inspire a richer, more inclusive understanding of the pluralistic foundations of Arabo-Islamic scholarship and its lasting impact on modern identity and historiography. The workshop invites contributions from the humanities and the social sciences on the nature of diversity throughout premodern Arabo-Islamic history to the modern times. Each paper should present a clear case study that effectively highlights its historical and cultural contexts.
Those interested in presenting papers are invited to submit an abstract (500 words, including references) and a short biography (150 words) through the digital portal on the full CFP on AGYA’s website:
Full information at:
https://agya.info/publications/calls/beyond-eurocentrism-and-arabocentrism
10. ‘The Ottomans and Diplomacy’, Newnham College Cambridge, 10-12 July.
Information, programme and registration:
https://newn.cam.ac.uk/research/skilliter-centre-ottoman-studies/conferences-and-workshops
11. International Conference “Minority Law in Arab States: Governing Religious Diversity”, Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) & Centre of Expertise for the Law of Arab and Islamic Countries, Hamburg, 14-15 July 2025
The conference foregrounds the complex interplay between legal autonomy and the governance of religious diversity. It brings together scholars from law, anthropology, political science, history and Middle Eastern studies as well as legal practitioners. The conference examines the complex interplay between legal pluralism, minority-state relations, gender and inter-religious relations. It analyzes the impact of colonial policies, regional conflicts, and reform movements on the development of minority law.
Deadline for registration: 7 July 2025. Programme: https://tinyurl.com/3xyfx948
12. Colloque: Diversité(s) en islam. Fondements et implications d’une pluralité complexe, Strasbourg, 8-9 septembre 2025
Information et programme : https://tinyurl.com/5cyz6uw7
13. Symposium “Ethnographic Experiments from and with the Arab World”, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Qatar, 15-16 December 2025
This symposium seeks to critically engage with classical epistemological debates in anthropology by locating them within the diverse intellectual traditions shaping the Arab world and its shifting geopolitical realities. These debates include, but are not limited to, questions of scale and distance, ethnographic excess, critique, ethnographic refusal and the limits and possibilities of comparison in anthropology.
Deadline for abstracts: 10 August 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mrxfr7xp
14. 28 Fellowships (10 Months) of the “French Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Programme” at Seven Institutes of the Aix-Marseille, Cergy, Loire Valley (Orléans-Tours), Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes and Paris, 2026-2027
The Programme is open to all disciplines in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (SSH) and to all other research fields interfacing with the SSH. FIAS awards fellowships to outstanding researchers of all career levels, from postdoctoral researchers to senior scientists. The minimum requirement is a PhD + 2 years of research experience at the time of the application.
Deadline for applications: 16 July 2025. Information: https://www.fias-fp.eu/fellowships/faq
15. New “MA in Politics of Energy, Infrastructure and Environment”, Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
This MA offers a multidisciplinary exploration of energy use, the transition to sustainable sources, and the environmental impacts of infrastructure and energy. Integrating perspectives from the humanities and social sciences, the course examines these critical issues with a particular focus on the Middle East, a region with paradigmatic struggles around environmental preservation and fossil fuel use.
Rolling deadline – _applications at any time.
Information: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/politics/energy-infrastructure-environment/
16. Hybrid Lecture Series: “Humanity, Sufi Thought, and Healing II” Lecture Series, Üsküdar University, Istanbul, 23-27 July 2025
The Institute intends for the lecture series to be a safe space wherein participants can ask the difficult ethical and theological questions and receive fulfilling answers from renowned scholars who have brought back pearls of wisdom from Sufi figures. Simultaneous English-Turkish translation will be provided.
Deadline for applications: 17 July 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/yma42wcr
17. Articles on “A Sociolinguistics of Islam: Exploring Multilingualism & Meaning in Faith” for a Special Issue of the “Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development”
This special issue seeks to foreground the theoretical and empirical orientation of Sociolinguistics of Islam by attending to how Islam, as faith, worldview, and cultural practice, shapes – _and is shaped by – _linguistic practices at various social, cultural, and political sub-strata.
Deadline for abstracts: 22 August 2025.
Information: https://ibrarspace.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/call-for-papers-1.pdf
- July 05, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Arab World English Journal for Translation and Literary Studies welcomes the submission of papers for the August Issue 2025. Due to requests from many colleagues, the submission deadline has beenextended until July 10, 2025.
The issue publication date is August 2025
We ask you kindly to submit your paper according to the Manuscript Guidelines for AWEJTLS at our website https://awej-tls.org/paper-submission/
Please send your paper and a brief bio (four lines for each author) by e-mail to: TLS@awej.org
For more details, click here:
We have the pleasure of sending you the following issues:
AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies Volume 9 Number 1. February 2025
AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies Volume,9 Number 2. May 2025
Kind regards,
AWEJ for Translation and Literary Studies
https://awej-tls.org/
2. Muslim Student Adviser
University of Leeds
This role will be based on the university campus, with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner. As part of the Student Experience and Support Directorate, you will work with our other Muslim Student Adviser, Student Experience and Support teams, Leeds University Union, Chaplains and other colleagues to support an excellent experience for our Muslim students and contribute to promoting equality and diversity and an inclusive environment for all at the University.
Deadline | 3 July 2025
More information
3. Associate Lecturer in Islamic Law
School of Oriental and African Studies
The objective of the lectureship is to provide a development opportunity for those who have exceptional potential in teaching and research in Islamic Law. During the two-year appointment, SOAS Associate Lecturers will have the opportunity to develop their teaching experience, as well as their research trajectory. You will be expected to teach across some of the following modules of the LLB and LLM: Islamic Family Law, Islamic Legal Theory, Human Rights and Islamic Law and Human Rights and Islamic Law II.
Deadline | 13 July 2025
More information
4. Call for Submissions | Sheikh Zayed Book Award 20th Edition
The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA), one of the Arab world’s most prestigious literary prizes, is now open for submissions for its 20th anniversary edition across ten categories. The Award, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), recognises the work of writers, translators, researchers, academics and publishers in advancing Arabic literature and culture in any field of knowledge.
Deadline | 1 September 2025
5. Call for Papers | ACRPS Conference for Arab PhD Students in Western Universities
Conference | Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) | 11-13 April 2026
The conference will provide Arab doctoral students and recent PhD graduates of the social sciences and humanities based at Western universities an open space to present papers based on their PhD theses and receive critical feedback and will give the participants an opportunity to better acquaint themselves with an Arab research agenda as well as to create collegial, professional networks within the Arab region.
Deadline | 1 September 2025
6. Call for Papers | Internment Europe: From Colonial Practices to Contemporary Control
Conference | INTERCOL | 26-28 November 2025
This interdisciplinary workshop aims to critically rethink the concept of internment in its various forms, tracing its development from colonial practices to today’s ‘detention archipelagos’ in migration regimes. The specificity of this project is that it considers the colonial experiences of Southern European countries – rather than the more well-known but more recent experiences of Northern European empires – to understand the roots and evolution of concepts and techniques of internment/confinement of groups considered ‘dangerous’ today.
Deadline | 7 September 2025
7. Third World Quarterly Special Issue | Limits of Autocratisation: Actors and Institutions of Democratic Resistance and Opposition
While authoritarianism continues to gain ground globally, the Special Issue of Third World Quarterly, titled Limits of Autocratisation: Actors and Institutions of Democratic Resistance and Opposition, challenges the idea that autocratisation is an unstoppable tide. It shifts the focus from how autocracies rise to how and where they are contested—and sometimes reversed. Read more here.
8. Persian Winter School 2025 in Yerevan – ASPIRANTUM
ASPIRANTUM’s 2025 Persian Language Winter School (from December 01 to December 26, 2025) in Yerevan, Armenia. Please share this information with anyone in your network who might be interested.
For more details about the Persian Language Winter School and to apply, please visit: https://aspirantum.com/courses/persian-language-winter-school
The 2025 Persian Language Winter School will last for 4 weeks (80 hours).
