Categories : Academic items

1. Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies

TIAIS INAUGURAL  ARTICLE PRIZE COMPETITION WINNER

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature

Yerevan, Armenia

Website: www.ferdowsi.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. CfP: International Meeting of the SBL

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

 

1.UCLA: IRANIAN STUDIES OUTREACH/BILINGUAL LECTURE SERIES

Hasan Pirnia and Constitutional Experience: Articulation of Public Law and the Prospects of Modern State in Iran, 1905-1925

Ali Gheissari

University of San Diego

Persian Lecture

Sunday, January, 25, 2026 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time

Royce Hall 314

English Lecture

Monday, January 26, 2026 at 11:00am Pacific Time

Bunche Hall 10383

Hybrid Zoom option is available both days:

https://ucla.zoom.us/j/92182697630

 

 

 

 

 

2. BRAIS Annual Conference 2026: Call for Papers deadline Monday 5 January 2026

 For further information, and to submit your paper or panel proposal, click HERE.

BRAIS 2026 will be hosted by the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (Aga Khan University) & The Institute for Ismaili Studies, London on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 May 2026. We look forward to seeing many of you there!

If you have any questions at all about the conference, please do not hesitate to contact us on: brais.conference@ed.ac.uk.

 

 

 

 

 

3. CfP: Hispano-Arabic Mirror in the Mediterranean: How Art and Culture Keep Crossing Paths in the Basin

Description of the Volume:

This seminal study contributes to the advancement of hybrid cultures and identities, the editors of

this monograph aim to scan and materialize the multiple connections across the Mediterranean basin that

often times are overlooked. Cross-cultural intertwining between the Arab culture and the region of Northern Africa and Spain have been constant since the middle ages, as Andalusia, for example, was a melting pot of ethnicities. The mirror (evoking the “buried mirror” concept developed by Carlos Fuentes in 1992 in the book entitled the same), reflecting north and south, south and north, has been hiding in plain sight for centuries and this intertwined history has countless manifestations, including a current revival of this connection due to global migratory trends. The volume aims to bring to light new ways of understanding these imbrications.

The goal is to contribute to the debate and enhance the relevancy and current nature of these relationships from different perspectives, focusing on how much these cultures have in common rather than looking at the differences. For this reason, this project welcomes proposals that analyze past and present literary, filmic, artistic or cultural manifestations, and new ways in which these civilizations keep sharing paths, inevitably.

This volume is also open to other themes and lines of research not explicitly mentioned but that align with the central vision of the volume.

Possible lines of study, but not limited to:

-Artistic influences, a two directional path

-Aesthetic intertwine and crosspollination

-Literary shared spaces and intertextuality

-Visits, invasions, settlements, and legacies

-History of ideas: Intersections between art and society

-Thought and progress, contributions and mutual symbiosis

-Visible and not so visible overlaps and common understanding

-Revisions of manifestations that highlight the Mediterranean connection

-From the basin to the world: fusion culture exported or implanted in other parts of the world

-Hybridity conceptualization and theorical analysis in relation to the Hispano-Arabic culture

Timeline:

April 15th 2026: Reception of proposals: Title and Summary (200 words approx.).

November 31st 2026: First full version of the chapter to be completed.

Year 2027: Publication of the volume.

Length and Style:

No more than 20-22 pages (including notes, bibliography, illustrations, etc.) MLA style format (word length between 6000-8000 words), written in English.

Send proposals in English to:

Jorge Gonzá lez del Pozo jorgegdp@umich.edu & Wessam Elmeligi elmeligi@umich.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Call for Papers – al-Karmil: Studies in Arabic Language and Literature (2026 Volume)

We warmly invite high-quality, original submissions in the fields of Arabic language and Arabic literature. Articles may be submitted in either Arabic or English. All submissions received by 1 May 2026 will undergo double-blind peer review. Accepted papers are expected to be published in the last quarter of 2026.

Al-Karmil is committed to publishing rigorous and innovative scholarship, and we particularly welcome contributions that engage with classical, medieval, and modern Arabic texts from linguistic, literary, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

For reference, you may consult the journal’s most recent issue (2025) at the following link:

Al-Karmil Volume 46 Issue 1-2 (2025)

 

 

1. News from Invisible East

We have made significant improvements to the Invisible East Digital Corpus (IEDC). Alongside a sixth release of documents, and Persian language functionality, tagging has been introduced to the site, which significantly enhances the value of the IEDC as a research tool. We have had a busy term featuring schools outreach, teaching on a six-week lecture series for Oxford Lifelong Learning, as well as presenting at conferences.

We have published three new Documents of the Month, including two on the Bamiyan Papers which are digitised in the IEDC: a Judeo-Persian letter and a fragment of a treatise dealing with pre-Islamic festivals.

The Islamicate East series

Three books in The Islamicate East series are now listed on the EUP website and will be arriving in bookstores soon. Use NEW30 for a discount of 30% from the listed price:

• In print from 31 December 2025: The Warehouse of Bamiyan. Economic Life in Medieval Afghanistan by Arezou Azad, with a contribution by Pejman Firoozbakhsh (former Invisible East Postdoc);
• Expected January 2026: Persian World Histories in the Mongol Era. The Transmission and Reception of Rashid al-Din’s Jami al-Tawarikh, edited by Tomoko Masuya, Osamu Otsuka and Masatomo Kawamoto; and
• Expected January 2026: The Rise and Fall of the Barmakids: Stories from a Forgotten Persian Manuscript, translated and annotated by Pejman Firoozbakhsh and Arezou Azad.

 

The hybrid series Rethinking History: Returning Archives and Documents resumes in January. Registration is essential. Join us for:

• Wednesday 14 January 2026, 5PM UK time: ‘Documents from Turbulent Times: Studying Middle Persian Collections from the Late Sasanian and Early Islamic Periods—Opportunities and Challenges’, with Nima Asefi, Universität Hamburg.
• Wednesday, 11 February 2026, 5PM UK Time: ‘Archaeology as National Archive: Hertzfeld’s History of Iran’, with Jennifer Jenkins, University of Toronto.
• Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 4PM UK Time: ‘Documenting Space: Waqf-Namehs, Architecture, and the Social Function of Qajar Madrasas’, with Maryam Heydarkhani, University of Oxford.

1. Quand la scène s’empare du traumatisme : Métadiscours des artistes arabes contemporains / When the Stage Engages with Trauma: Metadiscourses of Contemporary Arab Artists (Nancy)

Université de Lorraine, Nancy, le vendredi 13 mars 2026

By focusing on the discourses produced by artists – creative correspondence, directors’ notes, interviews, program-matic texts, rehearsal journals, artistic manifestos, and other critical postures and positionings – this study day seeks to shed light on the processes through which scenic and performative practices transform traumatic experience into an aesthetic engine, a political stance, and a form of engagement with audiences and societies.

Deadline for abstracts: 31 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdhcry9u

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Summer School: “Decompartmentalizing the Study of Religion: The Middle East and its Diasporas (Late 19th – 21st Centuries) – Lexis, Mapping and Staging”, Organized by ANR PredicMO, IREMAM, CNRS, AMU, IFAO, IFPO, EFR, NVIC and University of Groningen, Cairo, 10-17 October 2026

Dive into an innovative, cross-disciplinary exploration of religion in the Middle East and its diasporas (late 19th – 21st centuries). This summer school focuses on breaking down confessional and disciplinary silos through lexicons, media, and spatial dynamics, fostering a connected approach to religious phenomena.

Deadline for applications: 12 February 2026. Information: https://predicmo.hypotheses.org/category/ecole-dete

 

 

 

3. Seeking North African and Arabic Scholars to Write and Edit Bloomsbury’s “Trans Studies” Book Series

High priorities for the series include books explore Arabic influences on transgender issues, as well as works that examine transgender and nonbinary topics with reference to specific North African linguistic, national, and regional groups. We encourage authors from around the world to contribute to the series, incorporating culture-specific insights as feasible. Books written from a postcolonial perspective are especially welcome.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/3sadpnym

 

 

 

 

 

4. Chapters for Sourcebook on “Moving Stories: Sectarianisms in the Global Middle East”

We seek to publish a Sourcebook that reflects the capacious range of sources that speak in the widest way to the interplay between processes of Ottoman mobility, migration, and identify formation in a period of Middle Eastern history spanning roughly from 1860 to 1930. We are especially interested in previously unpublished sources in languages as varied as Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek, Syriac, Coptic, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/3f7pvjbc

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Call for Articles on “On Both Sides of the Border: Muslims in Garb al-Andalus and Portugal During the Middle Ages” for the Journal “Hamsa: Journal of Judaic and Islamic Studies”

The aim of this monographic issue is to serve as a compilation and new impetus for this research into the Muslim presence in Portuguese lands, both under the sphere of Andalusian influence (Garb al-Andalus) and under Christian rule (Portugal).