The participation fee is:
$1900 – 4 weeks
For more details, please visit: https://aspirantum.com/courses/persian-language-winter-school
You may also be interested in applying to our 2026 summer school here: https://aspirantum.com/courses/persian-language-summer-school
9. ME Studies Win ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) Prizes
Scholars of Middle East and South Asian literature did extremely well this year at the ACLA:
Annette Lienau’s Sacred Language, Vernacular Difference: Global Arabic and Counter-Imperial Literatures, won the Harry Levin Prize. You can read the citation here. Aria Fani’s Reading across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism has won the René Wellek Prize. Citation here.
The René Wellek Prize is awarded for the best book published in the field of comparative literature, and the Harry Levin Prize is awarded for the best first book published in the field.
Comparative Literature Studies annually publishes a prize-winning graduate student essay in honor of founder A. Owen Aldridge, recognizing excellence in comparative scholarship. This year’s recipient is:
Haider Shahbaz’s paper, “Translating Towards A Dark Commons: Toni Morrison’s Beloved in Urdu.” Citation here.
10. 20th Colloquium of the Ernst Herzfeld Society at AUC
Held for the first time in Cairo, the 20th Colloquium of the Ernst Herzfeld Society for Studies in Islamic Art and Archaeology will take place at The American University in Cairo, Tahrir Campus, from July 3–6, 2025. This four-day international gathering will bring together scholars, researchers, and cultural practitioners from all over the world to explore the theme: “Historicisms in Islamic Art: Narratives, Materials, and Perspectives.”
Co-organized by the Sheikh Hassan Abbas Sharbatly Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations (ARIC) at AUC, the German Archaeological Institute Cairo (DAI), and the Ernst Herzfeld Society (EHG), the event will feature a keynote panel, over 30 scholarly papers, and a curated photo exhibition, Through Meinecke’s Lens: Cairenes and Cairo of the 1970s, presented in collaboration with the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin.
The colloquium is free and open to the public.
For in-person participation, please register here:
https://forms.gle/79shskRoCMiCinx57
For online participation, please join us through Zoom here:
Oriental Hall sessions: https://aucegypt.zoom.us/j/96746974931
Hill House session: https://aucegypt.zoom.us/j/96763302311
11. Journal of Sakarya University Faculty of Theology (Web of Science ESCI-Indexed, e-ISSN: 1304-6535) is an international, multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal devoted to theology and religious studies.
Journal of Sakarya University Faculty of Theology (SAUIFD) invites innovative and original contributions from academic scholars of religion, theology, education, philosophy, psychology, sociology, comparative religion, history, literature, art, health, social sciences, humanities and others interested in the multidisciplinary study of religions.
Starting from August 1, 2025, our journal will adopt a continuous submission model. The submission system will no longer be opened for short periods and then closed. This change will allow us to distribute the editorial workload more evenly over time and to more actively engage international researchers who may not be familiar with time-limited submission periods.
Please note that, depending on the volume of submissions, the journal may temporarily pause the acceptance of new manuscripts without prior announcement.
You can access the latest issue (2025/1) at the following link: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/sakaifd/issue/92458
Our journal’s X (Twitter) account: https://x.com/sauifdergisi
- July 01, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Call for Papers: Special Issue on Multilingualism, Translation, and Religion in the Premodern Islamic World(s)
I’m pleased to share news of a special issue I am co-editing with Prof. Ross Brann (Cornell University), tentatively titled:
Multilingualism, Translation, and Religion in the Premodern Islamic World(s): Texts, Contexts, and Crossroads.
This issue will appear in Religions, a peer-reviewed journal with a strong platform and excellent citation rankings. We are delighted to announce that, following discussions with the editorial team, all accepted papers will be published free of open-access fees.
Each submission will undergo rigorous peer review by both guest editors as well as two external reviewers, ensuring the highest scholarly standards of the whole volume.
We currently have room to accommodate two to three additional contributions. If you are interested, we invite you to review the full description via the link below and reach out to me before submitting your abstract through the journal’s system:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/646PBX1664#editors
Due date: Dec 31, 2025
2. Intellect is pleased to present Journal of Contemporary Iraq & the Arab World 19.1.
For more information about the journal and issue click here>>
https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-contemporary-iraq-the-arab-world
3. Call for: IHF Modern Iran Book Series
We are pleased to announce the second round of our call for for book proposals under the IHF Modern Iran Series, a new Open Access, peer-reviewed academic book series published by I.B. Tauris, an imprint of Bloomsbury Academic. The Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF) is supporting successful applicants with Open Access publication costs.
To submit a proposal to the series, please contact Hassan Hakimian, Series Editor, and Rory Gormley, Senior Commissioning Editor at I.B. Tauris.
The deadline for submission of the first round of proposals is August 31 2025.
The IHF Modern Iran Series publishes innovative Open Access books with a broad thematic focus on modern and contemporary Iran. The chronological scope of the series covers the late nineteenth century to the present day with thematic areas ranging from cultural and social to political and economic issues.
The full announcement can be read here.
4. Political, Cultural and Social History of Iran: Essays in Honor of Ervand Abrahamian
Edinburgh University Press, 2025
E. Chehabi, ed.,
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-political-social-and-cultural-history-of-modern-iran.html
5. Full Professor Position in Arabic Language and Literature – UAE University
UAE University, the oldest and most prestigious public university in the country, is located in the beautiful oasis city of Al Ain, just 90 minutes from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The campus offers a quiet, inspiring environment for teaching and research.
The university places strong emphasis on Scopus-indexed publications and values promising research trajectories aimed at high-ranking journals. Strengthening or rebuilding your Scopus h-index is a key consideration in the evaluation process.
The position offers a competitive, tax-free salary, along with a generous benefits package that includes:
- Free accommodation (with furniture allowance)
- Annual return flights for the entire family
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Schooling allowance for children
- A reduced teaching load of two courses per semester (4 per year)
Courses are taught in Arabic, and in my experience, the students are respectful, engaged, and a pleasure to teach.
Application and further details here:
https://jobs.chronicle.com/job/37847997/professor-in-arabic-language-and-literature-310130/
6. ONLINE Launch of the Arabic-English Digital Database and Website ‘News of Cairo’, Cairo, 30 June 2025, 19:00 CET
“News of Cairo” is a textual database of Arabic and Ottoman Turkish articles about Cairo’s urban development from the official Egyptian government journal, al-Waqāʾiʿ al-Miṣriyyah, between 1828 and 1914. – _”Digital Cairo” is a sub-project of “La fabrique du Caire modern” (Ifao-InVisu-Duke University), with the help of the collaborative research award from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Information and registration: https://www.ifao.egnet.net/recherche/manifestations/ma1718/
7. Conference “Arabic Language and Applied Sciences – _Empowerment and Integration”, Islamic University of Madinah, 9-10 November 2025
Themes: 1: Enhancing Digital Content for Arabic Language (Efforts and Aspirations). – _2: Artificial Intelligence and its Contributions to Arabic Language Sciences and Literature (New Developments). – _3: Interdisciplinary Studies between Arabic Language and Applied Sciences (Opportunities and Fields). – _4: Arabization of Applied Sciences (Visions, Experiences, and Challenges).
Deadline for articles: 26 July 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/yb4ehe3d
8. Full Professor of Arabic Studies, Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna
The successful candidate will be expected to represent the field of Arabic Studies with a focus on linguistics in both research and teaching. They should have an outstanding international reputation and a strong research profile, particularly in the study of spoken varieties of Arabic, encompassing both dialectological and general linguistic approaches. Complementing the existing focus on the Maghreb, a research focus on the eastern part of the Arab world is desired.
Deadline for applications: 17 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2f4mtwzp
9. 28 Fellowships (10 Months) ot the “French Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Programme” at seven Institutes of the Aix-Marseille, Cergy, Loire Valley (Orléans-Tours), Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes and Paris, 2026-2027
The Programme is open to all disciplines in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (SSH) and to all other research fields interfacing with the SSH. FIAS awards fellowships to outstanding researchers of all career levels, from postdoctoral researchers to senior scientists. The minimum requirement is a PhD + 2 years of research experience at the time of the application.
Deadline for applications: 16 July 2025. Information: https://www.fias-fp.eu/fellowships/faq
10. Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in Anthropology, American University in Cairo
Requirements: A PhD in Cultural Anthropology or Social-Anthropology and a demonstrable record of teaching that illustrates an ability to teach courses in the BA in Anthropology and the MA in Sociology and Anthropology programs at AUC, including those with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa, as well as courses in their area of sub-disciplinary expertise.
Deadline for applications: 15 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/42rctkpf
11. “Alixa Naff Migration Studies Prize” for Studies from Any Discipline on Studies on the Middle East and North African Migrations and Diasporas, Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
Award of $ 1,000 for: 1. Established Scholars: Articles or books published between 1 June 2024, and 30 May 2025. – _2. Graduate Students: Papers authored between 1 June 2024, and 30 May 2025.
Deadline for applications: 26 September 2025.
Information: https://lebanesestudies.ncsu.edu/explore/awards/alixa-naff-prize/
- June 28, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Open Access Book – “Housing, Heritage and Urbanisation in the Middle East and North Africa”
This book explores the interconnection between housing, heritage and urbanisation. Bringing together architects, archaeologists, urban sociologists, urban designers, urban planners and landscape architects, this multi-authored and interdisciplinary volume presents diverse case studies from the Middle East and North Africa, shedding light on the past, present and future of residential spaces.
With its focus to traditional, modern and contemporary housing in Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia, Housing, Heritage and Urbanisation in the Middle East and North Africa explores the correlation between architecture, urban planning and society. The contributors critique the impact of rapid urbanisation and global architectural standardisation, which often goes beyond local identity. Instead, they advocate for a sustainable urban development rooted in community needs and cultural heritage.
Ultimately, this volume argues that successful urban planning must balance modernity with tradition, ensuring that housing reflects the lived experiences of its inhabitants. A crucial read for scholars and practitioners, it reaffirms that sustainable cities must be shaped by local needs, not just global trends.
Read and Download for Free: We are pleased to inform you that Housing, Heritage and Urbanisation in the Middle East and North Africa is freely available to read and download in both PDF and HTML formats. Access the full text here and explore the wealth of knowledge this publication has to offer.
Secure Your Copy: For those who prefer a tangible edition or who are interested in acquiring the book in ePub format, you can do so at https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0460
URL
https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0460
2. Untold Stories: Recognizing the People Behind the Art and Archaeology of the Ancient West Asian, Ancient Egyptian, and Islamic Worlds.
The Charles K. Wilkinson Lecture Series. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. June 30. Presentations: 2:00-5:00pm. Reception: 5:00-6:00pm.
Join the Met for a series of lectures highlighting little-known stories and contributors to the fields of Egyptian, Islamic, and Ancient West Asian art and archaeology.
2pm. “Unearthing Legacies: Egyptians Who Worked on The Met’s Early Twentieth Century Excavation,” with Isabel Stünkel, Curator, Department of Egyptian Art, The Met
3pm. “The Campfire Excavation: Bedouin Stories, Memories, and Archaeological Knowledge,” with Allison Mickel, Associate Professor, Lehigh University
4pm. “Celebrating the Uncelebrated: Craftsmen and Designers in Islamic Art and Architecture,” with Bernard O’Kane, Professor, American University in Cairo
This program is made possible by the Charles K. Wilkinson Lecture Series Fund. Free with Museum admission, though advance registration is required. Please note: Space is limited; first come, first served. Priority is given to those who register.
Watch the livestream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@metmuseum/streams (note: No registration or log in required to view the livestream).
URL
https://engage.metmuseum.org/events/education/talks/public-programs/grr/fy25/th…
3. The Idea of Persia: A Philosophical Enquiry
Ramin Jahanbegloo
Gingko, 2025
https://www.gingko.org.uk/publishing/books/the-idea-of-persia/
4. IIS: Hybrid event: ‘The abolition of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924’
London, 26.6.25, 17.00 UK time
5. IIS: In person: “But none sought out my secrets from inside”
Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series
3 July at 17.00 BST | Aga Khan Centre
Mawlana Jalal al-Din Mohammad Balkhi Rumi (d. 1273) is very often viewed among non-Muslims in isolation from his own background, largely because bestselling translations of selections of his poetry are much more widely read than any other sources for Sufism, and they provide little context. In this talk, Professor Mojaddedi examines Rumi’s writings both to situate him within the Sufi tradition and to highlight what that implies about the wider Islamic context which has too often been underappreciated
https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/ihtls-but-none-sought-out-my-secrets/
6. Call for Applications: BIRI Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
The British International Research Institutes (BIRI) – British Institute at Ankara (BIAA), British School at Athens (BSA), British Institute for Libyan and North African Studies (BILNAS), British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA), British School at Rome (BSR), British Institute for the Study of Iraq (BISI), British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS), Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL) and Egypt Exploration Society (EES) – invite applications for postdoctoral research fellowships as part of the project “Ottoman Mobilities and Interactions“. These full-time positions are funded until the end of March 2026, with the potential for this to be extended dependent on a successful internal funding bid application.
Applications must be submitted by 14 July 2025 .
More at:
https://biea.ac.uk/call-for-applications-postdoctoral-research-fellowships/
7. Ancient Civilizations of Afghanistan, From the Earliest Times to the Mongol Conquest
Warwick Ball
Reaktion Books, 2025
https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/ancient-civilizations-of-afghanistan
- June 24, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Fall 2025 Kurdish Language Instruction Program
As a key part of our humanistic approach to Kurdish studies, Zahra Institute is committed to offering Kurdish language instruction. Students can enroll in our Kurdish language offerings (Kurmanji and Sorani) as standalone courses or take them as electives in our MA and Certificate programs. Application deadline is 15 July and financial aid is available. To apply, visit our webpage: https://www.zahrainstitute.org/KLIOverview.html.
2. Available online: Arabic, Persian, and Turkic Poetics: Towards a Post-Eurocentric Literary Theory,
Hany Rashwan, et al, eds.
Oxford University Press, 2024
https://academic.oup.com/british-academy-scholarship-online/book/60334
3. Ars Orientalis invites submissions of innovative articles on the arts of the broad geographic area of Asia, from the ancient period to the contemporary.
We seek original, previously unpublished work that reflect insightful interventions, including but not limited to comparative or interdisciplinary approaches, multi-media content, and digital humanities methods. Manuscripts should be 8,000 to 12,000 words (including endnotes).
Ars Orientalis is a digital publication with a print-on- demand option. The digital volume also allows for the incorporation of other media, such as video, sound, and 3D models. Visual material must include permissions for print and online reproduction.
To submit or request more information, please email ArsOrientalis@si.edu .
We are currently accepting submissions for volume 57 to be published in December 2027. Articles must be received by September 1, 2025 to be considered.
For more contributor guidelines, please visit: https://asia.si.edu/research/publications/ars-orientalis/submit-research/ .
URL
https://asia.si.edu/research/publications/ars-orientalis/submit-research/
4. Gazing at Mecca and Medina: Premodern Representations of the Ḥaramayn
Series: Arts and Archaeology of the Islamic World, Volume: 23
Volume Editor: Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya
Brill, 2025
This volume presents a comprehensive collection of studies centered on the depictions of Mecca and Medina across diverse media, historical periods, and geographical contexts. By covering such an extensive temporal and spatial range, it provides readers with fresh and engaging interpretations and brings forward of overlooked and understudied materials, such as Acehnese manuscripts or Bosnian wall paintings.
Contributors: Deniz Beyazit; Guy Burak; Sergio Carro Martín; Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya; Haris Dervišević; Nicoletta Fazio; Barry Flood; Sabiha Göloğlu; Nurul Iman Rusli; Marika Sardar; Avinoam Shalem.
URL
https://brill.com/display/title/69107?srsltid=AfmBOordaNde-gbid83wbapgjdnarp1ZI…
5. Invisible East
Invisible Treasures – in person event, 1 July, 2025
Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre, Weston Library, Oxford, OX1 3BG
Join us for a screening of the short film Striking Gold: The Discovery of Medieval Documents from Afghanistan & a panel discussion on the ethical and practical challenges facing scholars and heritage institutions today.
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/invisible-east/invisible-treasures-in-person-event/e-qdddxe
6. Institute of Ismaili Studies (London)
Dissertation Writing Scholarship
https://www.iis.ac.uk/news/2025/june/dissertation-scholarship-2025/
Closing date: 30 September, 2025.