Deadline for articles: 28 February 2026. Information: https://journals.openedition.org/hamsa/5249

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. The Transformation of Turkish Foreign Policy

Islamism and Nationalism

Hasan Kösebalaban

Information: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-the-transformation-of-turkish-foreign-policy.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Parution : “Un printemps ottoman. La révolution jeune-turque de 1908” par François Georgeon, Les Belles Lettres, 16/01/2026, 306 pages

Information: https://www.lesbelleslettres.com/livre/9782251458250/un-printemps-ottoman

 

 

 

 

 

8. “Defying the Violence: Lebanon’s Visual Arts in the 1980s” Edited by Nadia von Maltzahn, Orient-Institut Beirut, Manzir Journal 7, 17 December 2025, 264 pages

Information and complete text: https://bop.unibe.ch/manazir/issue/view/1535

 

 

 

 

 

9. University of Exeter:

Recordings of Monday Majlises

All of them, and those before, starting in 2022, can be accessed on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8YRkUahFj_81oJzCSDLTx4kVQQgeHLc-

 

6^th of October (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

John Esposito, Among the Believers: A Journey in Islam, the Muslim World and Global Politics

Recording available at https://youtu.be/2TosfWwvbJg

13^th of October (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

Said Reza Huseini, The Arab Conquests in Bactria: Local Politics and Arab Domination (651–750 CE)

Recording available at https://youtu.be/Aoxr-C_RSKs

27^th of October (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

Badr Tachouche, The Chanting Faqihs: Retuning Islamic Discourse through Muwashshahs and Zajals

Recording available at https://youtu.be/r9UV0Xyd2f0

3^rd of November (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

Michael Shenkar, Sogdian Civilisation and the Arab Conquest.

Recording available at https://youtu.be/dmtOwZXLqM8

10^th of November (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

Godefroid de Callataÿ and Laura Tribuzio, A Ruby Which Is Not a Ruby: Symbol, Substance, and Political Imagination in Timurid and Mughal Thought.

Recording available at https://youtu.be/VD81qXyz_l4

17^th of November (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

Edith Szanto, Mourning and Performing: Twelver Shi‘ism in Ba‘ath Syria

Recording available at https://youtu.be/akoNLAeKLpI

24^th of November (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

Safa Mahmoudian, Palace Gardens in Lower Mesopotamia: 8th–11th Centuries

Recording available at https://youtu.be/7V98hHUe6tc

1^st of December (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

Pranav Prakash, Unravelling a 17^th Century Persian Translation of Śiva Purāṇa

Recording available at https://youtu.be/q6IiXrvOD7M

8^th of December (Monday) 17:00-18:30 (UK time).

Alireza Doostdar, Facing Satan: The Iranian Revolution and Its Demons

Recording available at https://youtu.be/9mXzcTmEPD8

 

1. Before World Literature: The Trickster Tales of al-Ḥarīrī in an Age of
Commentary

M Keegan

Is now available for pre-order. Until the end of December, there
is a 40% discount with the discount code PENN-HOLIDAY25, which means the
hardcover should cost less than $40 in the US with shipping

https://www.pennpress.org/9781512828870/before-world-literature/

 

 

 

 

 

2. Summer 2026 Arabic Language Study with Indiana University

https://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/summer-language-workshop/overview/languages/arabic/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.Summer 2026 Pashto Language Study with Indiana University

https://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/summer-language-workshop/overview/languages/pashto/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Summer 2026 Persian Language Study with Indiana University

https://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/summer-language-workshop/overview/languages/persian/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

5. Global Histories of MENA in the 20th Century – A Primary Source Collection

A new OA primary source collection, “Global Histories of MENA in the 20th Century,” that just went online at Exeter U.’s DAME project at:

https://humanities-collections.exeter.ac.uk/dame/s/en/item-set/15399

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. GLECC2026 Conference – Call for Papers
The second International Conference on Globalisation in Languages, Education, Culture and Communication (GLECC2026) is going to be held 28-30 July 2026, Manchester, UK.
The past two decades have witnessed remarkable advancements in the studies into Education, Second and Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting, Cultural Studies, and Communication. This growth, evident in both the number of active researchers and the volume of scholarly throughput and outcomes, can be largely attributed to the forces of globalisation. Consequently, adopting the globalisation perspective is timely and provides a natural framework for connecting these diverse yet interlinked disciplines.
This conference aims to bring together researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers from the realms of education, foreign and second languages, cultural studies, translation, interpreting, and communication to disseminate research outcomes, share insights, discuss findings, exchange visions, and identify challenges and trends in an interactive and immersive multidisciplinary environment.
The conference is co-organised by AT Publishing in association with its journals namely, Research in Education Curriculum and Pedagogy: Global Perspectives (RECAP) [ISSN: 2977-1633]; New Perspectives on Languages (NPL) [ISSN: 3033-490X]; The International Journal of Chinese and English Translation & Interpreting (IJCETI) [ISSN: 2753-6149]; and Recent Advances in Humanities Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) [ISSN: 2978-1345]. There is a “conference first” policy in place. Selected papers will be invited to further develop into full journal articles free of APCs.
Conference proceedings will be published open access with an ISBN.
Visit https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglecc.org%2F2025%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C3218ca8c4aaf4ba290d508de3d651984%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639015701609963702%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=v2Cfai5dguRn6k5II4B1JPLk7cgHejw8PEMfAexWhzU%3D&reserved=0to find out what the 2025 conference was like and the feedback from the participants, as well as the conference proceedings https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglecc.org%2Fsubmission%2Findex.php%2Fportal%2Fissue%2Farchive&data=05%7C02%7C%7C3218ca8c4aaf4ba290d508de3d651984%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639015701609993132%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=VSv1KjYx8FVQHfzp%2FmQxX7Z8U%2FJvVl4Yx3MAohoh7SI%3D&reserved=0
Submission deadline: 30 April 2026

 

 

 

 

 

7. Intimacies of Global Sufism,

Ne’matullahi Shrines and Material Culture Between Iran and India

Peyvand Firouzeh

Indiana, 2025

https://mngbookshop.co.uk/9780253074140/intimacies-of-global-sufism/

 

 

 

 

 

8. Iranian Solar Calendar and Endurance of Nowruz in Persian Time Culture
Abbas Amanat

Asemana, 2025

https://asemanabooks.ca/solar-calendar-and-iranian-identity/

 

 

 

 

 

9. The Piruzai of Afghanistan: A Visual Ethnography
Nancy Lindisfarne-Tapper and Richard Tapper
Read more

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Senior Program Officer, Research & Learning
Scholars at Risk Network
Scholars at Risk is seeking a highly-organized, proactive and detail-oriented researcher/trainer for SAR’s research and learning team. The Senior Program Officer will play a key role in building out a new project focused on responding to recent threats to higher education in the US and abroad. The project will focus on producing reports, models, and guidance address recurring patterns of threats to higher education.

Deadline | 5 January 2026
More information

 

 

 

 

 

11. Assistant Professor in Political Science with emphasis on the Middle East
The American University in Cairo
The Department of Political Science invites applicants for an assistant professor position in Political Science with an emphasis on the Middle East starting Fall 2025. The position is on a 2-year fixed-term contract. Teaching responsibilities include a combination of courses at the BA and MA levels in Political Science, Comparative Politics of the Middle East, Introduction to Political Science, Research Methods, International Politics of the Middle East, and Comparative Theory.

Deadline | 10 January 2026
More information

 

 

 

 

 

12. Research Officer, Middle East Centre
London School of Economics
The Research Officer will work under the direction of the Director of the Middle East Centre at LSE, Dr Katerina Dalacoura. They should have proven expertise in at least one aspect in the study of secularity in the Middle East: government policy, religiosity, foreign policy and foreign relations, and the sociological aspects of secularisation (in relation to state institutions).

Deadline | 14 January 2026
More information

 

 

 

 

 

13. Post-Doc on the U.S. and SWANA Region
American University of Beirut
The purpose of the postdoctoral fellowship is to encourage original research on how U.S. economic and financial policies shape outcomes in the Global South, with a particular focus on their consequences for the Southwest Asia and North Africa region. Eligible candidates should hold a PhD (or be close to completing their PhD at the time of application) in Economics or a closely related field.
Deadline | 15 February 2026
More information

 

 

 

 

 

14. Call for Papers | A Sourcebook: The Global Archives of Mobility and Identity in the Ottoman Twilight

The Sourcebook will make available to readers an exciting and wide-ranging set of primary sources, including family records, diaries, correspondence, official documentation, oral history, and community newsletters, in order to present a global story of Ottoman mobility in unprecedented detail. This call for papers invites expressions of interest from potential contributors to this Sourcebook, who are interested in providing examples of relevant primary sources along with short contextual commentaries.