7. CFP – Global Histories – Heritage(s) 2026: Conference in Istanbul. Deadline: July 30
Conference dates: 6-8, July, 2026. Abstracts due: July 30, 2025 (Early); Dec 15, 2025 (Round One).
Place: Istanbul (+ virtual).
Definitions of heritages, cultural pasts and urban futures are intrinsically linked. They cross disciplines, geographies and times. They can be complex, contradictory and often contested. As a result, when we think about heritage we must think holistically. UNESCO is explicit about this. Heritage is related to place and the traditions of its peoples. The future of a city is connected to the history on which it was built. Questions of contemporary culture are always aligned with their past, and their future. In this context, heritage, culture and place are all entwined. To understand this interconnection requires historical knowledge, social context and an awareness of art and design, whether that be related to a community narrative or a global movement. It needs to be viewed through artworks, buildings, cities and objects, both ‘universal’ examples of architecture and sculpture, and more understated design vernaculars and local crafts. It needs to be seen as something ‘intangible’ – a sense of place and identity or the meaning ascribed to a city, neighborhood or local artwork. In short, it needs to be examined across disciplinary boundaries and scales. Seeking to engage with the varied ways in which we understand heritage, cultural pasts and urban futures then, this conference asks how we interpret these themes locally, regionally and internationally. It does so while seeing the host city, Istanbul, as a place that typifies the varied questions at play.
Visit the website: https://amps-research.com/heritages-global-histories/. See the announcement: https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20067340/cfp-global-histories-heritages-2026-conference-istanbul
URL
https://amps-research.com/heritages-global-histories/.
8. CFP – Travel Writing, Knowledge-Making and Ignorance in the Early Modern Period – Deadline June 30
9. Call for Proposals – Online Workshop, Historians of Islamic Art Association (HIAA), Deadline: July 15
Historians of Islamic Art Association (HIAA) is pleased to announce a call for Online Workshop proposals on diverse topics pertaining to our field, encompassing scholarship, teaching, and professional development.
These workshops will provide opportunities for members to engage in conversations on pressing issues that have bearing on the study of Islamic art and contribute to the advancement of the discipline and our community. HIAA will assist the workshop organizers in designing, staging, and promoting the event. Any current HIAA member in good standing may submit a proposal. The workshops will be held online. Proposals may encompass conventional panel-style workshops, but we also encourage our members to propose workshops in alternative formats. Resources from previous workshops can be found on the HIAA website.
Required Documents: Title & Description, a 150-word description outlining the workshop’s content, objective, and format; Potential Discussants (when relevant to the format), a list of 4-5 potential discussants; and Curriculum Vitae, a 2-page CV of the organizer.
Please submit your proposal to HIAA Secretary Emily Neumeier at sec.hiaa@gmail.com
Contact Email
10. Postdoctoral Research Fellowships on “Ottoman Mobilities and Interactions”
British International Research Institutes (BIRI)
We welcome scholars from history, anthropology, archaeology, art history, literary studies and related fields who are committed to innovative research on Ottoman mobilities in their diverse forms. We particularly welcome applications with an interest in the long nineteenth century, with preferred focus on Türkiye, the Middle East/West Asia, Greece, North and East Africa.
Deadline for applications: 14 July 2025. Information:
11. Ijtihad Journal for Islamic and Arabic Studies
Information: https://journal-ijtihadcenter.com/index.php/ijias/index
- June 21, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. A Swedish Officer’s Account of Turkey and Persia, 1816-1817
Mage, 2025
Carl Peter von Heidenstam, W Floor, transl.,
https://mage.com/underrattelser-a-swedish-officers-account-of-turkey-and-persia-1816-1817/
- June 17, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.UCLA Screening of Sloan Winner – JIN – A Kurdish film with themes of Jin Jiyan Azadi and Intersectionality– June 26th, 7-10 PM.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/jin-short-film-screening-tickets-1371989149479?aff=erelexpmlt
2. JSAI Volume 55 – Studies in Honour of Albert Arazi
We are pleased to announce the publication of volume 55 of Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam(JSAI). This peer-reviewed academic journal covers a range of subjects related to classical Islam, Islamic religious thought, Arabic language and literature, and the interaction between Islam and other civilizations. This honorary volume is presented to Albert Arazi of the Hebrew University and includes papers that highlight his diverse fields of academic interests.
As the flagship project of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Max Schloessinger Memorial Foundation is dedicated to providing high-quality research and analysis on the subject of Islam and Arabic studies. We are proud to have published 55 volumes of JSAI to date and we are confident that the latest addition will be of great interest to academics and researchers worldwide.
We invite you to visit our website at https://jsai.huji.ac.il/publications to learn more about JSAI.
The Editors
Max Schloessinger Memorial Foundation
Contact Email
URL
https://jsai.huji.ac.il/about-jsai-0
3. Columbia University – Lecturer/Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies
https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68808
4. Join us for our first Digital Lab event in Scotland! The event takes place Wednesday 2-3 July 2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland, with an optional 4 July special excursion to Glasgow. Our focus is on the intersections of Islamic art, architecture, video games/XR, digital cultural heritage and museum collections. This event will bring together our local and international community members and anyone else who shares our interest in bridging academic, video games/entertainment/XR+, and cultural heritage sectors for positive social impact. We’ll combine brief talks with hands-on workshops, and plenty of time for meeting fellow members of the Digital Lab community, strengthening our international connections, and sharing exciting new projects.
2-3 July Digital Lab Days Edinburgh
Day 1 Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of Edinburgh
Bridging the academy and video games/entertainment/XR
Digital Technologies for Islamic Art History & Cultural Heritage
Hands-On Workshop for Digital Cultural Heritage
Day 2
AM: Spotlight on Islamic art, University of Edinburgh Heritage Collections
PM: Spotlight on Islamic art, National Museum Scotland with Friederike Voigt (Principal Curator, West, South & Southeast Asian collections, Head of Asia Section, Department of Global Arts, Cultures and Design)
Optional 4 July Digital Lab Days Glasgow Field Trip
Introduction to Museums in the Metaverse, ARC-XR Lab, University Glasgow
Islamic collections session, Glasgow Life Museums Resource Center with Aisha Asghar (Assistant Curator, World Cultures – Art)
Contact Information
Dr. Glaire Anderson
Founding Director, Digital Lab for Islamic Visual Cultures & Collections
Senior Lecturer in Islamic Art, School of History of Art/ECA
Affiliate, Edinburgh Futures Institute
University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Contact Email
URL
https://dlivcc.kit.com/profile/events
5. The Medieval Mediterranean between Islam and Christianity
Crosspollinations in Art, Architecture, and Material Culture
Edited by Sami Luigi De Giosa and Nikolaos Vryzidis
AUC Press, 2025
https://aucpress.com/9781649031877/
6. CFP: American Historical Review, Special Issue on Methods for Archival Silence in Early History, Sept. 16
The American Historical Review seeks proposals for a special issue illustrating a range of methodological approaches to archival silence developed by scholars of early history. Articles may be grounded in any part of the world and address any topic as long as they are method-driven, focused on archival silence, and situated early within the periodization of your field.
About the Issue
What should historians do when our sources do not tell us what we want to know? Although this may be a universal experience of historical research, the problem arises in various forms. Some silences are intentional, others unintentional. Some sources are minimal, others extensive but off-topic. Some sources are inaccessible, some have not been preserved, some were never created. Sometimes we do not or cannot know whether our desired sources ever existed, or, if they did, what happened to them. Silences cluster around certain topics, places, and periods more than others.
Historians have articulated this problem in a variety of ways. This call uses the language of archival silence and silencing developed by Michel-Rolph Trouillard and Marisa Fuentes. It could have drawn on the concept of the subaltern (Ranajit Guha, Gayatri Spivak), strategically produced silence and plausible stories (Natalie Zemon Davis), records designed for jettison (Marina Rustow), hidden transcripts (James Scott), living oral traditions (Bethwell A. Ogot), or writing off the radar (James Lockhart), to name only a few.
Faced with archival silence, historians have developed a range of methods for working in, through, and around it. Some techniques and approaches have become characteristic of expertise in early periods. Others are applied by historians across specializations. These include but are not limited to reading against the grain; creative combination of well-known sources; creative use of unusual or little-known sources; oral and other forms of non-written record; technical skills in the so-called ancillary disciplines (numismatics, paleography, codicology, epigraphy, and more); interdisciplinary approaches to method (anthropology, archaeology, literature, linguistics, and more) and to what constitutes a source (climate data, aDNA, physical objects, art, and more); critical fabulation or disciplined imagination; and reframing our questions to build on our sources’ strengths.
Submitting a Proposal
Proposals should be submitted via Google Form by September 16, 2025. Proposals should be no more than 800 words in length and should address the following questions:
- What is your field of historical research? In the context of your field, why is your project considered early?
- Briefly describe the archive(s) or bod(ies) of sources on which your project is based. In what sense are these sources silent?
- Briefly describe the method(s) that you use to work with these sources. What methodological intervention does your project make, and why is it significant?
- What form will your project take in the journal?
We invite projects in a wide variety of forms. They can include, but are not limited to:
- Traditional research articles (no more than 8,000 words, excluding footnotes)
- Image- or video-centered projects
- Digital history/humanities projects
- Public history projects or virtual exhibitions
- Pedagogical projects that examine approaches to methodology and archival silence in the classroom
Decisions on proposals will be announced in November 2025. A positive decision does not guarantee publication in the journal but is rather an invitation to submit a full and complete version of the proposed project for peer review. The submission deadline for complete projects for peer review is May 1, 2026. We anticipate publication of the special issue in 2027.
Please contact the special issue editor, Hannah Barker (hannah.barker.1@asu.edu), with questions.
Contact Information
Hannah Barker
Associate Professor, School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies, Arizona State University
Contact Email
URL
https://www.historians.org/news-publications/american-historical-review/how-to-…
7. Birmingham Research Institute for History and Cultures
The Vernacular Millennium: Literary Cultures in History: International Multidisciplinary Workshop
19–20 June, University of Birmingham
Venue: G05, Institute of Advanced Studies(IAS), University of Birmingham, 54 Pritchatts Rd, Birmingham B15 2SA, UK
This hybrid workshop will discuss Sheldon Pollock’s book titled The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskrit, Culture, and Power in Premodern India (University of California Press, 2009). Since its publication fifteen years ago, Pollock’s massive book has profoundly reshaped how cultural and literary historians, as well as philologists specialising in the broadest possible linguistic fields, think about the development of languages and the relationship between language and politics. Pollock focused on Sanskrit and its impact on vernacular literary languages in India, suggesting stages for how as a cosmopolitan literary idiom it gave way to local languages. He offered a framework that successfully moved historical models for the development of literary languages away from nationalist teleology, which sees the rise of ‘national languages’ as connected to ethnic identity and as an inevitable process. Since the appearance of the book, scholars have applied Pollock’s vision to their own field, creating new ways of thinking about literary history, philology, historical linguistics, etc., whether in the western hemisphere or the Global South. While some have agreed and others have disagreed with Pollock, problematising his model’s applicability in certain linguistic traditions, critical engagement with his model has proven remarkably fruitful, whether speaking about languages of the ancient Near East, Antiquity, Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Early Modernity. This has undoubtedly created new ways of talking about premodern global connectivities and the contingency of the linguistic – and by extension, also the cultural – makeup of the modern world. It is now time to take stock of this impact. The workshop will bring together specialists of diverse linguistic traditions – historians, philologists and linguists from the UK and international academia. The regional and linguistic specialisations of the invitees will include Indology, Iranian, Turkic, Arabic, English, Spanish and Latin Studies.
Those interested but unable to attend in person can participate via Zoom via the links included below.
Thursday, 19 June
https://bham-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/83998767478?pwd=4iGaxo9gRCq0PsT4hAVBaKgWTsY7iS.1
Meeting ID: 839 9876 7478, Passcode: 430140
Welcome: 13:30-14:00 Soft opening
14:00-15:00 The Politics of Language in the Nile-to-Oxus Region
Ludwig Paul (University of Hamburg), “The Early History of New Persian”
Ferenc Csirkés (University of Birmingham), “Language Ideologies of Turkic in Premodern Iran”
Discussant: Leire Olabarria
15:00-15:45 Latinitas and Translation in the Medieval Christian West
Elena Caetano Alvarez (University of Birmingham), “Por aver remembrança”: Translation, Adaptation, and the Language of Empire in Alfonso X’s Historiography”
Discussant: Aengus Ward (University of Birmingham, Department of Modern Languages)
[15:45-16:15 Tea/ Coffee]
16:15-17:15 Cosmopolitan Multilingualism in the Early Modern and Modern West
Kamran Khan (University of Birmingham), “Language Citizenship Testing as Border Control”
Warren Boutcher (Queen Mary, University of London), “Beyond vernacularisation: The TextDiveGlobal project and the literary history of early modern Europe in the world”
Discussant: Jing Huang (University of Birmingham)
[18:30- Dinner – Syriana, Edgbaston]
Friday, 20 June
https://bham-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/81404724181?pwd=XckGnlagv9spC5G1JvabwGeqAyPoDu.1
Meeting ID: 814 0472 4181
Passcode: 512641
09:15-10:15 Cosmopolitanism and Vernacular Traditions in India
Imre Bangha (University of Oxford), “Moving on from the Language of Gods: Revisiting the Emergence of Hindi”
Roy Fischel (SOAS, University of London), “Telling the Local to the World: Cosmopolitan and its Boundaries in the Persianate Deccan”
Discussant: Ferenc Csirkés
[10:15-10:30 Tea/Coffee]
10:30-11:30 Keynote
Nicholas Ostler (Foundation of Endangered Languages), “History of Language Succession”
11:30-13:00 [LUNCH, buffet brought in to accompany round table]
Roundtable, (and next steps?)
8. The Islamic College:
An Online Panel Discussion On: Religious Experience in Abrahamic Traditions
Date: Wednesday 25 June 2025
Time: 6.00 P.M. – 8.30 P.M. (LONDON TIME)
| A Short Account of the Talk:
Religious experience is described in some detail in the Hebrew Bible and yet is not emphasized on the whole in later forms of the religion. There are some Jewish traditions for which experience is significant, but for most Jews it is not so important, and is perhaps replaced by practices such as prayer and law, or a commitment to social justice. There will be a discussion of how and why this occurred, what are its implications and whether or not this presents the religion with a problem. Bio Oliver Leaman is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kentucky and a member of the Accademica Ambrosiana, Milan . He is the author and editor of books and articles in Islamic, Jewish and Asian philosophy and culture, and his most recent book is the Routledge Handbook of Jewish Ritual and Practice, 2022, which he edited.. He remains the editor of the Routledge Jewish Book Series, one of the largest English language academic series of publications. A Short Account of the Talk: The Nature and Significance of Religious Experience: An Islamic Perspective Religious experience in Islamic thought is a profound encounter that fosters spiritual transformation, ethical refinement, and divine proximity. Rooted in the Qur’an and Hadith, it encompasses prayer (salat), supplication (du’a), contemplation (tafakkur), and mystical awareness (ma‘rifah), each serving as a pathway to deeper connection with God (Allah). Bio Hujjat al-Islam Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali is a distinguished Islamic scholar and philosopher. He studied at the Islamic Seminaries of Qum and also earned his BA and MA in Western philosophy from the University of Tehran and his doctorate in moral philosophy from the University of Manchester. He is the founding director of the Risalat International Institute, which focuses on Islamic curriculum development and educational training. Over the past 28 years, he has led seminars and courses in over 60 cities across four continents, contributing to Islamic education and interfaith dialogue. Dr. Shomali’s work in interfaith engagement has connected him with scholars and religious leaders in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. His publications include works on Islamic philosophy, ethics, and spirituality, such as Ethical Relativism, Self-Knowledge, Shi‘a Islam: Origins, Faith & Practices, and Lessons on Islamic Beliefs. Dr Shomali is co-editor of Catholics-Shi’a Dialogue volumes: A Short Account of the Talk: The Christian faith is born in religious experience: the miraculous birth of the Christ child, the many miracles of Jesus, his martyr death, his resurrection and ascension. Today the Christian life is often seen as beginning with the personal reception of a divine encounter with Jesus, called “conversion.” The topic of religious experience within Christianity takes many turns and the literature is rich with philosophers, psychologist, and theologians analyzing the authenticity, especially of the extraordinary accounts of such experiences. In his presentation, Professor Huebner will consider both the exceptional accounts of religious experiences as well as the “ordinary” ones. His main argument is “We could say that it is a religious experience whenever there is a “meeting” of the divine and the human. Or, whenever we receive an act in this world as divine.” Bio Harry Huebner is Professor Emeritus of philosophy and theology at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Canada. In the past few decades, he has been active in interfaith dialogue and teaching. He is the author of several books, his latest being An Introduction to Christian Ethics: History, Movements, People. |
https://islamic-college.ac.uk/event-register/
9. Dust That Never Settles: Literary Afterlives of the Iran-Iraq War is now available through Stanford University Press.
Ami Mousavi deals with the ways in which Iranian and Iraqi writers have dealt with the legacy of the war between their two countries in contemporary Persian and Arabic fiction.