Deadline | 16 January 2026
More information

 

 

 

 

 

15. Small Grants Program “Constantine Zurayk: Nation, Identity, and History: Towards New Agendas”

The Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) is pleased to launch the ninth cycle of its Small Grants Program and the second on the theme of “Constantine Zurayk: Nation, Identity, and History: Towards New Agendas.” This grant, with a duration of 5-6 months, supports individual researchers up to three years out of the PhD and PhD students in advanced stages of their studies, in the social sciences and humanities, to conduct a research project on the Arab region on the theme of “Constantine Zurayk: Nation, Identity, and History: Towards New Agendas.”

Deadline | 12 February 2026

More information

 

 

 

 

 

16. Louvre Abu Dhabi Research Fellowship & Grant Programme (2025-2026)

The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Research Fellowship Programme supports innovative work in art history, archaeology, museum studies, conservation, and heritage science. Launched in 2024, this Fellowship Programme enters its second edition in 2025, consolidating the museum’s role as a global platform for research and knowledge exchange. Fellows conduct research on-site using the museum’s Resource Center, Conservation Center and Scientific Laboratory – the first of its kind in the Gulf for material analysis.

Deadline | 7 February 2026
More information

 

 

 

 

 

17. Call for Papers | ​Specters of the Undercommons

This transdisciplinary conference invites contributions from scholars, practitioners, and artists working in the realms of humanities and beyond. Contributions may explore (among other themes): catastrophe and its racial, material, and ecological entanglements; acts and modes of affective witnessing through grief, celebration, and/or resistance; the metaphysical and cosmological as sites of spatialised anticolonial and antiracist thought; and spectral, fugitive, or insurgent modes of knowledge related to the undercommons that challenge institutional politics.

Deadline | 8 January 2026

More information

 

 

 

 

18. The British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS) is currently seeking a part-time Junior Assistant to support its work in promoting scholarship and research excellence on all aspects of Iran and the wider Persianate world.

The role suits a well organised and methodical person, with an interest in the development of processes. The ideal candidate will be able to work both under supervision and semi-independently when required, will be proactive and enthusiastic and ideally interested in the promotion of the Persianate world, its history and culture.

The Junior Assistant will provide support in the following areas: Communication, Outreach, and Administration. It is expected that from time to time the Junior Assistant will be asked to undertake tasks other than those specified above, under the supervision of their line manager.

To be eligible, candidates must already have the right to work in the UK.
Location: London

Salary: £25,000 pro rata, subject to annual review

Contract: Fixed term

Closing date for applications: 05 January 2026, 5PM
Additional information about the role is available here.

To apply, email your CV and covering letter to:
bips@thebritishacademy.ac.uk

 

 

 

 

 

19. Aria Fani and Adeeba Shahid Talukder’s translation of Bijan Jalali’s poetry (Asemana Books, 2025) has won the MLA–Roth Translation Prize for 2025.

Shape of Extinction
Poems by Bijan Jalali
Translated from the Persian by Adeeba Shahid Talukder and Aria Fani
Preface by Domenico Ingenito
Critical Introduction by Aria Fani
Cover illustration and artwork by Amelia Ossorio

ISBN: 978-1-0690210-8-3
Publication date: May 9, 2025

https://asemanabooks.ca/shape-of-extinction/

 

 

 

 

 

20. First Virtual Research Workshop by the “Middle East Studies Association (MESA)”, 2-4 June 2026

Proposals should relate to MESA’s mission of scholarship and advocacy primarily concerning the region of the Middle East (including Southwest Asia, the Arab world, and North Africa) from the seventh century to today, though not at the exclusion of earlier time periods. Other areas of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas – including diaspora communities – are also included as part of the study of the transnational dimensions of the societies of the Middle East in an interdisciplinary and comparative context.

Deadline for abstracts: 9 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdfhh2sv

 

 

 

 

 

21. Conference “Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Landscapes in Language, Society, and Cognition – Emerging Landscapes: Languages and Landscapes in Conflict”, Prague, Czech Republic, 16-18 September 2026

Landscapes are frontiers. We would like to encourage researchers to explore this frontier, emergent character of landscapes from an interdisciplinary perspective incorporating linguistic and extra-linguistic insights.

Deadline for abstracts: 31 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/v8ruhww4

 

 

 

 

 

22. Research Seminar on “Reproductive Ethics and Kinship in Contemporary Islamic Thought and Practice”, Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics, Hamad bin Khalifa University & SOAS, Qatar, 11-13 January 2027

We seek contributions that explore everyday decisions and moral frameworks that shape intimate and family life, including kinship norms, partner selection, fertility choices and reproductive technologies. The papers should highlight how Islamic ethical reasoning both informs and is shaped by lived experiences, social realities and political agendas. To be published at Brill Publishers.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4my48n4n

 

 

 

 

23. 14 Postdoctoral Fellowships (2 years) – Germany

The fellowships are available to researchers from all over the world and from any discipline represented at one of the three universities with a minimum of one year and a maximum of seven years of post-doctoral experience, who cannot conduct or continue their work in the USA appropriately because of actual political pressure.

Deadline for applications: 9 January 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3j7bh626

 

 

 

 

 

24. Managing Director of the Economic Research Forum (ERF), Cairo

Qualifications: A PhD degree in economics, or a related discipline. – A minimum of 15 years of experience in leadership positions. – Demonstrated excellence across a spectrum of areas, including: Intellectual Leadership. – Management & Financial Leadership. – Funding Mobilization. – Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage a network that represents the full diversity of the MENA region.

Deadline for applications: 31 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/a8usr6mt

 

 

 

 

25. Research & Teaching Fellow (1 Year) for the Hoover History Lab (Focus GCC), Stanford University

We prioritize research on war and diplomatic history, economic and financial history, political and institutional history, and science and technology history from the 18th century to the present. We are open to any specific topic and to all regions of the world. Candidates must have a Ph.D. or its equivalent by the time they start.

Deadline for applications: 2 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/9ymrrm5d

 

 

 

 

 

26. Visiting Assistant Professor of Global Studies (2 Years), Focus on Race and Global Inequality, Colby College, Waterville, Maine

We seek an innovative inter- or transdisciplinary scholar and teacher, either trained in an interdisciplinary program or with a strong and demonstrated commitment to inter- or transdisciplinary methodologies in their research and pedagogy. Areas of focus within race and global inequality could include indigeneity, sovereignty, borders, environ-ment and climate change, human rights, health and medicine, among other areas of specialization.

Deadline for applications: 5 January 2026. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/178425

 

 

 

 

27. “Mobility Grant for Doctoral Students 2026-2027 (9 Months)”, IFEA Institut français d’études ana-toliennes, Istanbul

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in research and be enrolled in a doctoral program at a French university at the time of taking up the position (no nationality requirement). The grant is contingent upon residency in Turkey for the duration of the period. Subject Fields: Archaeology, Ethnic History, Humanities, Social Sciences, Urban History.

Deadline for applications: 5 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mrsehtsz

 

 

 

 

 

28. Interdisciplinary Summer Academy: “Reading the City: Epigraphy and Space in Istanbul in Ancient, Byzantine, and Ottoman Times”, Orient-Institut Istanbul, 21-27 September 2026

Through seminars and field excursions, participants will engage directly with epigraphic monuments – from palatial gates to Bosporus shorelines – while discussing their spatial, performative, and material dimensions. The Academy encourages interdisciplinary dialogue bridging philology, history, and art history in a collaborative and inspiring environment.

Deadline for applications: 3 January 2026. Information: https://oiist.org/call-for-applications-reading-the-city/

 

 

 

 

 

29. Contribute: Innovation During The Later Crusades: War & Society 

Innovation During The Later Crusades: War & Society
edited by Martin Neuding Skoog and Stefan Stantchev

Topics: Aspects of “the military revolution” in the context of the later crusades. – Changes in weapons technology and their impact on warfare. – Changes in styles of fortifications and siege warfare in late medieval frontier societies. – Innovation and change within military organizations, tactics and logistics. – Studies of innovation and change within target polities such as the Seljuk Turks, the Mamluks, the Ottomans and others.

Deadline for proposals: 31 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdhpwbcm

 

 

 

30. Chapters for Volume “Arab Sociologies in Post-Uprising Transformations”,

Questions: 1. How did sociology in the past 15 years contribute to processes of variation of discourses and practices, which may lead to a variety of alternative paths? – 2. How did sociology contribute to selection of particular discourses? – 3. Did sociology contribute to retention of specific resonant discourses, a process in which discourses and practices are included in individual and collective routines and identities?

Deadline for abstracts: 10 January 2026. Information: Contact Sari Hanafi sh41@aub.edu.lb

 

 

 

 

 

31. Call for Articles on “Political and Socio-Economic Transformations in MENA” for the “Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (JSAMES)”, AUC

Under this general theme, we welcome contributions that focus on political processes and institutions, patterns of conflict and cooperation (both within and across countries and non-state actors), economic transformations, the political economy of inequality, environmentalism, and securitization and change in the region, as well as other related topics.

Deadline for abstracts: 6 January 2026. Information and contact: dina.baslan@villanova.edu

 

 

 

 

32. CfP

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

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

 

1. Symposium “Ottoman Mobilities and Interactions”, British International Research Institutes (BIRI) & Sabancı University, Istanbul, 13-14 April 2026

Investigating the Ottoman Empire as a dynamic web of circulation in which people, objects, and ideas continually reshaped the imperial fabric.

Deadline for abstracts: 16 January 2026. Information: https://biaa.ac.uk/cfp-ottoman-mobilities-and-interactions/

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Workshop “Gulf-South Asia Relations in an Era of Deepening Interdependence”, Directed by Zahid Shahab Ahmed and Mujtaba Ali Isani at the “16th Gulf Research Meeting”, Cambridge, 21-23 July 2026

The workshop aims to unpack the multidimensional nature of contemporary Gulf–South Asia relations, by focusing on economic, political, strategic, technological, and cultural dimensions. It seeks to analyze the structural drivers of this transformation, including both internal and external factors, to assess how these forces are shaping patterns of interdependence, cooperation, and competition. The workshop will particularly focus on understanding the policy choices and strategic calculations.

Deadline for abstracts: 5 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3e569jhc

 

 

 

 

 

3. Short-term Fellowships on the Theme “Praying in a Machine World: Technology & African and Middle Eastern Religious Cultures”, Library of Congress, Washington DC

Researchers are encouraged to propose projects that utilize new methodologies, interdisciplinary approaches, or comparative perspectives. Fellowships will be offered to individuals with doctoral degrees in the humanities or social sciences.

Deadline for applications: 9 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/85ch7zk3

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. PhD Programme of the European University Institute (EUI) on Middle Eastern Studies, Florence

The Department of History at the EUI welcomes projects in Mediterranean history, Ottoman history, and the history of the Middle East and North Africa, represented by Professor Giancarlo Casale and Professor M’hamed Oualdi. Students interested in Ottoman history will also have the opportunity to take part in the Ottoman History Working Group.

Deadline for applications: 15 January 2026. Information: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/138943

 

.

 

 

 

5. ONLINE Course “Introduction to Arabic Manuscript Studies”, Summer 2026, Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, Colleville, MN, 22-26 June 2026

The course will introduce students to the study of Arabic manuscripts in their historical, cultural, and material dimensions and to a diversity of Arabic manuscript traditions from West Africa and the Middle East, both Islamic and Christian; provide basic introduction to paleography, codicology, and philological practices, with a special focus on the application of these skills in a digital context; and highlight a wide range of scholarly reference tools for the study of Arabic manuscripts.

Deadline for applications: 6 March 2026. Information: https://hmml.org/programs/arabic-mss-studies/

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Fourth Intensive Summer School on “Comparative Habsburg-Ottoman Paleography”, Au-strian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, 6-17 July 2026

This two-week intensive program is dedicated to the comparative study of early modern (1500–1800) Habsburg and Ottoman primary sources. Paleography courses encompass the study of various scripts in the target languages, the utilization of diverse source materials, their critical analysis, and the examination of intricate linguistic structures in them.

Deadline for applications: 1 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3w2wbd9m

 

 

 

 

 

7. Call for applications | Postdoctoral positions in ERC project “ALiDiM” on Classical Arabic @ Ca’ Foscari | deadline 29.01.2026=
I am pleased to share that we are currently advertisingtwo 2-year postdoctoral positions(“contratto di ricerca”) within the ERC-funded ALiDiM project at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
We are seeking two motivated researchers with a strong background in Arabic and Islamic studies; research experience on Classical Arabic and classical texts; and interest in interdisciplinary research on Islamic intellectual history.

Position 1 will examine the intellectual history of the early Arabic linguistic tradition by exploring how ideas were transmitted, adapted, and transformed; while Position 2 will focus on the role of language data in shaping early linguistic discourse and norms.

The selected candidates will be an integral part of our interdisciplinary team, participating in weekly seminar-style meetings where ideas are exchanged, and research is discussed collaboratively. The team emphasizes collaboration and mentorship.
The application deadline is January 29, 2026, 13:00 CET. For full details on the positions, as well as information on the application and selection process, please refer to the calls for applications published on the university website (call Position 1; call Position 2). The positions will start May 1, 2026.

Feel free to share the calls and reach out to us at simona.olivieri@unive.it or alidim@unive.it for further details on our research!
Best regards,

Simona Olivieri

Assistant professor of Arabic language

PI ERC project ALiDiM – Arabic Linguistic Discourse in the Making

Department of Asian and North African Studies

Ca’ Cappello

Calle del Magazen, San Polo 2035

30125 Venezia

1. +39 041 234 8848
2. simona.olivieri@unive.it

0000-0002-0154-9156

 

 

 

 

 

8. JLA Arabic Language and Culture Scholarships – Summer 2026

https://jordanla.com/user_site/site/home_page.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

9. Call for Papers: Thematic Section on Muslim Communities and Conversion to Islam in Latin America

A special call for papers from the International Journal of Latin American Religions

Deadline: Jan 31, 2026

https://www.lacisa.org/call-for-papers-thematic-section-on-muslim-communities-and-conversion-to-islam-in-latin-america

 

 

 

 

10. UCLA: Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World

The recorded lecture of Lucinda Dirven, delivered at UCLA as part of the Pourdavoud Lecture Series on November 5, 2025.

Unlike the tendency to emphasize the multifaceted and diverse aspects of religious life in the Parthian Empire, this talk aims to identify shared characteristics by focusing on the religious preferences of the Arsacid rulers. Although Zoroastrianism was not yet clearly defined at this time, evidence suggests that Zoroastrian ideas influenced the ideology of Arsacid kingship. Conversely, the ideology of the King of Kings influenced the practices of families and rulers who reigned under their suzerainty, including those who were otherwise unaffected by Zoroastrianism. Although such practices were rare, they still had repercussions for the religious lives of the populace in the Arsacid Empire.

https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/media/videos/zoroastrianism-in-the-religious-context-of-the-arsacid-empire/

 

 

 

 

 

11. Voyant Tools is now fully available for the Persian language, including a complete Persian interface. This update makes it much easier for researchers, instructors, and students working with Persian texts to explore digital methods of reading and analysis.

For those who may not be familiar with it, Voyant Tools is a free, web-based platform for textual analysis. It allows users to upload a text—or a collection of texts—and immediately access a wide range of interactive visualizations and computational tools. These include word frequency charts, keyword-in-context searches, topic clusters, term correlations, and other features that help reveal patterns within a text that are not always visible through traditional close reading.

Voyant is widely used in digital humanities, literary studies, linguistics, and classroom teaching because of its accessibility and intuitive design. With the addition of a Persian interface and improved support for Persian scripts, it is now much more suitable for work with Persian literature, archival materials, historical documents, and student essays.

https://voyant-tools.org/?lang=fa

1. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
Language Course

Dates: 27th January- 14th April 2026
Time: Tuesday 06:00 to 08:00 PM
Location: The Islamic College, London, NW10 2SW

More info and registration at:

Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) Language Course

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Amir Khosrow Afshar Visiting Fellowship, 2026-27

The LSE Iranian History Initiative welcomes applications for the Amir Khosrow Afshar Visiting Fellowship for the 2026-27 academic year. The Afshar Fellowship provides an opportunity for an external post-doctoral scholar of modern Iranian history, including both early-career researchers and established scholars, to travel to London and be affiliated with LSE while conducting research on any aspect of the modern history of Iran between 1500 and 1979. This might include research at the UK National Archives, the British Library, the LSE Library and Archives, or other libraries and archives in London and the UK.

The Iranian History Initiative particularly welcomes applications from scholars based outside of the UK; from scholars whose research involves the use of Persian-language primary sources; and from scholars working on any aspect of the history of Pahlavi Iran (1921-1979).

The Afshar Fellowship is tenable for a period of one month during either the Autumn (28 September to 11 December 2026), Winter (11 January to 25 March 2027) or Spring (26 April to 11 June 2027) terms at LSE. Fellowships are not tenable outside of these dates of term. Afshar Fellows will be reimbursed up to £2,000 for the cost of return economy travel to London, up to £125 per night for accommodation for a maximum of 31 days stay in London, and up to £125 for UK visa expenses.

Fellows will be formally affiliated with the Iranian History Initiative and the Department of International History at LSE. Afshar Fellows will receive an LSE ID card, granting them access to campus buildings, including the LSE Library. An IT account, including LSE e-mail and access to the LSE Library’s online resources, will also be provided. Afshar Fellows are expected to attend IHI and departmental events during the period of their residency in London and to present their research in a departmental forum or public event.

Applications, consisting of a research proposal (no more than three pages) and CV, should be made by email to Dr Roham Alvandi (R.Alvandi@lse.ac.uk) by no later than 19 January 2026. Applications will be assessed by a selection committee, and the fellowship will be awarded by the Department of International History’s Research Committee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Iʿjāz al-bayān

Arabic Edition with an Introduction

Ṣadr al-Dīn Qūnawī 

Edited by Anthony F. Shaker 

series: Monographs in Arabic and Islamic Studies

352 pages

Available in hardback and ebook editions

For more information and to order at a discount visit the webpage:

https://equinoxreligionlibrary.com/projects/i-jaz-al-bayan

Quote the code RELIGION for 25% off the print editions or RELIGION35 for 35% off the ebook edition

 

 

 

4. 4th Webinar, Saudi Women: From Where and Whither?

The 4^th Webinar of our ‘ Empowering Muslim Women in Scientific Research’ Series co-organized by the Universities of Sharjah & Manchester.

Dr Fowziyah Abu Khalid,

Title: Saudi Women: From Where and Whither?

17th Dec 2025, 1pm UK time/ 5pm UAE time

Registration at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saudi-women-from-where-and-whither-fowziyah-abu-khalid-tickets-1977271463173?aff=oddtdtcreator [eventbrite.com]

 

 

 

 

 

5. Islamic Normative Legal Theory: Framework and Applications

Habib Ahmed
Journal of Law and Religion, Volume 40 / Issue 1, January 2025, pp 28 – 58
doi: 10.1017/jlr.2025.10056 Published Online on 27 August 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Call for Expression of Interest for an edited volume on Histories of Islam and Muslims in Canada

We are trying to gauge interest for a potential edited volume examining the history of Islam and Muslims in Canada. This represents an understudied aspect of both Islamic studies and Canadian studies. Since there are very few scholars (professors, postdocs, graduate students) working in the area, we hope this proposed volume will garner interest and hopefully spur further interest in the subject matter.

This call for expression of interest is intentionally broad and encourages a diverse set of methodologies. Potential topics might include:

• Micro- and/or microhistories
• Focus on individuals (e.g., Peter Baker, Yasmin Rantansi, Nazem Khadri)
• Focus on a particular community, ethnicity, religious group (e.g., Twelver, Ismaili, Ahmadi)
• Municipal/provincial/geographic regions
• Historical/archival/statistical/ethnographic approaches (if the latter, please add a historical component.)
• Comparative (e.g., Cedar Rapids, IA, and London, ON; comparative/contrasting trends with other countries: e.g., US, UK, Sweden)
• Reflective pieces by senior scholars

Again, we are asking only for expressions of interest at this point. We will proceed accordingly depending upon what comes in. Please feel free to circulate to faculty, postdocs and graduate students.

If interested, by December 31, please contact:

Aaron W Hughes                                                         Jennifer Selby

aaron.hughes@rochester.edu                                    jselby@mun.ca

 

 

 

 

 

7. Mission Studies,

Volume 42 (2025): Issue 3 (Dec 2025): Special Issue: Indo-Persian Missions and Their Interreligious Challenge, edited by Norbert Hintersteiner and Haila Manthegi

https://brill.com/view/journals/mist/42/3/mist.42.issue-3.xml

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. For the benefit of those who could not attend the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) 2025 conference in Washington, DC, here is the link to their program:

https://www.mazdapublishers.com/images/upload/news/MESA-2025_Final-Program-R.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. The editors of Imago Mundiare pleased to share a call for papers prepared by IM editorial board member Martin Brückner who invites proposals for a thematic issue of Imago Mundi, Maps and the Imagination.

Maps and the Imagination

 

 

 

 

 

10. UCLA:

Panel Discussion on Afghan Refugees in Iran

Monday, January, 12, 2026 at 11:00 am Pacific Time

Online via Zoom

In Persian and English

Registration Required

Registration Link: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hcYEa8i_QB6EIvQRBb9YEw

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. ONLINE Webinar “A Modern Iraq Convening” Organized by Pietro Menghini, Kiki Santing, and Peter Wien, Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TARII), 18 December 2025, 14:00 – 18:00 CET

The Modern Iraq Convening brings together a new generation of international scholars sharing an interest in Modern Iraqi studies to establish an international network of researchers focusing on Iraq in a multi- and cross-disciplinary fashion. This first edition of the Convening will be held in English, with Arabic editions planned for the near future.

Information, program, and registration: https://www.tarii.org/events/moderniraqconvening

 

 

 

 

 

12. International Conference “Islam and Digitality. Media, Materiality, Hermeneutics”, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 10-11 July 2026

Main themes: We will address images of Islamic history and explore how their mediation in the digital age relates to contemporary religious identity and forms of theological differentiation. – We will examine how the digitisation of sacred texts and exegetical literature is changing the ways in which Muslim scholars engage with them. – We will investigate how Muslims employ the affordances of digital media to articulate specific interpretations of how Islam should be lived, interpreted and proclaimed

Deadline for abstracts: 19 December 2025.

Information: https://aiwg.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CfP-IuD.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. Philip K. Hitti Endowed Chair in Middle Eastern Studies, American University in Beirut

We seek a distinguished and collegial scholar with a demonstrated commitment to high-level research relevant to the politics of the Middle East region; a sustained record of teaching and service at an internationally recognized institutions; and an established record of public and student engagement. We are open to applicants in Middle East Studies, particularly in the fields of Politics or Global Affairs, and at the rank of full professor.

Deadline for applications: 30 January 2026. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/178776

 

1.International Workshop “(Re)Thinking the Role of Religion in Social and Humanitarian Action: Preaching in a Transnational Approach – Middle East (19th – 21st Centuries)”, Centre Marc Bloch, Berlin, 18-19 June 2026

This workshop seeks to explore the links between preaching and socio-humanitarian action in the contemporary Middle East. The chosen approach is deliberately cross-cutting: it brings Islam, Judaism, and Christianity into dia-logue, while situating the Middle East within a global perspective.

Deadline for abstracts: 1 February 2026. Information: Contact anr.predicmo@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Call for papers: Ruins and Memory in the Muslim World: Typologies and Motifs (622-1800 CE, Leiden University, 14-16 September, 2026

Muslims interacted with the remains of pre-Islamic history present in their contemporary landscapes, and how the physical ruins of the pre-Islamic past were visualised, imagined and put to use in historical, theological and other literary contexts, and in material formats too.

Deadline for abstracts: 1 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/9wejc3ej

 

 

 

 

 

3. Interdisciplinary Summer Academy: “Reading the City: Epigraphy and Space in Istanbul in Ancient, Byzantine, and Ottoman Times”, Orient-Institut Istanbul, 21-27 September 2026

This interdisciplinary Summer Academy invites advanced MA students, doctoral candidates, and early postdoctoral researchers to explore the role of epigraphy in shaping Istanbul’s urban, sacred, and imperial spaces across antiquity, the Byzantine era, and the Ottoman period.

Through seminars and field excursions, participants will engage directly with epigraphic monuments – from palatial gates to Bosporus shorelines – while discussing their spatial, performative, and material dimensions. The Academy encourages interdisciplinary dialogue bridging philology, history, and art history in a collaborative and inspiring environment.

Deadline for applications: 3 January 2026. Information: https://oiist.org/call-for-applications-reading-the-city/

 

 

 

 

 

4. Riwaq Book Prize / Call for Nominations – Deadline: 31 January 2026

Nominations of Outstanding Recent Monographs in Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, and Related Middle Eastern Studies Invited for the „Riwaq Prize for Research and Culture“ by “The Divan – Arab Cultural Centre” (Berlin) and the “Orient-Institut Beirut (OIB)”

The prize is awarded in three language categories (Arabic, English, German). Monographs in the fields of philosophy, history and cultural studies, art and architecture, literature, linguistics, and translation studies published in their original language between 1 January 2022, and 31 January 2026, are eligible for nomination.

Deadline for nominations: 31 January 2026. Information: https://riwaqbookprize.com/en/

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Call for Book Chapters on “Watery Worlds: Decolonial Ecologies and the Mediterranean”,

Watery Worlds positions the Mediterranean as an environment where ecological volatility, colonial history, and decolonial futures intersect. By placing literary and cultural texts in dialogue with environmental humanities and blue humanities frameworks, the volume aims to illuminate the world-making capacities of water – how its flows, depths, and absences shape modes of belonging and unbelonging, practices of remembrance, and evolving imaginaries of place.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mr3yedcb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. CFP: Conveying Meaning through Iconic Visual Languages: Theory, Practice, and Didactics – A interdisciplinary Exchange

https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20134475/cfp-conveying-meaning-through-iconic-visual-languages-theory-practice

1-3 July, 2026; abstracts: 5 January, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Persian Language & Cultural Immersion Summer School | Yerevan | 2026
Applications are now open for the 2026 Persian Language & Cultural Immersion Summer School organized by ASPIRANTUM in Yerevan, Armenia — a unique opportunity to combine intensive Persian study with exceptional cultural immersion.
Apply here:https://aspirantum.com/courses/persian-language-summer-school

Testimonials from ASPIRANTUM’s Persian language program alumni are available here: https://aspirantum.com/testimonials

Participants may choose a 6–10 week program (120–200 hours) starting on June 21, 2026. Classes are offered at beginner, elementary, and intermediate levels and include 4 hours of daily instruction focused on grammar, reading, speaking, writing, listening, and vocabulary.
Alongside rigorous language training, the program features a rich calendar of cultural events and trips, fully included in the participation fee:

• Garni Temple & Geghard Monastery excursion
• Aragats Mountain, Amberd Fortress & Yezidi tent visit
• Ejmiatsin, Yezidi Temple & medieval mausoleum tour
• Khor Virap, Noravank & Areni-1 Cave (world’s oldest winery)
• Lake Sevan day trip
• Celebration evenings, certificate ceremonies, and welcome/farewell events
• Optional activities: khachkar carving workshop, Armenian brandy tasting, culinary evening, Matenadaran visit, Blue Mosque visit, and more.

Deadlines:
Early Discount: February 25, 2026
Regular Application: May 21, 2026
Apply here: https://aspirantum.com/courses/persian-language-summer-school
For questions, contact khachik@aspirantum.com or WhatsApp: +37491557978

 

 

 

 

 

8. University of South Carolina – Instructor Modern Middle East Studies
https://networks.h-net.org/jobs/69570/university-south-carolina-instructor-modern-middle-east-studies

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. “Ḥabīb al-ḥaqq’sMiftāḥ al-ḥuqūq: A Persian Treatise on the Qurʾān and the Bible by a Catholic Missionary in the Persianate World,” in:Mission Studies 42 (2025) Issue 3: Special Issue: Indo-Persian Missions and Their Interreligious Challenge, 426–450.

D Halft,

https://brill.com/view/journals/mist/42/3/article-p426_7.xml?ebody=Abstract%2FExcerpt

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. University of Massachusetts – Amherst – Assistant Professor – History of Art & Architecture (Islamic)

Closing date: Jan 2, 2026

https://networks.h-net.org/jobs/69569/university-massachusetts-amherst-assistant-professor-history-art-architecture

 

 

 

 

 

11. Online Study Opportunity – Exploring Christian Arabic Manuscripts

I am excited to offer a new online learning opportunity designed to help you build confidence in reading Christian Arabic manuscripts.

Starting on day one, 6 December 2025, at 7am UTC (UK time), I have uploaded the first manuscript excerpt (“An Episode in the War on Book Theft”). You have nearly two days to decipher, transcribe and translate it at your own pace. On day two at 7pm, I will upload my transcription and translation with explanatory notes so you can compare your work and deepen your understanding. On day three at 7am, the next excerpt will be released, followed on day four at 7pm by my annotated solution—and the cycle continues.

I will respond to questions in the comments section about each manuscript for seven days after uploading my transcription and translation of it. Throughout the course, I will also share practical strategies for deciphering manuscripts and point you to helpful resources.

You will encounter a rich mix of manuscript excerpts: some short and approachable, others longer and more challenging (up to a full page). The content will range from brief literary passages to sizable colophons and fascinating readers’ notes. The age and provenance of the manuscripts will similarly be varied, from Egypt to Iraq, from the ninth to the nineteenth century. One thing will remain constant: every piece will be genuinely exciting to explore.

This study opportunity is offered by subscription at £49 per month and will initially run as a five-week trial. If enough learners subscribe, the programme will continue until 6 June 2026 (confirmation will be given on 6 January 2026). For the duration of the trial, the back catalogue of manuscripts, transcriptions and translations will be accessible to those joining with delay until the end of the five-week trial period.

Click here to register and subscribe: https://buymeacoffee.com/krisztinaszilagyi

All manuscript images, transcriptions, translations and explanatory notes will appear on this website.

This programme is recommended for learners with at least an intermediate level of Arabic (Classical or Modern Standard). The stronger your Arabic, the quicker your progress will be!

Contact Information

Dr Krisztina Szilagyi

Contact Email

ks591@cam.ac.uk

URL

https://buymeacoffee.com/krisztinaszilagyi

1.The Gulf Research Center (GRC) is pleased to announce that we are accepting paper abstracts for the 16th annual Gulf Research Meeting (GRM), the annual academic conference highlighting critical issues of importance to the Gulf region and providing a basis for undertaking and engaging in academic and empirical research. GRM 2026 will take place in Cambridge (UK) from July 21-23, 2026.

1. GRM workshops cover a wide range of topics in the fields of politics, economics, environment, culture, energy, security, and the social sciences as they relate to the GCC states and the wider Gulf region.
   GRM 2026 Workshops:
   The Economic Architecture and Diplomacy of Climate Change in the Gulf: Financing the Transition
   Digital Media, Strategic Communication, and Soft Power in the Gulf: Public Diplomacy in a Transforming Region
   GCC-Sub-Saharan Africa Economic Relations: Energy, Mining, Infrastructure, and Food Security
   Overlapping Ambitions: State-Led Economic Diversification and Mounting Intra-GCC Competition
   Rational Agency and Uncertain Futures: AI’s Role in the Gulf Region
   Gulf–South Asia Relations in an Era of Deepening Interdependence
   Emerging Technologies and Defense Industrialization in the GCC: Navigating the Localization–Outsourcing Dilemma in the AI Era
   The GCC–EU Economic Bilateral Partnership: Strategic Opportunities and Economic Diplomacy
   Gulf Gas Strategies
   Mobilizing Diasporas and Gulf Private Investors for the Reconstruction and Development of Syria and Lebanon
   The GCC and Infrastructure Connectivity in the Changing Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Landscape
   Humanitarian Diplomacy and Mediation in the Gulf: Pathways to Regional Stability
   We welcome applications from both established academics/scholars as well as young and emerging researchers.
   For the descriptions of workshops and other information: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgulfresearchmeeting.net%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C559a36a888c1491bef5508de319f257e%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639002756754863676%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=G1m7db5EDgOTcxAnXz3s%2F%2F%2F3h5eUVSefd80q6pXpEis%3D&reserved=0.
   You are strongly invited to read the Participants Guidelines: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgulfresearchmeeting.net%2Fw%2FGRM2026-ParticipantsGuidelines-Updated-2025-11-18.pdf&data=05%7C02%7C%7C559a36a888c1491bef5508de319f257e%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639002756754893326%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=QAIJBDJYSoNEFvf%2B6zI7MEFtFtPpobbUkU2s6cr1aPY%3D&reserved=0
   The GRM 2026 poster can be downloaded here<https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgulfresearchmeeting.net%2Fw%2FGRM2026-CallPaperPoster.pdf&data=05%7C02%7C%7C559a36a888c1491bef5508de319f257e%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639002756754911032%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RinJGGr30K6A5DwiPn29Ea51vH0ai7j5KIma%2Bn%2BauG4%3D&reserved=0>.
   The deadline for applications is January 5, 2026.
   Applications should be submitted at:
   https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gulfresearchmeeting.net%2Fregister-paper-user&data=05%7C02%7C%7C559a36a888c1491bef5508de319f257e%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639002756754927691%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4bcB7nP0GX3Rwy4aVGaWg0w8WLq%2FiwcTSU%2Fezwe4YVU%3D&reserved=0
   For questions, please contact us at grm@grc.net<mailto:grm@grc.net>.
   We are looking forward to receiving your application and please send this announcement to colleagues in your network.
   Best regards,
   Gulf Research Center (GRC)

 

 

 

 

2. The Alwaleed Centre (University of Edinburgh) is hosting an online event on 11 December at 4pm reflecting on the devastating war in Sudan. All are welcome, and further details can be found below. To register for free CLICK HERE.

Sudan in Perspective: The Conflict, Its Drivers and the International Community

Thursday 11 December, 16.00-17.30 online via Zoom

Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).  Both groups are backed by external actors whose competing interests have further intensified the humanitarian crisis on the ground. The RSF, which is armed and supplied by the United Arab Emirates, stands accused of genocide in Darfur. On the other hand, SAF, which has allied with the Islamist Movement in Sudan and receives support from several regional countries, has also been accused of committing atrocities and human rights violations. Despite the scale of atrocities, mainstream legacy media and the broader international community have largely remained bystanders, taking little meaningful action to name or sanction the warring parties and their supporters.

In this timely online conversation, will be joined by Hamid Khalafallah (University of Manchester), who will trace the genealogy of the current conflict in Sudan and shed light on the geopolitical entanglements that continue to fuel it, and Award-Nominated Journalist Mat Nashed, who will respond with reflections on covering Sudan. Chaired by Dr Mira Al Hussein (University of Edinburgh).

To register for free CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

 

3. From Closure to Sharing: Exploring Research Data on the

Heritage of Afghanistan and Neighbouring Territories

Second French–Italian Summer School

Paris, 15–19 June 2026

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

This summer school is primarily intended for PhD candidates and Master’s students in the

Humanities and Social Sciences working on Afghanistan or its neighbouring countries. The training will be led by domain specialists and/or digital humanities scholars.

Participants will be accommodated at the Maison des Chercheurs on Campus Condorcet

(Aubervilliers, metro line 12, Front Populaire, Paris). Accommodation, meals and local transport

during the summer school will be covered by the organisers.

Travel to Paris is the responsibility of the participants, who should seek support from their home

university or research lab. Financial aid may be granted under specific criteria.

Applications (in either English, French, or Italian) must be submitted by 31 December 2025 to:

ismeo@ismeo.eu , with cc to m.baldi@ismeo.eu  and claire.jeannet@inalco.fr .

For further information, contact the above.

 

 

 

 

4. Zahra Institute:

Final Speaker Series event of the year. Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 17, and join us for an insightful lecture by Janet Klein:

Topic: Violence and Security in Kurdistan in the Long Twentieth Century
Date: Wednesday, December 17
Time: 12:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM Eastern
Speaker: Janet Klein, University of Akron

👉 Register now by clicking here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/v-G52vs9TXamSgZhX9Jw4w#

For more details about this and other upcoming programs, see the attached flyer and visit our website: www.zahrainstitute.org.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Library of Congress Junior Fellow Program 2026 application open

The Library has opened the application for the 10-week Junior Fellow Summer Program 2026. The South Asian Collection will host one project. The application closes January 2. This is a paid, on-site program at the Library in Washington, DC. Undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates are welcome to apply. Applicants must be US citizens. Below are the project descriptions. Please share with any students you think might be interested.

See Junior Fellow website for more details and the application.

For additional information, please contact Charlotte Giles (chgi@loc.gov) or message us through Ask-a-Librarian at ask.loc.gov/asia.

Enhancing Accessibility to an Ephemeral South Asia

Valuable pieces of ephemera trace shifts in ideas, issues of importance, and the diversity of views in society at the time of their distribution. For this Asian Division onsite project, the Junior Fellow will enhance the discoverability and accessibility of the South Asian Pamphlet Collection and United States Information Agency (USIA) Pamphlet Collection. The first collection is organized by 150 themed subcollections, dating from 1904 to 1993. The onsite fellow will have the opportunity to identify and research these rare materials. The fellow must have at least an advanced-intermediate level of reading and writing in a minimum of one of these South Asian languages – Hindi, Urdu, and/or Bengali – with a strong preference for two or more.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Journées d’études sur l’Asie centrale 

Centrale Asie : (Re)penser une région dans l’espace et dans le temps

Le GIS Moyen-Orient et mondes musulmans (MOMM), l’INALCO, l’Institut français d’études sur l’Asie centrale (IFEAC), le Centre de recherche sur le Monde iranien (CeRMI) (UMR 8041, CNRS / Sorbonne Nouvelle / Inalco / EPHE) et le Centre de Recherche Europes-Eurasie-CREE (EA 4513, Inalco) vous invitent aux Journées d’études sur l’Asie centrale intitulées “Centrale Asie : (Re)penser une région dans l’espace et dans le temps”.

Cet événement est organisé avec le soutien d’Eur’Orbem (UMR 8224, CNRS / Sorbonne Université), de l’Institut d’études de droit public (IEDP) (EA 2715, Université Paris-Saclay), de ZooStan (IRL 2023, CNRS / Université Al-Farabi) et de l’ANR Ceremoniac.”

Dates et lieu de l’événement

Jeudi 11 et vendredi 12 décembre 2025 (09h00-18h00)

INALCO – Maison de la Recherche (2, rue de Lille – Paris 7e) – Auditorium Dumézil

Information et programme

Sur le site web du CeRMI : https://cermi.cnrs.fr/centrale-asie-repenser-une-region-dans-lespace-et-dans-le-temps/

Sur site web de l’Inalco : https://www.inalco.fr/evenements/centrale-asie-repenser-une-region-dans-lespace-et-dans-le-temps

 

 

7. UCLA: the Pourdavoud Institute

Legacies of Ancient Persia: New Episode Available

Episode 33 features Dr. Olga M. Davidson, a research fellow with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations at Boston University, who joins Lexie as she recounts her serendipitous steps towards specializing in Persian epic literature, particularly the Shahnameh, and its comparative significance alongside Greek classics, the rich cross-cultural connections that shape her research, the importance of the Shahnameh, and her ongoing projects, her views on the current state of Persian studies in academia and the potential for greater inclusion in high school curricula.

Olga M. Davidson earned her Ph.D. in 1983 from Princeton University in Near Eastern Studies. She started her teaching career with a series of yearly appointments as lecturer, and then in 1992 she became an Assistant Professor at Brandeis University; from 2000 to 2005, she continued there as an Associate Professor. Meanwhile, from 1986 to 1991, she was Faculty Dean of Currier House, Harvard College. During her years as professor at Brandeis, she organized the creation of a Concentration in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, and she served as the chair of that concentration from 1992 until 1997. A course she regularly taught at Brandeis was “The Woman’s Voice in the Muslim World.” In 2007-2008 she was Visiting Associate Professor, Modern Languages and Comparative Literature, at Boston University and, starting in 2009, she has been affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations at Boston University, as Research Fellow. Since 1999, she has been Chair of the Board, Ilex Foundation.

https://linktr.ee/legaciesofancientpersia

 

 

 

 

 

8. International and Interdisciplinary Conference “Philosophy and Poetry in Islamic Contexts”, University of Erlangen, 14-17 January 2026

The conference explores the diverse interrelations between philosophical thought and poetic expression in Islamic cultures, ranging from the reception of Greek philosophy to modern poetic forms and aesthetic discourses. The contributions address various historical periods, geographical regions, and literary traditions, with particular focus on philosophical theories of poetry, poetic forms of philosophical expression, and dialogues between poets and philosophers.

Deadline for registration: 7 January 2026. Information and program: https://tinyurl.com/f727and3

 

 

 

 

 

9. Appel à communication : Résistances et solidarités transnationales avec les artistes et intellectuel·les de Turquie (depuis 1980)” Inalco, 20 mars 2026

Axes et problématiques : Les réseaux de solidarité. – La censure et l’autocensure. – Les stratégies de resistance. – Les mythes du procès, de la prison et de l’exil. – La question du genre. – La dimension géographique. – Les approches comparatistes.

Date limite : 15 décembre 2025. Information : https://tinyurl.com/bd7sfeau

 

 

 

 

 

10. Mediterranean Seminar Workshop “Food and Foodways across the Mediterranean World”, University of Oregon, Eugene, 22-23 May 2026

Papers will deal with any aspect of the production, distribution, consumption or representation of food and foodways in the Mediterranean world from Antiquity to the present, whether literal or metaphorical, historical or imagined, as seen from disciplinary perspectives as diverse economic, social, cultural, or political history, literature, history of philosophy, history of science and medicine, art and art history, musicology, anthropology or any related humanities and social science disciplines.

Deadline for workshop proposals: 15 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/5hy45sr9

 

 

 

 

 

11. Conference “Counter-Islamophobia: History, Theory, and Praxis”, International Islamophobia Stu-dies Research Association, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 22-24 May 2026

Proposed themes: Interdisciplinary or comparative approaches to counter-Islamophobia praxis. – Empirical Case Studies and Best Practices of counter-Islamophobia. – Historical and archival work that traces structures, logics, or resistance to Islamophobia. – Theoretical interventions that reframe or expand the scope of Islamophobia Studies. – Regional studies, especially from the Global Majority.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3ha7zt5p

 

 

 

 

12. CfP: Ottoman Slaveries and Typologies of Unfreedom, Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS), University of Bonn, 24-26 June 2026

The conference explores how different configurations of slavery and dependency shaped, enabled, or constrained the agency of enslaved individuals. Rather than viewing agency as the antithesis of domination, we aim to examine it as a relational and context-dependent capacity – one that emerged within, and was shaped by, the very structures of asymmetrical dependency that defined Ottoman slavery.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/nhesftxp

 

 

 

 

 

13. “Meeting of Graduate Students in Islamic Art, Architecture, or Archaeology” at the “21st Colloquium of the Ernst Herzfeld Society”, University of Frankfurt, 2 July 2026

The graduate meeting will consist of papers given by graduate students based on their current research. Any topic relating to Islamic Art and Architecture or Islamic Archaeology is welcome.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ed78jypu

 

 

 

 

 

14. 12 Fellowships and Awards of the “W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR)”, 2026-2027

AIAR supports an annual Fellows program that brings US, Israeli, Palestinian and other international scholars together in the shared pursuit of research excellence. Applications are open to students and scholars of the humanities and social sciences studying any aspect of cultural development in the southern Levant from deep prehistory to the Early Modern period.

Extended deadline for applications: 19 December 2025. Information: https://aiar.org/fellowships

 

 

 

 

 

15. Call for Articles for the “The Middle East & North Africa Journal on Violence and Extremism”

MENAVEX is a biannual, peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to advancing critical research and dialogue on violence, extremism, and their global implications. It serves as a multidisciplinary platform where scholars, practitioners, and policymakers exchange innovative insights and evidence-based analyses

Deadline for articles: 15 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ckfjty2e

 

 

 

 

16. New books:

 

“Gateway to the Mediterranean: An Environmental History of Late Ottoman Izmir” by Onur Inal, Cambridge University Press

Information and content: https://tinyurl.com/mpjswrza

 

Open Access Issue of “Anthropology of the Middle East”:

This is a special issue entitled, “Middle Eastern Migrants in East Asia: Navigation of Identity, Religion and Belonging.”

Content and online articles: https://tinyurl.com/3u2tew46

 

 

Launch of the TRANSLAPT Book Series: “Empires in Translation: Intersections of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish in the Eastern Mediterranean

This series is dedicated to exploring the vital roles of translation, language, and cultural exchange in shaping the history of the early modern Eastern Mediterranean. The series will highlight the complex dynamics of interaction among Arabic, Persian, and Turkish traditions. The first volume, a monograph by Philip Bockholt titled “Türkische Übersetzungen aus dem Arabischen und Persischen: Akteure, Adaption und Rezeption in der Frühen Neuzeit”, is scheduled for publication in spring 2026.

Information: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/serial/eit-b/html

 

1. CfP: The Bible in Middle Eastern Manuscript Traditions

University of Rome  Rome Tor Vergata, 22-24 April 2026

The workshop seeks to highlight the diverse scribal practices, transmission histories, and cultural interpretations that have shaped the reception of the Bible across the region.

Deadline for abstracts: 1 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/yt59eh64

 

 

 

 

 

2. Up to five Postdoctoral Researchers (f/m/d)

Full-time (TV-L E13) | three years

in Cluster of Excellence “Transforming Human Rights”, (1 April 2026)

The Cluster of Excellence “Transforming Human Rights”, based at

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), addresses

fundamental questions about the potential and limits of human rights

in the context of several major worldwide transformation processes.

The Cluster’s Postdoc program is unique both in content and scope

providing an exceptional environment to unite outstanding talents and

to prepare them for human rights careers in academia and praxis. For

more information, see: https://www.humanrights.fau.eu/research-chren/exc-transforming-hr

Deadline for applications: 5 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/462wh5ns

 

 

 

 

 

3. Neues Buch: “Die Edelvögel der Fürsten von Hama – _Die Futuwwah-Jagd in Syrien, 12. bis 17. Jahrhundert” von Thomas Bauer, Ergon Verlag, 488 S.

Information und Einleitung: https://tinyurl.com/39e5bekc

 

 

 

 

 

4. New Book “The Damascus Events – The 1860 Massacre and the Destruction of the Old Ottoman World” by Eugene Rogan, Penguin, 416 pages

This remarkable book recreates one of the watershed moments in the history of the Middle East: the ferocious outbreaks of disorder across the Levant in 1860 which resulted in the massacre of thousands of Christians in Damascus. Eugene Rogan brilliantly recreates the lost world of the Middle East under Ottoman rule.

Information and Introduction: https://tinyurl.com/43tvx88y

 

 

 

 

 

5. New Book “Disability in the Arab World – Interdisciplinary Perspectives” Edited by Monika Baar & Amany Soliman, University Press, 290 pages

This interdisciplinary volume, with contributions from psychology, sociology, history, linguistics, and development studies, provides new insights into disability in the MENA region. While recognizing the significance of the medical approach, the authors seek to expand existing frameworks by including social, cultural and human rights perspec-tives.

Information and table of content: https://lup.be/book/disability-in-the-arab-world/

 

 

 

 

 

6. Livre nouvelle : L’humanité de Muhammad – Une lecture chrétienne de la vie du Prophète” de Craig Considin,Éditions Fenetres

Information : https://tinyurl.com/59jptakf

 

 

 

 

 

7. Livre nouvelle : “De la charia au droit musulman” de Baudouin Dupret, Presses de SciencesPo, 170 pages

Ce livre montre la façon dont la jurisprudence, l’histoire et les sciences sociales peuvent se combiner pour contribuer efficacement à la compréhension du droit dans la société.

Information et sommaire : https://tinyurl.com/4dh2hsbj

 

 

 

 

 

8. “US Imperialism After the Cold War in the Middle East and Latin America”, Special Issue of the Journal “Middle East Critique”, Volume 34, 2025

Information and table of content at https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ccri20/34/4

 

 

 

 

 

9. Join the Freer Research Center at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art on Tuesday, December 9, 12–12:40 pm EST for the online program Sneak Peek | Picture Perfect: Hamida Banu Begum’s Portraits of Power.

In an empire where visual representation meant power, Hamida Banu Begum (ca. 1527–1604) achieved something remarkable—her image appears in at least nine surviving Mughal court paintings from her lifetime. As wife of Emperor Humayun (r. 1530–56 with interruptions) and mother of his successor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), she played a prominent role in the political and cultural landscape of the subcontinent.
In this online talk, Professor Mika Natif examines Hamida Banu’s visual representations as records of her projected status and the empire’s political dynamics. Analyzing her portraits alongside primary sources reveals Hamida Banu’s role as co-sovereign—a Padishah begum—to her son Akbar. Yet, the paintings appear only in illustrated court chronicles and albums, restricting their viewing to limited and selected audiences. This raises questions about patronage and Hamida Banu’s cultural agency. The research for this talk comes from Natif’s current book project dedicated to the portraits and patronage of Hamida Banu.
This program is part of the monthly lunchtime series Sneak Peek, where staff members and outside scholars share personal perspectives and new research related to the collections of the National Museum of Asian Art.
Mika Natif is Associate Professor of Art History at The George Washington University, specializing in Islamic art and cultural exchanges between Muslim societies and Europe. Her research focuses on Islamic painting and illustrated manuscripts from Mughal India, Central Asia, and Iran. She authored Mughal Occidentalism (2018) and co-edited Eros and Sexuality in Islamic Art (2013). Her current work explores women’s portraiture, patronage, and artists in Mughal India, including a forthcoming monograph on Hamida Banu Begum, Emperor Akbar’s mother. Natif has held fellowships from MIT, Harvard, the Mellon Foundation, Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study, and Dumbarton Oaks.

Contact Information

Lizzie Stein, Freer Research Center

National Museum of Asian Art

Contact Email

FreerResearchCenter@si.edu

URL

https://asia.si.edu/whats-on/events/search/event:193388058/