https://www.sup.org/books/middle-east-studies/dust-never-settles
If you’re inclined to purchase one, you can get a 20% discount from SUP by using the code MOOSAVI20.
https://www.sup.org/books/middle-east-studies/dust-never-settles
10. Digital Methodologies for the Study of Religion Symposium
Wednesday 25th June
Coventry University
9.30am-4.15pm
This knowledge exchange symposium is part of the ESRC-funded Digital British Islam research project. Hosted by Coventry University, it will bring together scholars to critically engage with the uses, challenges, and future directions of digital methodologies for the study of religion. The draft programme for the symposium is available on here: https://digitalbritishislam.com/draft-symposium-programme/
Registration is free and includes access to all conference sessions, lunch, refreshments, and networking opportunities. Please note, we are not able to cover travel expenses on this occasion.
Please register on this link as soon as possible: https://digitalbritishislam.com/symposium-registration/
Places are very limited and registration will closed once full or on Wednesday 18th June.
11. IED lecture – 23/6 – Thijl Sunier ‘Making Islam work: Islamic Authority among Muslims in Western Europe’
Thijl Sunnier (VU Amsterdam) will close this first online lecture series with a talk on his latest book ‘‘Making Islam Work: Islamic Authority Among Muslims in Western Europe”.
Date: Monday, June 23rd, 3.00-4.30 pm CET
Registration link: click here to register and save your Teams access link
After his presentation, discussant Dominik Müller (Zürich University) will offer a response, followed by a Q&A
Abstract
Thijl Sunier: ‘‘Making Islam Work: Islamic Authority Among Muslims in Western Europe”.
Who speaks for Islam? Religious authority hinges on persuasiveness and addresses issues of truthfulness, authenticity, legitimacy, trust, and ethics within the realm of religious matters.
While Islamic authority may seem like an inherent status for Muslim scholars, tied to their knowledge of religious sources, Sunier argues that the process of establishing Islamic authority is a continuous dynamic.
His book Making Islam Work: Islamic Authority Among Muslims in Western Europe (Brill) analyses authority as a social and relational practice that extends beyond theological proficiency and personal status, even encompassing objects, activities, and events. Moreover, he contends that the development of Islamic landscapes in Europe is intricately linked to the evolution of Islamic authority.
In this talk, he will explore the diverse ways in which Islamic authority is constituted, with a specific emphasis on the role of ‘ordinary’ Muslims. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted among Muslims in Western Europe from the mid-1980s to 2020, he aims to shed light on the multifaceted dynamics of Islamic authority in this context.
Thijl Sunier is professor emeritus (VU University Amsterdam) and president of the Netherlands Interuniversity School for Islamic Studies (NISIS). His work focuses on the study of migrants in Europe, Turkey and the study of Islamic religious authority
Looking forward to seeing you there!
IED team (An Van Raemdonck, Iman Lechkar, Dominik Müller, Nadia Fadil, Aymon Kreil).
12. Nemati Book Award For Studies on Iran’s Minoritized Ethnic and Religious Communities
The Nemati Book Award honors exceptional monographs on Iran’s minoritized ethnic and religious groups. Established in memory of Mrs. Nemati [from Kermanshah in Iran], the award supports inclusive, interdisciplinary scholarship. The UNC-Chapel Hill Persian Studies Program administers this award in collaboration with the Association for Iranian Studies (AIS).
Prize: $1,000 (awarded biennially)
Eligibility: Books published in the past two years (January 1, 2024- December 31, 2025)
Focus: Communities such as Armenian, Assyrian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Bahá’í, Kurdish, Baluch, Yarsan, and others
Submission: Authors or publishers may submit a digital copy of the book, a nomination letter by authors/publishers, and a CV by January 31, 2026, to yaghoobi@email.unc.edu
13. Hedayat on Religion
Edited by M.R. Ghanoonparvar and Paul Sprachman
Contributors: Iraj Bashiri, Michael Beard, M. Mehdi Khorrami, Nasrin Rahimieh
Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2024.
https://www.mazdapublishers.com/book/hedayat-on-religion
14. The team of the UKRI-funded project Musical Lives: Towards an Historical Anthropology of French Song, 1100-1300 (MUSLIVE) invites expressions of interest from researchers at an early career stage (broadly conceived and inclusive of current PhD students) to participate in a workshop on 17th-18thSeptember at King’s College London.
Our intention is to bring together researchers whose work intersects with the project’s interests in the lives of poets or songmakers who lived in or travelled the Mediterranean, or whose work can be positioned within trans-Mediterranean cultural networks, in the period 1100 to 1300. We take a capacious view of “musical lives” to include all forms of performed speech, with or without melody. We welcome contributions which focus on Arabic, Hebrew, Latin or European vernacular poetic traditions (particularly medieval French and Occitan).
In lieu of a traditional conference paper, we will ask participants to present a primary source, be that an object, text (or extract of a longer text), or document, linked to the project’s core themes and timeframe. Prior to the workshop, participants will submit their object/source for distribution in advance (with English translation provided), along with a short contextual statement about it, some research questions you are working on, and how it might relate to MUSLIVE’s core themes (for example, how it contributes to building a musical life and/or network.) In the workshop, each participant will offer an informal introduction to their item for a maximum of 5 minutes, with ample room afterwards for generative and open-ended conversation in a convivial and supportive atmosphere.
We conceive of the workshop as the first step in an ongoing collaboration through which participants will have the opportunity to develop a chapter for submission to one of the project’s edited volumes. The workshop will be an in-person event, though we anticipate further workshops will be online and/or hybrid.
We ask potential participants to submit an abstract of no more than 250 words outlining their chosen source and their approach to it, along with a short CV. Please submit your materials by June 30th to muslive@kcl.ac.uk and feel free to contact us on that address with any questions.
The project is able to offer a number of bursaries to support travel and accommodation costs, with priority given to those who do not have access to institutional or other funding. Please indicate if you would like to be considered for a bursary when submitting your abstract.
MUSLIVE is a UKRI Frontier Research Grant, running 2023-2028. It was successfully evaluated by the ERC and funded by the UKRI Horizon Europe guarantee (EP/X022501/1). For more information about the project themes, see: https://muslive.kcl.ac.uk
Best wishes,
The MUSLIVE team
15. New Online Course: The Shahname: Introduction to the Iranian Epic
July 11 – August 29, 2025
Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature
https://ferdowsi.org/the-shahname-introduction-2/
16. HYBRID Lecture Reconstructing the Higher Thought of Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Shahrastānī (d.548/1153): Eclecticism or Intellectual Synthesis ?
by Dr. Toby Mayer (Institute of Ismaili Studies, London), INALCO, Paris, 16 June 2025, 18:15 – _20:00 CET
Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/2nu8pphy
17. “7th International Conference of the Mediterranean Maritime History Network”, University of Zadar, Croatia, 25-26 May 2026
Main themes: – _On the sea (seamen, ships, navigation, sea trade, war, piracy). – _Around the sea (maritime communities, islands, port cities, shipping, shipping-related, fishing and touristic businesses). In the sea (fishing, maritime resources, environment). – _Because of the sea (maritime transport systems and entrepreneurial networks, maritime empires, international and national maritime institutions and policy). – _About the sea (the maritime culture and heritage).
Deadline for abstracts: 30 September 2025. Information: https://conference.unizd.hr/mmhn2026/
18. Postdoctoral University Assistant (up to 6 Years) in Ottoman/Turkish Studies, University of Vienna
Qualification: Ph.D in Ottoman/Turkish Studies. – _Habilitation project in historical migration research focusing on Turkey. – _Research interests: migration history, minorities, spatial studies. – _Professional and methodological expertise in Ottoman/Turkish and European history, cultural theory, and digital humanities (DH). – _Excellent command of English, Turkish and Ottoman Turkish. – _Very good knowledge of Greek, Hebrew or Ladino.
Deadline for applications: 15 July 2025.
Information: https://jobs.univie.ac.at/job/University-Assistant-postdoctoral/1212816901/
19. Chapters on “The Aesthetics of Monotheism: Islam & the Hermeneutics of Art and Architecture” for Edited Volume of the Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar
The book explores theoretical and practical methods in historiography to examine the aesthetic foundations of Islamic art and architecture. It aims to build a framework grounded in Islamic aesthetics, critique orientalist perspectives, and expand understanding beyond architecture to include poetry, ornament, and music.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 July 2025. Information: Contact Ms. Rayan Khalil (rkhalil@hbku.edu.qa )
- June 14, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.HYBRIDE Journée d’étude „Étudier les polices au Moyen-Orient : penser les formes d’États du VIIIe siècle à nos jours“, CAREP Paris, 23 juin 2025, 09h30 – 17h30 CET
Information, programme, et inscription: https://tinyurl.com/3vnhd4dt
2. Symposium “Islamic Law in Comparative Perspectives: Milestones, Methods, and Epistemologies” in Honour of Professor Nadjma Yassari, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg, 3-4 July 2025
This event will celebrate the extensive and influential research of Professor Nadjma Yassari (Director of the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law) on Islamic law, as well as her outstanding contributions to the field of comparative law. The symposium will feature several panels that explore the past, present, and future of these disciplines together with former members of the research group, colleagues, and long-standing collaborators.
Information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/ne9vbuay
3. ONLINE 10th Conference of the American Association of Teachers of Turkic Languages (AATT): “Bridging Tradition & Technology in Teaching Turkic Languages: Strategies for the Future”, 17 October 2025
Deadline for abstracts: 15 July 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/e2s9k8mz
4. Research Conference on “AI Methodologies and Applications in Middle Eastern/Islamic World Studies”, Global Studies Centre, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait, 4-5 February 2026
Themes: 1. Opportunities/Challenges/Ethics in incorporating AI in the methodology of the Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines. – 2. Specific Social Sciences or Humanities research projects or applications with significant use of AI or other digital technologies in Middle Eastern and Islamic World Studies. – 3. AI applications in religious law, textual commentary and prophetic traditions. – 4. AI applications in the cultural heritage of the Middle East and Islamic World.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 October 2025. Information: https://www.gust.edu.kw/gsc
5. Assistant Professor (2 Years) in Political Science with Emphasis on the Middle East, The American University in Cairo
Requirements: A PhD is required at the time of appointment. Candidates should demonstrate excellence in teaching and have an active research agenda. Candidates with experience in and familiarity with the North American higher educational system are preferred.
Deadline for applications: 1 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/yeyjpf4a
6. Articles for the “Turkish Journal of Middle Eastern Studies (TJMES)”, Issue December 2025, Middle East Institute of Sakarya University
TJMES welcomes academic contributions to all aspects of the Middle East. TJMES prefers research written from multi-disciplinary perspectives and from a number of fields, including but not limited to international relations, politics, sociology, history, geopolitics, philosophy, war and peace studies, security, and economics. Particularly, the journal welcomes contemporary issues regarding the Middle Eastern countries.
Information: https://tinyurl.com/ycxyt3am
7. Intellect is pleased to present Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research 18.1.
For more information about the journal and issue click here:
https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-arab-muslim-media-research
and
https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/jammr/browse
- June 10, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.ONLINE Webinar The amazing technicolor Yusuf u Zulaykha manuscript from Bukhara in the Sissinghurst collection
with Jamie Comstock-Skipp
British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS), 18 June 2025, 5:00 pm UK Time
Jaimee Comstock-Skipp will give a lecture on a recently conserved illustrated Persian manuscript belonging to Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson located in Sissinghurst Castle. It is a copy of Yusuf and Zulaykha, a mystical love story composed by the poet Jami, made in Bukhara (present-day Uzbekistan) in the early 1570s. The manuscript is connected to an extraordinary period of commercial productivity in the absence of royal patronage, and is connected to spiritual and economic networks spanning Central and South Asia. The manuscript may have journeyed from its original creation site in Central Asia; was dispatched to India for sale in the country ca. late 16th century or early in the 17th; then perhaps it had a stint in Istanbul or Iran in the late 19th or early 20th centuries, before being carried off to British soil by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson. Or, Harold’s father, Arthur Nicolson—Lord Carnock—was part of the British Legation in Tehran and may have acquired it there earlier. The Bukharan manuscript testifies to thriving trade crossing continents in the early-modern period, as in our present age
Information and registration:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8_NWTitGS_uBEC98UpACIQ#/registration
2. ‘What the Qur’an really says about Jews, Judaism, and the Bible’
The event is generously hosted at the Aga Khan Centre and is sponsored by the Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Woolf Institute.
Date: 2 July 2025
Time: 13:00 – 14:30 (light lunch will be available from 12:15)
Location: Aga Khan Centre, 10 Handyside Street, London.
The event is free, but registration is required.
To register, please click here.
For more information about the event, please visit the event’s site here.
3. “Words Left Unsaid: A Tribute to Professor Franklin Lewis” a special issue of Middle Eastern Literatures edited by Sunil Sharma.
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/came20/27/1
4. Call for Submissions to an Edited Volume: Deadline July 1, 2025
“My Blood is Cheaper than Oil”: Arabic Literature and the Encounter with Petropolitics
How have 20th-century oil discoveries in the MENA region shaped the emergence of what came to be known as ‘Arab modernity’? How has modern Arabic literature reimagined domestic and social relationships with and through oil? And how have the increasingly precarious conditions of oil production, consumption, and theft over the course of a century transformed the Arabic literary imagination?
More than a material resource, oil is deeply entangled with the cultural production of home, nation, identity, race, religion, family, and legal status. Its presence permeates allegories, metaphors, literary genres, and framing practices. The violent traces of war and the haunting fumes of traumatic memory linger in the words and lacunae of Arabic literature. In Arabic discourse, oil has been both an evocative and lucrative symbol (of prosperity, modernity, war, and hegemony) and a material force shaping everyday life—driving urban development, education, the rise of civil society, the formation of a modern intellectual class, and traumatic phenomena such as epidemics, bodily deformities, forced migration, dispossession, and mass murder. Oil has also seeped into the domestic domain of literature, such as familial gestures, relations, affects, languages, and silences.
This edited volume seeks to center the narratives, affects, temporalities, and life worlds of oil in Arabic literature. From early encounters with oil discoveries and the rise of multinational petroleum industries to contemporary engagements with the aftermaths of petropolitics, the collection brings together diverse literary perspectives on oil’s profound impact on Arab cultures.
We invite chapter submissions for a peer-edited anthology on Arabic literature’s encounter with oil. Contributions may engage with Arabic poetry, short stories, or novels that explore the poetics and practices of oil culture in Arab spaces and their transnational ramifications. This call is open to a broad range of thematic and theoretical approaches. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Oil and migration, land dispossession, and diaspora
- Oil and archaeology, indigeneity, and monumental history
- Oil and war, coloniality, and environmental devastation
- Oil and transnationalism, globalization, and neoliberalism
- Oil and urban utopias/dystopias
- Oil as an archive and index of identity, race, and place
- Multisensory experiences of oil
- Memoirs of oil and empire
- Genealogies of oil
- Oil and the ecological nomad
- Storytelling through oil
Submission Guidelines:
Please send 250-word abstracts and a short bio to yhanoosh@gmail.com and yasminekhayyat@gmail.com by July 1, 2025. Notifications of acceptance will be sent within two weeks after the deadline. Full manuscripts (6000-10,000 words) will be requested by February 20, 2026.
For any inquiries, feel free to contact the editors at the email addresses above.
5. SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies
10 – 11 June 2025
This workshop, which takes place on two half-days and is taught in person and online, introduces researchers and wider audiences to strategies for preserving research investment using digital methods for the long term through data standards designed for sustainability. Using the collection of Zoroastrian manuscripts at the M.F. Cama Athornan Institute in Mumbai as a case study, the workshop sets out policies for creating digital heritage imagery for long-term preservation.
Workshop participants will be introduced to the creation of a research data repository and to technologies for subsequently annotating imagery and geo-locations. They will also learn how to preserve both images and annotations effectively for the long-term.
On the second half-day, students will get hands-on experience in creating repository accounts of their own. The state-of-the-art annotation techniques presented on day 1 will also be demonstrated in practice.
- Tuesday, 10 June 2025, 2pm – 5.30pm
- Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 9:30am – 12.30pm
For further issues or questions, please email sspizs@soas.ac.uk
6. Translating poetry from other languages into Persian: For whom, why, and how? (With special focus on Brecht.)
A Talk in Persian on Zoom followed by Q&A.
June 9, 2025, 17:30 ET
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7032021982?pwd=R1QzdnFBQzdvdzJjY1YvQXFJcXdpUT09
Meeting ID: 703 202 1982
At the invitation of the Association of Friends of Iranian Culture (Washington), Saeed Yousef will give a speech entitled “Translating Poetry from Other Languages into Persian: For Whom? For what? How to? ” (with special emphasis on Brecht) with questions and answers
The link to attend the program is mentioned above and more information can be obtained through the link below.
7. Séminaire “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du monde iranien”: annulation de la séance prévue ce jour, jeudi 5 juin 2025, et mise en ligne Canal-U
Nous sommes au regret de vous informer que la séance de clôture de notre séminaire prévue ce jour, jeudi 5 juin 2025, est annulée. L’intervention de Mme Alessandra Fiorentini sera reprogrammée dans l’édition 2025-2026 du séminaire “Sociétés, politiques et cultures du monde iranien” à partir de la rentrée prochaine.
Nous reprendrons nos activités en octobre, avec un nouveau binôme d’organisateurs, puisqu’après avoir contribué, sept années durant, à l’encadrement du séminaire, Samra Azarnouche passe la main à Simon Berger, qui rejoint Justine Landau dans ces fonctions. En notre nom à toutes et à tous, nous adressons nos très chaleureux remerciements à Samra pour sa contribution au succès du séminaire sur le long cours – et à Simon pour avoir accepté de reprendre le flambeau.
Nos remerciements les plus vifs vont également à celles et ceux qui ont œuvré pour la diffusion et la pérennisation de nos activités de recherche grâce à la création de la chaîne Canal-U du CeRMI – et avant tout à Poupak Rafii Nejad pour avoir conduit ce projet à bon port, accompagnée de Céline Ferlita (ARDIS) dans le traitement des enregistrements et les formations dispensées auprès des membres et doctorant.e.s de l’équipe. Un grand merci également à Maryam Momtahen et à Davide Scarfagna qui se sont donné la peine d’acquérir la formation technique nécessaire pour assurer la captation des séances cette année. Vous retrouverez d’ores et déjà nombre d’interventions, ainsi que l’ensemble des cinq Conférences Yarshater 2024 prononcées par David Durand-Guédy, sous ce lien : https://www.canal-u.tv/chaines/cermi
Enfin, merci à l’ensemble de l’équipe pour son soutien sans faille et son assiduité à ce séminaire, et à vous toutes et tous qui contribuez si activement à l’enrichissement de nos échanges et de nos discussions.
Dans l’attente du plaisir de vous retrouver à la rentrée prochaine, nous vous souhaitons un très agréable été.
Bien cordialement,
Les organisatrices –
Samra Azarnouche et Justine Landau
Contact: justine.landau@sorbonne-nouvelle.fr
8. Fons Vitae: Sufi masters conversation w/ Peter Sanders, Mostafa al-Badawi & Michael Sugich
A unique conversation recorded in Cairo in December 2022 between three men who have kept company with some of the great living sages of Islam.
Michael Sugich is the author of Signs on the Horizons: Meetings with Men of Knowledge and Illumination and Hearts Turn: Sinners, Seekers, Saints. Peter Sanders is the world’s pre-eminent photographer of the culture and spirituality of Islam. Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi was a student and disciple of Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad from 1979 until his master’s death in 1995. He has devoted the last thirty-five years to the translation into English and interpretation of the knowledge and wisdom of the Ba ‘Alawi Way.
https://fonsvitae.com/about-us/
9. BBC World Service: ‘The riddle of Iranian cinema’
10. We are delighted to announce the launch of the official MELA Notes YouTube channel!
Our new channel will serve as a digital platform to share recorded events, book talks, author interviews, and other content related to Middle Eastern librarianship, scholarship, archives, and publishing. Whether you are a librarian, scholar, student, or simply interested in the intersections of the Middle East and library science, we invite you to explore and engage with our growing archive.
We encourage you to subscribe, like, and share the videos to help us amplify the voices and research featured in MELA Notes.
Warm regards,
The MELA Notes Editorial Board
11. MELA NOTES Book Talks series: ‘The Wonder of the World: Travel Journals of Hajj Sayyah in the U.S. (1874–1875)’ by Ali Ferdowsi
Date: Thursday, July 3, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM Eastern | 2:00 PM Central | 12:00 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/97244878701
12. Conference of the IUAES Commission on Anthropology of the Middle East: “Anthropology Trans-forming, Middle East in Tension”, Institut Franꞔais des Études Anatoliennes (IFEA), Istanbul, 10-12 September 2025
Panels: 1. Medicalisation. – 2. Games and Sports. – 3. Human-Animal Relations. – 4. Gender and Sexuality in Iran and the South Caucasus at the Turn of the 20th Century. – 5. Memoirs, Life Histories, Stories, Narratives, Oral History and Memory: Individuals of Middle Eastern Societies. – 6. New Realities: The Role of Technology in Shaping Everyday Life in the Middle East. – 7. Rituals in Movement: Pilgrimage, Globalization, and Diaspora. – Etc.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 June 2025. Information: https://iuaes.ir
13. Gulf Studies Tenth Annual Conference of Gulf Studies: “Bridging Tradition and Progress: Social Transformation Trends in the GCC States”, Qatar University, 16-17 November 2025
As GCC states pursue ambitious national transformation agendas, this conference will explore how these states ba-lance modernization with the preservation of identity, heritage, and social cohesion. Themes include identity, education, family, migration, soft power, and more – framed by the region’s National Visions.
Deadline for abstracts: 20 June 2025.
Information: https://www.qu.edu.qa/en-us/research/gulfstudies-center/events/call-for-papers
14. PhD Candidate (100 %) in the History of Medieval or Early Modern Palestine, Institute for the History and Anthropology of Religions, University of Lausanne
Qualifications: M.A. in History or an equivalent qualification, with a specialization in Islamic history or the history of the Middle East. – Excellent command of Classical Arabic. Proficiency in another source language relevant to the PhD project. – Strong proficiency in the Palestinian dialect. – In-depth knowledge of Palestinian territory and its institutions. – Excellent academic proficiency in French and/or English. – Competence in the use of modern digital research tools.
Deadline for applications: 15 June 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3kb5n2yt
15. Three Doctoral Fellowships (1 Year) and one Postdoctoral Fellowship (6 Months) at the Center for Economic, Legal, and Social Studies (CEDEJ), Cairo
Fellows should be conducting research on modern and contemporary Egypt from humanities or social science perspectives. The fellows will reside in Egypt and participate in the academic life of the Center. They will receive office space, full access to the library, and a monthly stipend.
Deadline for applications: 15 June 2025. Information: communication@cedej-eg.org
16. Post-Doctoral Position (1 Year +) in the Project “Americas and the MENA Region” (American Studies/History), American University of Beirut
Requirements: Ph.D. in a relevant field, such as International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies, Latin American Studies, History, Sociology, or a related discipline. – A demonstrated research interest in the Americas and the MENA region. – Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment. – Knowledge of Arabic and/or Spanish is an asset.
Deadline for applications: 15 June 2025. Information: https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=68767
- June 07, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment