1.New Open Access Issue of Journal of Digital Islamicate Research

https://brill.com/view/journals/jdir/3/1/jdir.3.issue-1.xml

 

 

 

 

 

2. Zahra Institute – 2025 Fall Speaker Series Begins on 3 September

Zahra Institute’s Fall 2025 Speaker Series begins on 3 September. This year’s lineup will cover topics such as Kurdish music, madrasa culture, security, and contemporary art. All speaker events are free and open to the public on Zoom.

For more information on our upcoming events, please  visit our website: www.zahrainstitute.org/ .

September Events

 What’s So Kurdish about Kurdish Music? Perspectives from Ethnomusicology

 Jon Bullock, Assistant Professor, Department of Music, University of Notre Dame

Wednesday, 3 September: 12pm Central / 1pm Eastern

Register today: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/6Fk09ckFTpuliBhlAXnqxg    

Malik Kurd: On Kurdish Sovereignty

Mucahit Bilici, Professor, Department of Sociology, John Jay College and CUNY Graduate Center

Wednesday, 17 September: 12pm Central / 1pm Eastern

Register today: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/2k53etS4RROqfpe7WwFQqg

 

 

 

 

 

3. UC Irvine’s Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies new home for Encyclopædia Iranica

University of California Irvine and the Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation have established a long-term collaborative agreement for the publication of the Encyclopædia Iranica that designates the renowned Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies as the new home for the Encyclopædia. Professor Touraj Daryaee, Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies & Culture and the Director of the Center, has been appointed as the new Editor-in-Chief.

Encyclopædia Iranica is a leading resource dedicated to the promotion and study of Iranian civilization. Founded by Professor Ehsan Yarshater in 1990 at the Center for Iranian Studies at Columbia University, the Encyclopædia is a multi-volume, multi-disciplinary work designed to provide a detailed and accurate picture of an important world civilization over a span of several thousand years. The Encyclopædia will be available both in print and in a new updated online format, which will be free and open to the public and scholars.

UC Irvine was chosen as the site for Encyclopædia Iranica through a rigorous international competition. Vice Chancellor for Research Pramod P. Khargonekar states, “Housing this internationally recognized collection on our campus strengthens our research enterprise by providing scholars and students with direct access to curated knowledge, fostering new research and cross-disciplinary collaboration in understanding the Jordan Center’s work.”

Encyclopædia Iranica is supported by the Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting the study of Iranian civilization, particularly through the Encyclopædia. Dr. Ramine Rouhani, Chair of the Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation, notes, “We are confident that UCI’s exceptional academic reputation and its extensive experience in Iranian studies, particularly as evidenced by the Jordan Center’s robust research, educational and cultural programs, will be instrumental in furthering the vital mission of the Encyclopædia Iranica.”

Encyclopædia Iranica is an international undertaking that draws on the most authoritative scholarship worldwide to ensure the quality and reliability of its articles. To date, more than 1,300 scholars from around the globe have contributed articles in various languages, including English, Russian, Persian, Turkish and Chinese. In Volume I alone, articles were contributed by 285 authors. Prior to relocating to UC Irvine, seventeen volumes of the Encyclopædia Iranica covering letters A to K have been published in print format and more than 9,000 articles have been published digitally.

1. The 2025 Imam Abdallah Ibn-Alawi Al-Haddad – 7 Book Collection

https://fonsvitae.com/product/fons-vitae-al-haddad-collectors-book-set/

 

 

 

 

 

2. Twelfth Conference of the School of Mamluk Studies Conference

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

USA

July 23-25, 2026

Call for Papers

We are pleased to announce that the Twelfth Conference of the School of Mamluk Studies will be held at the University of Pennsylvania (aka “Penn”) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 23-25, 2026.

The conference will be conducted in two parts: a themed day on “The Mamluks and the Crusades” (July 23) and two days of panels with open themes (July 24-25). The conference will be preceded by a three-day intensive course on “The Crusades and Islamic History” (July 20-22). See below for more information about this course.

The first day, July 23, will be themed and dedicated to the history of experiences of the crusading movement within the Mamluk sultanate (1250-1517), before and after the fall of Acre in 1291. The rise of the Mamluk sultanate brought with it a palpable shift in the dynamic between the remaining Crusader states and the Muslim polities of the Middle East and north Africa that has yet to be fully explored. We welcome studies of Mamluk-Frankish conflict and cooperation, whether in the realms of military history, diplomacy, commerce, social history, or cultural exchange. The themed day is also open to relevant studies of literature, material culture, non-Muslim communities, historiography, and philological or codicological concerns. A maximum of 12 paper proposals will be selected for this themed day. Should a greater number of proposals be received, the authors of those that are not selected for the conference may be offered the possibility to publish their contribution in the proceedings. The time allotted to each paper will be twenty minutes, plus ten minutes for discussion.

The following two days of the conference (July 24 and 25) will be structured in panels, which may focus on any aspect of the social, economic, intellectual, political, and artistic life of the Mamluk period. The panels will be organized into presentations of three to four papers of twenty minutes each. Panel proposals must be made by a representative, who will be responsible for its organization. Please note that in case of cancellation of two papers out of the three (or three out of the four) composing the panel, the panel will have to be withdrawn from the program. The time allotted to each paper will be twenty minutes. Discussion will take place at the end of each panel.

Language: The official language of the conference will be English.

Location: The conference will take place in the Orrery Pavilion in the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts, Van Pelt Library 6^th Floor, University of Pennsylvania.

Fees: The conference registration fee will be $60 for participants and attendees. Graduate students will be offered a discounted fee of $45, subject to availability. An optional farewell dinner will take place on the last day (Saturday, July 25) at a cost to be determined. Payment of the fees (registration and farewell dinner) must be received by April 15, 2026. Any enquiries should be sent to sms2026philadelphia@gmail.com

To register for the conference and pay the $60 registration fee, either as a participant or non-participant attendee, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/school-of-mamluk-studies-2026-conference-philadelphia-tickets-1567051907439?aff=oddtdtcreator

Proposals: Paper proposals for the themed day must be submitted electronically through the School of Mamluk Studies webpage (http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/school-of-mamluk-studies.html) by October 31, 2025. Panel proposals must be submitted in the same manner by November 30, 2025. The paper proposals should provide the name and a one-page CV of the speaker, a provisional title, and an abstract of a maximum of 1,500 characters (about 300 words) per paper. Panel proposals must be submitted as such, including the relevant information for each component paper as well as the name of the panel’s chair (the chair can be one of the panelists).

Acceptance: Paper and panel proposals will be peer-reviewed. A first circular will be sent by February 2026 to those whose proposals have been accepted, and to those who have expressed interest in attending the conference as non-presenters.

Publication: selected papers from the themed day will be published in a special issue of Mamlūk Studies Review.

Accommodations: Participants must make their own travel arrangements and secure their own accommodations. The intensive course and the conference will be held in Van Pelt Library in the center of Penn’s campus.

A list of nearby hotels will be provided shortly, and, if possible, blocks of rooms will be reserved at a special rate in some cases.

INTENSIVE COURSE: The Crusades and Islamic History (July 20-22, 2026)

This three-day intensive course will focus on reading medieval primary sources for the social, economic and religious history of Egypt and Greater Syria, including Palestine during the period of the Crusades, roughly 1050-1500. It is intended for advanced graduate students and other qualified participants and will be offered by Prof. Paul M. Cobb (University of Pennsylvania) in collaboration with Prof. Ann Zimo (University of New Hampshire) and Prof. Reuven Amitai (Hebrew University of Jerusalem). The course will include close reading and historical analysis of published Arabic literary sources (chronicles and the like), Frankish sources in translation, and modern secondary literature. The overall goal is to provide students with in-depth understanding of the conventions and genres of historical writing on the Crusades and what we gain (and lose) by understanding the Crusades in their Middle Eastern context.

 

The number of participants will be limited to a maximum of 12.

Applications for the intensive course should include a CV, a statement of purpose (up to 750 words), and a letter of recommendation by someone familiar with your work. These should be sent to sms2026philadelphia@gmail.com by the end of January 2026. Those who are selected for the course will be notified by the end of February 2026, at which time information about the method of payment for the course fees and a syllabus will be provided.

The course fee is $250, which also includes the registration fee for the subsequent conference (July 23-25). The fees must be paid by April 15, 2026. Registration and participation will not be confirmed until payment is received. Participants must make their own travel arrangements; the local organizer will provide suggestions for accommodation.

To pay the course fee, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/school-of-mamluk-studies-2026-conference-philadelphia-tickets-1567051907439?aff=oddtdtcreator

We look forward to meeting you in Philadelphia.

Paul M. Cobb, University of Pennsylvania (local organizer)

sms2026philadelphia@gmail.com

Frédéric Bauden, Université de Liège

Antonella Ghersetti, Ca’ Foscari University, Venice

Marlis Saleh, University of Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

3. James Lyman Merrick: The Life and Times of an American Missionary Maverick Recalled from Persia

Hooman Estelami

Mazda, 2025

https://www.mazdapublishers.com/book/james-lyman-merrick

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Stories from Tehran
Fereshteh Molavi
Expanded Edition
Afterword by Mahdi Ganjavi
ISBN: 978-1-997503-08-8

https://asemanabooks.ca/stories-from-tehran/

 

 

 

 

 

5. Conference “Exploring the Sacred: People, Place and Power in the Islamic Indian Ocean”, National University of Singapore, 4-5 December 2025

We invite historical and contemporary papers that explore the sacred by grounding it in the archives, texts, material culture, and ethnographies of the Islamic Indian Ocean. Papers may focus on local or transregional processes and themes but should attempt to relate one scale to the other.

Deadline for abstracts: 12 September 2025. Information: https://ari.nus.edu.sg/events/exploring-the-sacred/

 

 

 

 

 

6. 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

 

 

 

 

 

7. Visiting Fellowships (8 Months) in the History of Islam in South Asia (13th – _18th Century), Oxford Center for Islam Studies

Applications are invited for up to two Visiting Fellowships associated with the Centre’s Atlas project on Muslim social and intellectual history of South Asia. The successful candidates will normally be at a post-doctoral level. Each Visi-ting Fellowship is tenable for eight months from January 2026. It carries a stipend of £8,000 and single residential accommodation.

Deadline for applications: 1 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ms583uae

 

 

 

 

 

8. PhD Scholarships in Global Digital Humanities (Focus Arabic, Persian Language Areas), School of Modern Languages, University of St Andrews

This award supports innovative doctoral research that either employs or critically examines digital methodologies within the context of Modern Languages. 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.

Deadline for applications: 1 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdhcedm4

1.Cats in the Cabinet: Tracing Feline Presence in the Berlin State Museums

The Museum for Islamic Art in Berlin has launched an online exhibition exploring the presence of cats in art across centuries and cultures. For thousands of years, cats have captivated human imagination – admired for their cleanliness, respected for their independence, loved as companions, and often surrounded by myth and magic.

The human fascination with cats remains unbroken – especially in the digital age. As of 2025, cats rank among the world’s most popular pets. Depending on the source, between 370 and 600 million cats live in households across the globe. In Germany alone, an estimated 15.2 million domestic cats purr their way through everyday life – roughly one for every five people. That makes Germany the cat capital of the European Union.

From sacred symbols to playful companions, cats have inspired artists from ancient settlements to the digital age. Featuring manuscripts, ceramics, stamps, and more from the Berlin State Museums, the exhibition explores how these adaptable animals have shaped—and been shaped by—human history, faith, and creativity in three themed galleries.

Contact Information

Museum für Islamische Kunst (im Pergamonmuseum)
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz

Contact: https://islamic-art.smb.museum/kontakt/?lang=en

Contact Email

f.rizvi@smb.spk-berlin.de

URL

https://islamic-art.smb.museum/en/story/catshibition

 

 

 

 

 

2. Inperson: Book Launch: The Production and Consumption of Non-Muslim Islams

On 20 August 5-7 PM, BRAIS will launch the edited volume  The Production and Consumption of Non-Muslim Islams (Edinburgh University Press). Aaron Hughes, Garbi Schmidt, and Jonas Otterbeck will each present their contribution to the book, followed by debate and a reception many of the other contributors will also be present.

The book launch will be held at the Aga Khan University in London (10 Handyside St). More information in the link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-launch-the-production-and-consumption-of-non-muslim-islams-tickets-1553241811069?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

 

 

 

 

3. 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.

Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo

[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 Database

The 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.

Team Daiber (Interdepartmental Team for Daiber Database, The University of Tokyo)

Contact Information

Kazuo Morimoto

Contact Email

morikazu@ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

 

 

1.The New York Public Library is pleased to offer the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Fellowshipto support advanced research on Library’s holdings of materials from the Arab world, Turkey, Iran, South Asia, Central Asia, and their diasporas in the United States. 

Fellowships are open to Ph.D. candidates, post-doctoral scholars, and independent researchers with projects that would significantly benefit from research drawing on collections accessible at The New York Public Library. Projects requiring access to original materials including manuscripts, archives, books, photographs, prints, maps, newspapers, and journals will be given preference, but all worthy projects will be considered. Applicants studying the humanities as well as those working in the visual, auditory/performing, and literary arts are welcome to apply.

The Fellowship Program will support one fellow annually for three months with a stipend of $25,000. The annual fellow will have full access to the Library’s collections and staff, as well as a dedicated place to work in the Vartan Gregorian Center for Research in the Humanities at NYPL’s flagship building in Midtown Manhattan.

Deadline for application is August 25, 2025 and recipients will be announced in November, 2025.

To apply please complete the electronic form in the NYPL Fellowship Portal and upload an updated C.V., a project proposal of no more than five pages, and two professional letters of recommendation.

For assistance with the application process, email fellowships@nypl.org. Library staff cannot provide feedback on individual applications or project proposals (see below). Applicants are encouraged to contact the Curator for Middle Eastern Studies, Dr. Hiba Abid (hibaabid@nypl.org) with any questions regarding collections or additional holdings.

Read the full Call for Applications here.

Eligibility:  

United States citizens, permanent residents, and international applicants with the legal right to work in the U.S. are eligible to apply. The Library is also exploring how to support international scholars with visa requirements and such applicants are welcome to apply to this fellowship.

Key Dates:

• Application deadline: August 25, 2025
• Recommendation letters due: September 8, 2025
• Applicant notification: November 2025
• Award period: January 2, 2026 – June 30, 2026

Project Proposal:

Successful project proposals will include a thorough explanation of how in-person access to collections accessible at The New York Public Library is essential to the progress and completion of the research project. Proposals should also include:

• Abstract of the project’s major themes, questions, and arguments
• Significance of the project
• Specific Library collections and holdings to be consulted during the fellowship
• Project plan, including a timeline of your work with the Library’s collections during the fellowship term and a description of the proposed methodological approach
• Expected project outcomes
• Suggested topic for public presentation
• Desired dates of residence

Contact Information

Jacqueline York

Fellowship Coordinator, Vartan Gregorian Center for Research in the Humanities

fellowships@nypl.org

Contact Email

hibaabid@nypl.org

URL

https://www.nypl.org/about/fellowships/middle-eastern-islamic-studies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Conference on Arab Diasporic Literary & Cultural Studies (Amman: 22-23/11/2025)

https://linguistlist.org/issues/36/2373/

Submission Deadline: 06-Sep-2025

 

 

 

 

 

3. CfA: Online Summer School on Prophet Muhammad

In. collaboration with the University of Exeter and Habib University, we have organized our 5th online summer school “Method and Theory in Islamic Studies: Problematizing Objectivity.”

Inekas 5th Summer School (Online) | 2025
“Method and Theory in Islamic Studies: Problematizing Objectivity”
👥 In collaboration with the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter @exeteriais and Habib University @habibuniversity .
👤12 presentations in 3 days
🗓️ August 29th, 30th, 31st
From 11:00 to 17:30 UTC (7:00 to 13:30 EDT; 14:30 to 21:00 IRST)
📄 Explore how cutting-edge debates on method and theory are reshaping the study of Islam—join leading scholars in problematizing objectivity.
✅ A glimpse into recent scholarship on:
Disciplinary Identity
Decoloniality
Objectivity
🔷 Deadline for Registration: August 28th
🔷 Deadline for Early-Bird Registration: August 18th
See the programme booklet here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12OwXThpKMS17AG1Lt8a2coIzbwA7UAwG/view?usp=drivesdk
🔗 For more information and registration:
https://inekas.org/en/2025ss/

 

 

 

 

 

4. Webinar: UCLA – CNES Upcoming Events

Teaching World Histories Through the Arts:

Art in Places of Worship in the Middle East and Southeast Asi

Free Virtual K-12 Teacher Institute

Saturday, September 13, 2025

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM PST

Online

Co-organized by the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies and the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies

https://www.international.ucla.edu/cnes/event/17302

 

 

 

 

5. CfP: 22TH INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS OF THE MIDDLE AGES:

DISABILITY AND INCLUSION IN THE MEDIEVAL CITY:

A COMPARATIVE VIEW BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE ISLAMIC WORLD

27-28 November 2025

In the Middle Ages, the lives of people with disabilities presented unique challenges. This Meeting wants to expose how these people were perceived and treated in medieval society, as well as the forms of integration from a comparative perspective between European and Islamic world cities.

Deadline for abstracts: 13 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ycnmr94p

 

 

 

 

 

6. Workshops for the “16th Annual Gulf Research Meeting”, Gulf Research Centre Cambridge, 21-23 July 2026

GRC welcomes proposals on the following topics: Multilateralism and Strategic Autonomy in GCC Foreign Policy. – _Gulf Mediation and Conflict Resolution. – _The EU-GCC Partnership: Strategic Opportunities and Gaps. – _GCC-Sub-Sahara Africa Economic Relation: Energy, Mining, Infrastructure, and Food Security. – _Evolving Threat Perceptions and Strategic Doctrines in the Gulf. – _The Role of Defense Industrialization. – _Women and Political Development in the Gulf. – _Etc.

Deadline for abstracts: 29 September 2025.

Information: https://grc.net/w/GRM2026Call-WorkshopProposals_2.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

7. Post-doc Assistant (4 Years) for Research on Religious and Media Practices of Contemporary Muslims, Department of Religious Studies, University of Erfurt

Qualification: Above-average doctorate in Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, or a related field. – _Academic visibility through publications, guest lectures, organization of workshops. – _Proficiency in ethnographic methods, particularly participant observation and media ethnography methods, or the willingness to quickly acquire these skills. – _Experience with qualitative online research. – _Knowledge of German and English at C1 level.

Deadline for applications: 25 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4832x34k

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Full Professor of Arabic Studies, University of Vienna

Candidates should represent the field of Arabic Studies with a focus on linguistics in both research and teaching, demonstrating breadth and depth in the discipline. 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 (particularly contact linguistics, areal linguistics, social linguistics, historical linguistics) approaches.

Deadline for applications: 17 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2f4mtwzp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Full Professor of Islamic Religious Education, University of Vienna

Qualification: Doctoral degree/PhD. – _Outstanding research achievements, excellent publication and funding record, international reputation. – _Proven leadership qualities. – _Experience in designing and managing large research projects. – _Enthusiasm for excellent teaching and supervision at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral level.

Deadline for applications: 17 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3u7yx3wp

 

 

 

 

 

10. Tenure-Track Professorship in Intercultural Philosophy of Religion (Focus Islam), University of Vienna

The position promotes the innovative project of intercultural philosophy of religion based on systematic discourses of justification and a solid knowledge of non-Christian philosophies of religion in research and teaching. Core issues include the philosophical clarification of the concept of religion and current questions concerning the relationship between religion and politics, especially with regard to human rights and democracy.

Deadline for applications: 17 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/y2tt5apn

 

 

 

 

11. Assistant Professor (Tenure-track) of Francophone and Neocolonial Studies (Focus MENA), Lake Forest College, Chicago

Qualification: Ph.D. in French and Francophone Studies, or a related field, with expertise in postcolonial, de-colonial, or neocolonial studies. – _Ability to teach language, literature, and culture courses at all levels. – _Proficiency in Arabic.

Deadline for applications: 20 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4w6vh7um

 

 

 

 

 

12. Visiting Assistant Professor of Arabic (3 Years), Middlebury College, VT

Superior language proficiency in both Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and English is required, as is native or native-like proficiency in one Arabic dialect. The area of specialization for the position is open, but preference will be given to candidates whose specializations complement (rather than overlap with) the specializations of the Arabic department’s faculty.

Deadline for applications: 1 November 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/171611

 

 

 

 

 

13. Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) on High Medieval European History (Focus on the Connection with Byzantium, North Africa, Middle East), Princeton University

For candidates who do not yet have a Ph.D., the recommendation of the principal advisor must include precise information on the present status of the dissertation and the likelihood of completion by summer 2026.

Deadline for applications: 1 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mtby2dr9

 

 

 

 

 

14. Internship Program at the Euro-Mediterranean-Arab Association (EMA), Berlin

Are you a university student or recent graduate with a passion for economics, political science, marketing, events, or communications? Do you want to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic non-profit organization that fosters international cooperation, with a special focus on the MENA region? We are looking for motivated interns to join our Berlin office for a 3-month voluntary internship.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4ks9c2ej

 

 

 

 

 

15. New Website of the “Travellers in Ottoman Lands Project”

This project is a series of seminars and publications that explore the experiences of travellers to, from and within the lands that formerly formed part of the Ottoman Empire, and the impact of their journeys. TIOL aims to initiate and encourage research and learning with particular reference to the history of travel in territories that were once part of the Ottoman Empire.

Information: https://travellersinottomanlands.com/

 

 

 

1. An Illustrated Guide to Ibn Arabi

E Winkel

Fons Vitae

https://fonsvitae.com/product/an-illustrated-guide-to-ibn-arabi/

 

 

 

 

 

2. Iranian Studies Journal

Call for Applications: From Research to Publication: An ISJ Writing Workshop

We are delighted to announce the launch of the second round of our free, 10-week comprehensive writing program, From Research to Publication: An ISJ Writing Workshop.

Building on the success of our inaugural course, this program is designed specifically for junior scholars and graduate students specializing in Iranian studies. Our goal is to equip you with the essential skills needed to produce high-quality academic work and successfully navigate the publication process. The curriculum covers a range of critical topics, from sourcing credible resources to transforming conference presentations into publishable journal articles.

Course Details

Start Date: September 29, 2025

Course Duration: 10 weeks

Key Topics:

Identifying and evaluating credible resources

Formulating clear and focused research questions

Understanding positionality in research

Navigating the differences between Persian and English academic writing traditions

Utilizing AI tools ethically in academic writing

Drafting, revising, and finalizing academic papers

Proper citation and avoiding plagiarism

Transitioning from conference presentations to journal articles

Who Should Apply?

This program is suitable for junior scholars and graduate students who are ready to take their academic writing to the next level. If you are looking to refine your writing for publication, this course offers practical skills and invaluable insights. Priority will be given to scholars currently affiliated with academic institutions in Iran and the region.

How to Apply

Interested candidates can apply through the provided Google Form. The application deadline is September 15, 2025.

Contact Information

For any questions or more information, please contact:

Prof. Nasrin Rahimieh, Editor: nasrin.rahimieh@uci.edu

Dr. Farshad Sonboldel, Deputy Editor: fsonboldel@ucsd.edu

1. Lecture Series on Persian Lithographic Printing – Recordings Now Available

Lecture Series: The video recording of ‘Persian Lithographic Printing’, hosted by the Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies and co-convened by Dr. Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, Dr. Shabnam Golkhandan, and Dr Mahdi Ganjavi, the full inaugural academic year of the lecture series, are now publicly available on the Institute’s YouTube channel. You can view all sessions here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5XZ6qJgIIpmn22AsWb6xTecM1pWCyJQZ

Highlights from the past year include:

A Comparative Study of the Printing of Persian Mystical Prose Texts – Maryam Hosseini
An Examination of the Historical Evolution of Persian Lithographic Book Publishing – Torfeh Abtahi
*Sani‘ ol-Molk’s The Thousand and One Night – Elham Etemadi
The Persian Incunables: The Convergence of Lithographic, Typographic, and Woodblock Printing- Ali Boozari
Picturing Readers and Writers: An Iconography of Book Culture – Ulrike Stark
The Development of the Military and the Public in the Shadow of Lithography – Majid Jalise
Persian Printing in Comparative Context – Nile Green

 

 

 

 

 

2. Tenure-track position in medieval history of science and medicine

Job posting for Baylor University for a “tenure-track, assistant professor search for a historian of the Global Middle Ages (with a preference for someone whose work engages the history of science, medicine, or technology).”

https://apply.interfolio.com/169126

You can reach out to Daniel Watkins (Daniel_Watkins@baylor.edu) in the History Department with questions.

Closing date: Sept 15, 2025.

 

 

 

 

 

3. The Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures and the Penn Language Centre at the University of Pennsylvania have announced a position at the rank of part-time Lecturer in Persian Language for the Spring 2026 semester with a possibility of renewal.

https://apply.interfolio.com/168912?fbclid=IwY2xjawMBpDdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHp9rSwwghlFLU4qqg5hm5aVDCCa44Zi_04k-QKAtbxuxa539Ko-2sARWaMSJ_aem_Yt_kOTZXic0LCip4IaO1gw

 

 

 

 

 

4. Research Awards – 2025 Canadian Friends of Sufi Arts, Culture, and Knowledge (CFSACK)

Note: Eligibility for the CFSACK Research Awards spans a wide range of disciplines. Any research project related to Sufi art, culture, or knowledge is welcome, including but not limited to: art history, fine arts, anthropology, archaeology, architecture, classics, cultural studies, ethnomusicology, history, literature, musicology, philosophy, psychology, religious studies, sociology, and other related fields. This interdisciplinary scope reflects the program’s commitment to advancing a holistic and nuanced understanding of Sufi traditions across academic and creative domains.
Application Period: August 4 – October 13, 2025

The CFSACK Research Awards, supported this year by the American Friends of Sufi Arts, Culture, and Knowledge (AFSACK), aim to advance the study and appreciation of Sufi arts, culture, and knowledge. For 2025, eligibility has been expanded to include students and researchers affiliated with higher education or cultural institutions in both Canada and the United States.

Award Amounts

• Undergraduate & Master’s Students: up to $2,000 CAD
• PhD Students/Candidates & Postdoctoral Fellows: up to $5,000 CAD

Supported Activities
Funding may be used for academic activities such as fieldwork, archival research, conference travel, and organizing scholarly workshops. For full terms and restrictions, including a list of eligible and ineligible costs, please visit the 2025 Online Application Portal.

Eligibility
Applicants must be one of the following, enrolled in or affiliated with a Canadian or U.S. higher education or cultural institution (e.g., university, college, research institute, museum, archive) for the duration of the award:

• Undergraduate Students (Bachelor’s level)
• Graduate students (Master’s and Doctoral Students/Candidates)
• Postdoctoral Fellows

Special Opportunity
Awardees may receive exclusive access to the Musée d’Art et de Culture Soufis MTO™ in Chatou, France, including:

• Complimentary admission
• Consultation with curators and researchers
• Privileged access to the museum’s library and collections

Important Dates

• Application Opens: August 4, 2025
• Deadline: October 13, 2025
• Awards Commence: January 2026

For more information, to access the online application portal, and to view the 2024 Research Awards Recipients, please visit: https://www.cfsack.org/research-awards

Contact Information

Nooshin Esmaeili, Chair, CFSACK Research Awards Committee

Contact Email

research.awards@cfsack.org

URL

https://www.cfsack.org/research-awards

 

 

 

 

 

5. CFP – American Council for Southern Asian Art Symposium – National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian – Deadline: Oct. 1st

We are happy to announce that the XXIIst Biennial Symposium of the American Council for Southern Asian Art (ACSAA) will be held in Washington, DC, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.

ACSAA symposia are opportunities to meet our colleagues, re-connect with mentors and graduate school cohorts, and share current research with the field. Occurring every two years, hosted by academic institutions and museums, and often in conjunction with major exhibitions, ACSAA symposia are one of the primary ways that members gather, share ideas, and participate in the ACSAA community.

Submissions should reflect original and unpublished scholarship in the history of South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan art. Registration for the 2026 symposium is free.

We invite Individual Paper proposals and Pre-formed Panel proposals. We especially encourage submissions related to the following themes:

Caste and race / Gender / Ecology (especially water) / Intermediality / Temples and sacred spaces / Southeast Asia-South Asia relations / Trade networks / Cosmos / Beauty

Individual papers and/or panel proposals honoring the life and work of ACSAA’s founding members and the organization’s supporters, especially those who have passed away recently, are also welcome.

To learn more about ACSAA, its current board members, and its activities click here.

All presenters, panel chairs, and discussants must be ACSAA members in good standing. To join or renew your ACSAA membership, please visit https//acsaa.us/membership/
To encourage a range of voices, an individual scholar may present only one paper but may participate in two formal roles (e.g. as a speaker in one panel and as a chair/discussant of another panel).

Individual paper proposals should include a title, abstract (250 words maximum), and one-page CV of the presenter.

Pre-formed panel proposals should include a panel title and abstract (250 words maximum), individual paper titles and abstracts (each 250 words maximum), and a one-page CV for the panel chair and each presenter. Panels may include a minimum of three and a maximum of five speakers. Each panel will have an allocated time of ninety minutes.

Submit all materials and inquiries to: FreerResearchCenter@si.edu

Deadline: 1 October 2025

Symposium Organizing Committee

Chairs: Debra Diamond & Emma Natalya Stein (National Museum of Asian Art)

Rebecca Brown (Johns Hopkins University)

Robert deCaroli (George Mason University)

Deepthi Murali (George Mason University)

Mika Natif (George Washington University)

Karin Zitzewitz (University of Maryland)

A symposium website will be launched in the coming weeks and be updated periodically.

Contact Email

FreerResearchCenter@si.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Workshop “MENA Diasporas: Migration, Identity, and Belonging”, American University of Sharjah, UAE, 12-14 November 2025

This workshop seeks to explore the dynamic and evolving experiences of diaspora communities in/of the region, with particular attention to the interconnected issues of labor migration, refugee displacement, mercantile histories, and religious pilgrimage, among others.

Deadline for abstracts: 1 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mtwmxxb9

 

 

 

 

 

7. CFP: “Oceanic Crossroads” The Mediterranean Seminar Fall 2025 Workshop (8 & 9 December: Abu Dhabi)

8-9 December 2025

We invite papers, workshops and round-table conversations that deal with any aspect of the Oceanic Crossroads, whether literal or metaphorical, historical or imagined, as seen from disciplinary perspectives as diverse as economic, social, cultural, or political history, literature, history of philosophy, history of science and medicine, art and art history, musicology, anthropology or other related humanities and social science disciplines.

Deadline for abstracts: 1 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2374dya5

 

 

 

 

 

8. Graduate Student Research Workshop – New Directions in the Study of the Arab World 2026

NYU University Abu Dhabi, 11-13 February 2026

The workshop provides the opportunity for advanced doctoral candidates who are currently in the writing stage to present, discuss, and receive valuable feedback on their Ph.D. research related to the Arab world. Accepted appli-cants will pre-circulate an English-language chapter of their project and orally present a short overview of the project, raising questions or challenges to be discussed with the group.

Deadline for applications: 30 September 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/167904

 

 

 

 

 

9. “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/

 

 

 

 

 

10. Researcher (Postdoc) in Comparative Area Studies (Focus Middle Eastern Studies), Charles University, Prague

Qualification: Proven experience with approaches that compare contexts within or across global regions. – _Demonstrated capacity to apply social science research methods to area studies, moving beyond traditional linguistic-cultural approaches while avoiding purely universalist, theory-driven models of explanation. – _High proficiency in spoken and written English, Czech language proficiency is not required.

Deadline for applications: 15 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/mrkz3nyj

 

 

 

 

11. Research Group Leader (Postdoc) in Comparative Area Studies (Focus Middle Eastern Studies), Charles University, Prague

Qualification: Experience with academic management or coordination of research activities ideally within a university or research institute. Proven experience with approaches that compare contexts within or across global regions. – _Demonstrated capacity to apply social science research methods to area studies, moving beyond traditional linguistic-cultural approaches while avoiding purely universalist, theory-driven models of explanation.

Deadline for applications: 15 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ytkjp9dn

 

 

 

 

 

12. Juynboll Fellowship (1-2 Months) to Study the Arabic and Islam Special Collections of Leiden University Libraries in the Field of Arabic and Islam

Fellows are expected to conduct their research in Leiden University Libraries and/or The Scaliger Institute during the period of the Fellowship. Applicants should indicate their preferred dates on the application form. The allowance is €  1500 per month.  _

Deadline for applications: 1 April 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/5apb42db

 

 

 

 

13. Assistant Professor in the History of Arab Migration, Mobility and Diaspora, Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, North Carolina State University

Candidates are expected to have a Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in History or a related field. They should demon-strate a strong record of research and training related to Arab history, migration and mobility.

Deadline for applications: 26 September 2025. Information: https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/218338

 

 

 

14. 2025 – The Middle East Section of the American Anthropological Association invites submissions for our Student Paper Award. Both undergraduate and graduate students (who have not defended at time of submission) are eligible.

Papers should be ethnographically grounded or engaging with anthropological literature and focused on peoples and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa and/or its diasporas. Both undergraduate and graduate students (who have not defended at time of submission) are eligible. Papers should not exceed 10,000 words and not yet be published or accepted for publication.

Deadline for submissions: 5 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4ezh94hn

 

 

 

 

 

15. 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://tinyurl.com/44aedwnj

 

 

 

16. Articles for Journal “Anatolica”

Submissions on the archaeology and history of Anatolia and neighboring regions from prehistory to the Ottoman era are welcome. Original scholarly papers from the disciplines of archaeology, history, history of archaeology, history of art, anthropology, epigraphy, geographical information systems (GIS), cultural heritage management, digital hu-manities, museum studies etc. are in the scope of the journal.

Deadline for submissions: 1 January 2026. Information: https://www.nit-istanbul.org/publication/anatolica

1.”Dissertation Award” of the Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies

Students who have completed English-language dissertations in any field of Islamic studies in or after 2024 are eligible to apply. Authors must submit their theses, along with letters of nomination from their dissertation advisors. Theses will be evaluated by a committee of senior scholars in Islamic studies and the winning entry will be awarded a cash prize of $1000.

Deadline for applications: 1 January 2026. Information: https://tokatinstitute.org/grants/dissertation-award

 

 

 

 

 

2. ‘One Hundred Thousand Greetings!

The Opening Section of Early Judeo-Persian Letters’

H Sheikh

Dabir, 11, 2024, 110-126

https://brill.com/view/journals/dbr/11/1-2/article-p110_5.xml

 

 

 

 

 

3. Articles for Journal “State Studies Quarterly (Focus Iran)”

Themes: States and modern technologies at global, regional, and national (Iranian) levels. – _The state and economic development in the world and in Iran today. – _The state and the processes of globalization, mediatization, and cyberization in the world and in Iran today. – _The state and democracy in the world and in Iran today. – _States and religious, ethnic, and racial identities in the world and in Iran today. Etc.

Deadline for submissions: 16 April 2026. Information: https://tssq.atu.ac.ir/news?newsCode=136&lang=en

 

 

 

 

 

4. Articles on “Muslim Women and Gender at the Margins” for a Special Issue of the “International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies”

Themes: Trans, queer, and non-binary Muslims. – Muslim women who are located outside of Middle Eastern and South Asian regions and culture contexts. Ahmadiyya, Ismaili and Shia women; Black Muslim women; Black African women living on the African continent; Latina Muslim women of any race; Muslim women in/from East Asian contexts; Rohingya and other refugee women and those in conflict zones; Muslim converts/reverts.

Deadline for submission: 1 December 2025.

Information: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/Muslim_women_margins

 

 

 

 

 

5. Modern Standard Arabic Workbook: Questions, Answers, and Practice

Ayman Ibrahim (Academia), Free PDF Download

With 20 expertly crafted lessons, including in-depth verb exercises, this workbook offers engaging puzzles, real-world vocabulary from the Bible and Quran, and famous Arabic texts to make learning meaningful. No prior knowledge needed – _just start practicing, check your answers, and watch your skills grow! Perfect for self-study or paired with Basics of Arabic for deeper insights. Form daily habits, craft sentences, and unlock the joy of Arabic fluency.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/5saxnpva

 

 

 

 

 

6. New Book on “Indo-Persian Elite in the Late Eighteenth to the Early Nineteenth Century” by Gulfishan Khan (Cambridge University Press)

This book explores the intellectual and literary engagements of the Indo-Persianate intelligentsia from the late-Mughal era to the early colonial period. It situates the writings of the Indo-Islamic elite within the broader context of the Mughal empire’s gradual decline and the British colonial ascendancy. Additionally, it examines Indian agency in shaping the Orientalist tradition.

Information: https://tinyurl.com/4s72hpyn

 

 

 

 

 

7. Documentary on Rumi and Shams (Part 1)
The documentaryShams and Rumi: The Twined Flames (Part 1), directed byDr. Bahman Solati, is now available here: https://youtu.be/11Jb1m6zHP8?si=qMGmQFy8jJfyX0RJ.

The interviewees are Leili Anvar, Manouchehr Anvar, Robert Darr, Kabir Helminski, Camille Helminski, Jane Lewisohn, Mahmoud Mostafa, Mehmet Serif Ozden, Omid Safi, Bahman Solati, and Navid Saberi-Najafi.

 

 

 

 

 

8. New Courses: Introduction to Early Judeo-Persian and Shahname

Introduction to Early Judeo-Persian: Jewish Letters from Xinjiang to Cairo
Dates:September 1–11
Application Deadline: August 24

This online course is designed for students interested in the early stages of th development of New Persian and its manuscript traditions. Aimed at MA and PhD students, it offers a comprehensive introduction to Early Judeo-Persian and its written culture. Participants will learn the Hebrew script used specifically for writing Persian and explore the earliest dated documents inNew Persian. We will delve into documents found in the Cairo Genizah, Xinjiang, and the Bamiyan Papers from Afghanistan.

The course also introduces the relevant academic literature and provides participants with the tools to work independently with these texts.

2. The Shahname: Introduction to the Iranian Epic (Weekly)
   Dates:September 12–October 31
   Application Deadline: September 4

This course is for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Shahname, Ferdowsi’s monumental epic of Persian kings. Through weekly two-hour sessions held every Friday, participants will engage in a close, analytical study of the language and structure of the Shahname. The course will equip students with the skills to work independently with the text and explore its classical, historical, and poetic dimensions. This time we will be reading the story of Rostam and Esfandyar.

I would be really grateful if you could share these courses with anyone who might be interested.

Update:
The Classical Persian through Living Books: Introduction to Persian Manuscripts online course, previously announced, has been rescheduled to begin on August 18 (instead of August 11). There are still two spots available.

Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature

Yerevan, Armenia

Website: www.ferdowsi.org

 

 

 

 

9. Zahra Institute:

Student Panel: Why Kurdish Studies?

Our first student panel “Why Kurdish Studies?” taking place on Zoom at 12 pm Central, this Wednesday, August 6, 2025.

Please join us to hear our students’ inspiring journeys, motivations, and experiences — and to find out why they chose to study at Zahra Institute.

📅 Wednesday, August 6

🕛 12PM Central (Chicago) / 1 PM Eastern

🔗 Register here

 

 

 

 

10. Routledge Handbook on the Sciences in Islamicate Societies

Sonja Brentjes, the editor of the Routledge Handbook on the Sciences in Islamicate Societies (2023), has posted the entire (nearly 900 page!) volume on her Academia.edu page: https://www.academia.edu/143240806/.

1.Islamic Texts Society (ITS)

New al-Ghazali Titles

We are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of

Al-Ghazali on Proper Conduct for Reciting the Qur’an

and

Al-Ghazali on Proper Conduct when Listening to Music 

and the Experience of Ecstasy.

These two new additions to our popular al-Ghazali series will be available to purchase from 15 September 2025.

Forthcoming Titles

 

 

 

 

2. Fons Vitae – al-Ghazali works

https://fonsvitae.com/product-category/sufism/al-ghazali/

 

 

 

 

3. Challenging Maps and Exploration: A Sunderland Collection Symposium

30 October, 2025, 9.30-4.00, London and online

Join us for a day of expert panels discussing the connections, historical and contemporary, between maps and exploration. This event is generously sponsored and co-organised by The Sunderland Collection and hosted by the Royal Geographical Society. It is free to attend and hybrid; prospective attendees must register to come in-person or online.

For each panel, speakers will present their thoughts on the theme via one or more maps. Then, the chair will lead the speakers through a discussion of the topic, followed by questions from the audience. At lunch, a table-top display of relevant maps will be shown in the Foyle Reading Room.

The panels will be filmed and made available online at oculi-mundi.com after the event.

Schedule

• 9.30am – Coffee/tea
• 10.00am – Panel 1: cartographic encounters with empire. Panellists: Ed Armston-Sheret (RGS), Sujit Sivasundaram (Cambridge). Chair: Katherine Parker (RGS-IBG).
• 11.15am – Break
• 11:30am – Panel 2: cartographic encounters with Indigeneity. Panellists: Michael Bravo (Cambridge), Rohini Rai (Brunel). Chair: Sana Murrani (Plymouth).
• 12.45pm – Lunch
• 2.00pm – Panel 3: cartographic encounters with contemporary exploring. Panellists: Felicity Aston and Phoebe Smith. Chair: Tom Allen (RGS-IBG).

Advance booking for this event is required. Please book here: https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/challenging-maps-symposium

Contact Information

Katherine Parker

Contact Email

k.parker@rgs.org

 

 

 

 

4. Latest issue of Arab Media and Society

https://www.arabmediasociety.com/post_issue/issue-38-summer-fall-2024/

 

 

 

 

 

5. CFP: The IV International Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Symposium on the History of Islamic Sciencewill take place in Istanbulon November 20–21, 2025, hosted by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University.

The main theme of this year’s symposium is “Islamic Geography and Maritime History.” The symposium will be held in person, and submission of an abstract indicates a commitment to attend. Presentations are welcome in Turkish, English, or Arabic.

Symposium Focus

One of the fields to which Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin dedicated considerable attention in his studies on the history of Islamic science was geography. In his seminal series “Geschichte des Arabischen Schrifttums,” Sezgin devoted six volumes exclusively to the history of geography and cartography, meticulously analysing Islamic contributions, particularly in mathematical geography, descriptive geography, human geography, cartography, and travel literature. He emphasised the significant impact of Islamic maps on the European cartographic tradition, underscoring the inseparable link between cartography and geographical thought, and highlighting its substantial influence on Western scientific heritage.

The organic link established among astronomy, geography, and maritime sciences in the Islamic world was a crucial driving force behind scientific progress. Beginning from the 9th century, this interdisciplinary knowledge was not limited to theoretical insights but materialised through instruments and methods such as celestial globes, astrolabes, terrestrial models, and maps.

A significant aspect of this accumulated knowledge is maritime practice and navigational expertise. Portolan charts, logbooks, ship models, compasses, and navigational instruments clearly demonstrate how Muslim sailors utilised applied geographical and astronomical knowledge. The maritime instruments and manuscripts catalogued and introduced by Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin vividly illustrate the scope and impact of Islamic maritime knowledge.

Framed within this historical context, the theme of this year’s IV International Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Symposium on the History of Islamic Science is “Islamic Geography and Maritime History.” The symposium aims to both preserve Prof. Sezgin’s scientific legacy and encourage new research in these fields.

Submission Guidelines

Please submit:

• An abstract (maximum 250 words)
• A short list of keywords (3–5)
• A brief CV (maximum 300 words), including your affiliation, academic rank, and one or two notable publications or achievements

Send your materials to:
📧 fs-ibtas@fsm.edu.tr no later than Friday, August 15, 2025

Accepted abstracts will be announced on August 25, 2025.

Topics of Interest Include (but are not limited to):

• Geography in Islamic Scientific Tradition
• Western-Islamic Geographic Encounters
• Terminology and Classification in Islamic Geography
• Islamic Geographical Schools and Traditions
• Leading Islamic Geographers and Their Works
• Geographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
• Islamic Cartography and Map-Making
• Maritime Maps and Portolans
• Cosmography and Its Relationship to Geography
• Travel Writing and Descriptive Geography
• Geography Education in the Islamic World
• Human and Economic Geography
• Digital Approaches to Islamic Geography
• History of Islamic Navigation and Maritime Sciences
• Navigational Instruments (Astrolabes, Sextants, Compasses)
• Maritime Manuals, Logbooks, and Guides
• Naval Organisation, Shipyards, and Technology
• Maritime Trade Routes
• Naval Strategy and Maritime Warfare
• Notable Muslim Mariners and Explorers
• Maritime Engineering and Education
• Preservation and Museology of Maritime Heritage

Additional Information

The symposium is open to scholars at all career stages. There is no registration fee. Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for accepted participants coming from outside Istanbul.

Contact Information

İlhami Danış – M. Sait Türkan
Email: fs-ibtas@fsm.edu.tr

Contact Email

fs-ibtas@fsm.edu.tr

URL

http://fuatsezginsempozyumu.fsm.edu.tr

 

 

 

 

 

6. Postdoctoral positions – Jaussen & Savignac archaeological programme

The Jaussen & Savignac archaeological programme is recruiting 4 post-doctoral contracts, starting in January 2026

The Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Program is now accepting applications for 4 post-doctoral contracts (each lasting 2 years), starting in January 2026. Two of these postdoctoral fellowships are reserved for candidates from the Arab world

Work Environment
Dedicated to the development of archaeology and preventive conservation in the Arabian Peninsula and, more broadly, in the Arab-Muslim world, the Jaussen & Savignac Program is based at the Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Researches Center, directed by Gaëlle Tallet, Professor of Archaeology of the Hellenistic and Roman East.
Presentation of the Position

The recruited post-doctoral researchers, starting on January 1, 2026, for a duration of two years, will contribute to the dynamic environment of the Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Research Center by developing a research project within at least one of the six themes listed below. He or she will be expected to organize doctoral seminars and/or scientific events, and will be allocated a corresponding budget.

List of the themes :

• Environmental Heritage: Oasis Landscapes
• Conservation and Restoration in the Arabian Peninsula
• Archaeology 2030: Archaeology and New Technologies
• Arabian Peninsula: Cradle and melting pot of cultures and religions
• Arabian Peninsula:crossroads between the East, Africa and the Mediterranean
• Epistemology and Historiography of Archaeology and Conservation in the Eastern Regions.

The postdoctoral researcher will carry out their work as part of one of the six research units associated with the Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Research Center including UMR 8215 Trajectoires, UMR 8167 Orient et Méditerranée, EA 4100 HICSA within its welcome team Conservation Restauration des Biens Culturels, UMR 7041 ArScAn and UMR 8068 TEMPS, under the direction of a professor of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University affiliated with ED 112 (Archaeology or Preventive Conservation). For more information about the affiliated research units and potential supervisors for your research project, please click here.

Candidate Profile
The selected post-doctoral researcher is required to have a PhD in Archaeology or Preventive Conservation.
There are no age or nationality restrictions for applicants.

Hiring process

Selection will be made on the basis of submitted applications, which must be received by October 2, 2025, at 4:00 PM (Paris time)
Applications submitted after this deadline will not be accepted.
For detailed information on the application submission process, please refer to this file: Call for applications Jaussen & Savignac Postdoctoral 2026-2027

URL

https://jaussen-et-savignac.pantheonsorbonne.fr/en/news/call-applications-post-…

 

 

 

 

 

7. Islamic Medieval Wall Paintings: Towards an Interdisciplinary Approach

International on-line Conference, September 4-5, 2025

For the conference programme and to resister, see:

Conference web page: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/forensische-organik/imwp-tagung/ 

Conference Programme Times are provided in Central European Summer Time (UTC/GMT +2 hours)

Conference language: English

Conference Organizers:

Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic, Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies and Technologies (KDWT), University of Bamberg

Dr. Agnieszka Lic, Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, Polish Academy of Sciences

This conference is related to the Iranian Medieval Wall Paintings project funded by the German Research Foundation – the DFG, at University of Bamberg’s Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies and Technologies – the KDWT (Applicant: Dr. Ana Marija Grbanovic).

URL

https://www.uni-bamberg.de/forensische-organik/imwp-tagung/

 

 

 

 

 

8. The new issue of Middle Eastern Literatures

The new issue of the Middle Eastern Literatures journal is now published on the MEL website and can be accessed here:

https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/came20/0/0

 

 

 

 

 

9. An artistic and spiritual retreat anchored in traditions of Arabic calligraphy and illumination: West African, Ottoman and Persian

October 2-6, 2025

Abiquiu, New Mexico

Arabic calligraphy as practiced around the world transcends the simple act of writing. As one early writer said of calligraphy, “If it was a flower, it would be a rose, if a metal, gold.” Another said, “The pen is the ambassador of intelligence, the messenger of thought, and interpreter for the mind.” This spiritual and artistic practice imbues the written word with life and beauty, so both the calligrapher and viewer alike may begin to embody the words and letters, their expression, and ultimately their meanings.

What earlier appreciation for this practice has failed to fully embrace is that all throughout the world the richness of Islamic calligraphy has flourished, in different regions that are both at the center and the periphery of Islam, with different schools finding their roots in the spirituality and the unique practice of Islam in each region. Today the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts and the West African Calligraphy Institute invite you to discover the diversity of the calligraphic form, to learn from practitioners, both of traditional schools and those at the frontiers of Islam, and to join a growing community of people who seek to increase human understanding and compassion through artistic expression. If, in the words of the American calligrapher, Mohamed Zakariya,“calligraphy is music for the eyes,” then we invite you to join us this October in Abiquiu, New Mexico for a beautiful symphony.

URL

https://www.musicfortheyes.com/

 

 

 

 

 

10. CfP: The Luminous and the Labyrinthine: Exploring Islamic Libraries of Pre-Modern Times

American University of Beirut, May 21-23, 2026

The Shaykh Zayed Chair for Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut invites scholars to an interdisciplinary conference on the subject of pre-modern Islamic libraries. The study of libraries has emerged as a burgeoning subfield in scholarship on the pre-modern Islamic world in recent years. The purpose of this conference is to build upon this significant work, while also attempting to explore the numerous gaps that still exist in the exploration of such a rich but relatively young subfield in Islamic studies. The conference also hopes to shed light on the different scholarly approaches to pre-modern Islamic libraries, and to critically examine the various methodological and conceptual concerns surrounding their study.

Scholarship on individual libraries with apparently great significance has expanded greatly within the past two decades. But how are scholars to approach Islamic libraries as a type of institution – _broadly examined – _granting that such an approach is desirable to begin with? Conversely, how can the study of a single library reveal broader realities that may be generally applicable to other institutions of a similar kind? Then there are questions concerning the different varieties of Islamic libraries: the personal/private and the institutional, and among the latter group also distinctions between the standalone library and libraries belonging to larger complexes, especially mosques and madrasas.

Given the different types of libraries – _and the disparities between their geographical, physical, human, bibliographical and other characteristics – _the nature of their role(s) in pre-modern Islamic societies assumes a significant degree of complexity as a scholarly/historical question. As repositories of knowledge at the most basic level, their role in the transmission and preservation of learning has been much examined but not fully elucidated. Additionally, as spaces of scholarly exchange and socialization, and in which different social and institutional roles were crystallized, the human ecology of Islamic libraries has yet to be adequately explored as a matter of social history.

To what extent, for example, can pre-modern libraries of various types inform modern scholars of the formation and perpetuation of scholarly and/or literary canons? What discernible distinctions – _if any – _can be detected between such canons geographically and diachronically? Furthermore, what clues can the data available on libraries offer regarding prevalent reading practices? How were developments in textual and literary practices reflected in the development of libraries as institutions? Conversely, in what ways did the evolution of libraries influence the means and modes through which users interacted with texts and even books as material objects?

Other questions might assume a more structural or institutional focus, concerning issues of library staffing, the acquisition of books – _a pertinent element of which, of course, is the matter of how book owners built up their collections and the circumstances under which they chose to endow them in the first place – _besides circulation and copying, among other matters. Scholars are also invited to reflect on the different approaches to the study of pre-modern Islamic libraries, including detailed expositions of the particular types of sources used in their study, be they archival (eg. court records, registers, endowment documents) or narrative (chronicles, biographical compendia) sources.

We encourage scholars to explore any of the questions listed above, some combination thereof, or related matters pertaining to pre-modern Islamic libraries. Please submit an abstract (250-300 words) of your intended contribution and a short CV to bo00@aub.edu.lb and ta35@aub.edu.lb by 30/10/2025.

Contributions in English or Arabic are accepted. Our aim is to publish the conference proceedings in an edited volume, as part of the AUB Press’s Shaykh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Series, for which more information can be found at the following link: https://www.aub.edu.lb/aubpress/Pages/arabicstudies.aspx. Please do not hesitate to get in touch for general inquiries.

Organized by:

Tarek Abou Hussein

Bilal Orfali

 

 

 

 

 

11. The Picture Gallery (Nigāristān)

A Persian Moral Miscellany

Muʿīn al-Dīn Muʿīnī Juvainī
Translated by Edward Rehatsek
Edited by Gregory Maxwell Bruce

EUP, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. Illustrated Ottoman Cosmographies, c. 1550–1700: The World through Muslim Eyes

Bilha Moor

EUP, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. Job Announcement: Assistant Professor of Modern Arabic Literature and Culture

UC Berkeley

Closing date: 15 Sept., 2025

https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05015

Questions may be directed to the search chair, Prof. Adam Benkato, <abenkato@berkeley.edu>.

 

 

 

 

 

 

14. ‘A Newly Discovered Jewish Persian Poet’,

Dabir, 11, 2024, pp. 1-17

David Gilinksy

https://brill.com/view/journals/dbr/11/1-2/article-p1_1.xml

 

 

 

 

 

15. Book Launch: The Production and Consumption of Non-Muslim Islams

NOTE: This book is openly accessible and downloadable via the following link:

The Production and Consumption of Non-Muslim Islams                           

Date and Time

Wedndesday 20 August 2025 17:00 – 19:00 PM (London).

Venue

Aga Khan Centre (Atrium Conference Room),
10 Handyside Street,
London N1C 4DN

Booking

The event is free, but booking is essential.

Register to Attend:

In-Person (Aga Khan Centre, London)
Register on Eventbrite

 

 

 

 

 

16. 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

 

 

 

 

 

17. “Arab Graduate Students Conference (AGSC)”, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, Doha, Qatar, 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.

Extended deadline for abstracts: 30 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2rbew865

 

 

 

 

 

18. Assistant/Associate Professor in International Relations Theory, Department of Political Science, American University in Cairo

A PhD is required at the time of appointment. Successful candidates should have an ongoing research and publication program and teaching experience. In addition to research and teaching, responsibilities include service to the Department and the University. Note also that candidates with experience in and familiarity with the North American higher education system are preferred.

Deadline for applications: 30 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/25czsp46

 

 

 

 

 

19. “Humanities Research Fellowships for the Study of the Arab World”, Research Writing Retreat (2 Weeks) at NYU Abu Dhabi

This retreat aims to foster a scholarly community for up to 8 scholars from around the world and to advance research projects in all areas of the Humanities related to the study of the Arab world, its rich literature and history, its cultural and artistic heritage, and its manifold connections with other cultures. Scholars will have the opportunity to work on any type of academic writing, including a research article, book manuscript, chapter or essay.

Deadline for applications: 30 September 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/167905

 

 

 

 

 

20. Assistant Professor for Contemporary Islam in the Americas, Department of Religious Studies, DePaul University, Chicago

We are looking for a candidate who specializes in Contemporary Islam in the Americas. Scholars working on critical approaches to gender and/or race are particularly encouraged to apply. We are interested in applicants from Religious Studies and allied disciplines whose research and teaching complement the interests and strengths of our interdisciplinary department.

Deadline for applications: 1 October 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/169330

 

 

 

21. Master’s Programme, ‘History and Societies of the Islamic World’

Freie Universitat, Berlin

The program focuses on the history, politics, religions, cultures, knowledge formations, and normativities of Islamic societies from the beginnings of Islam to the present with a geographical emphasis on West Asia and North Africa as well as Europe. The program is taught in English and there are no tuition fees.

Deadline for application: 15 August 2025. More information: https://tinyurl.com/463a7uxy

 

 

 

 

 

22. ONLINE Mediterranean Seminar on “Islamic Legal Texts: In Depth”, CU Mediterranean Studies Group, 11-14 August 2025

This Summer Skills Seminar introduces participants to Islamic law. The seminar is focused on developing the skill of reading Islamic legal texts as opposed to surveying Islamic legal doctrines. It is designed for beginners seeking to build their capacity to investigate Islamic law.

Extended deadline for registration: 4 August 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/y6b9jtcu

1. Zoom: The Forgotten German Civilians of Persia

Professor P Khosronejad will be sharing fascinating research on the forgotten German civilians from Persia who were interned in Australia during WWII. Discover the remarkable research, untold stories, cultural legacies and the powerful impact these families had on post-war.

This event will also feature Mrs. Helga (Girschik) Griffin, the only surviving female from this group, who will share personal memories of life in the Internment Camp.

Friday 1^st August 2025

Iluka Library 2-4 pm (Sydney time)

Online zoom link:

https://uws.zoom.us/j/82662853883…

Meeting ID: 826 6285 3883

Password: 388690

 

 

 

 

 

2. CfP: Text, Context and Interpretation: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Qur’an

Sharjah, April 8–9, 2026 | الشارقة في 8–9 أبريل 2026

Department of Arabic and Translation Studies (ATS) | قسم دراسات العربية والترجمة

American University of Sharjah (AUS) | الجامعة الأميركية في الشارقة

Abstract submission deadline: November 17, 2025

https://info.aus.edu/text-content-and-interpretationhttps://info.aus.edu/text-content-and-interpretation

 

 

 

 

 

3. Iran and French Orientalism

Persia in the Literary Culture of Nineteenth-Century France

J C Hartley

Bloomsbury, 2025

1.Submissions Open for BRISMES Conference Student Paper Prize

Submissions are currently open for this year’s BRISMES Conference Student Paper Prize. Established in 2021, this prize aims to support BRISMES student members in the development of peer-reviewed work. If you are a student member of BRISMES and presented a paper at the conference, please do consider making a submission!

Deadline | 17:00 (UK time) on Friday, 31 October 2025

 

 

 

 

2. Lecturer (Edu) in the History of the Middle East

School of Oriental and African Studies
SOAS are looking for a one-year replacement covering the History of the Middle East for a colleague who will be on research leave during the 2025-2026 academic year. You will be expected to teach and supervise UG and PGT dissertations on the history of the Middle East and related areas. The preferred candidate will hold a PhD in History or a closely related discipline and have gained some initial teaching and supervision experience. A strong commitment to innovative approaches to teaching and research and a collegial working style will be welcome.
Deadline | 27 July 2025
More information

 

 

 

 

 

3. Lecturer in Islamic Studies
King’s College London
The Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King’s College London is seeking to appoint a fixed-term Lecturer in Islamic Studies for 12 months, ideally starting 1 September 2025. You will contribute to co-taught undergraduate modules including Global Philosophy, Religious Traditions and God, and to a sole-taught third-year module, Philosophy of Religious Life. You will also contribute to MA modules, possibly ‘Asian Religions in Global Context’ and ‘Religion, Spirituality and Health’.
Deadline | 31 July 2025
More information

 

 

 

 

 

4. Call for Papers | Ethnographic Experiments from and within the Arab World

Symposium, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

This symposium seeks to bring together scholars working in/on/from/with the Arab world who are engaged in developing innovative ethnographic practices and critical contemplations on broader epistemological concerns within the discipline of anthropology. In particular, we seek to bring scholars whose research agenda does not only emerge from the political and existential urgencies of the present moment, but who are also grappling with the incommensurability between the ethnographic practices of the discipline’s older generation of scholars and the contemporary crises shaping this present moment.

Deadline | 10 August 2025

More information

 

 

 

 

 

5. Call for Applications | Global Innovation Fellowship: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Fellowship, The British Academy

The objective of the Global Innovation Fellowships is to provide opportunities to UK-based early and mid-career researchers from across the humanities and social sciences to develop their skills, networks and careers in the creative and cultural, public, private and policy sectors to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions. The Academy and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace invite applications for fellowships in various areas, one of which is “Middle East and North Africa.”

Deadline | 24 September 2025

More information

 

 

 

 

 

6. Call for Applications | Sir William Luce Fellowship

Fellowship, Durham University

The Sir William Luce Memorial Fund committee welcomes applications for the 2026 Sir William Luce Fellowship, 27 April – 26 June 2026. The committee seek to appoint a Fellow whose work will provide fresh perspectives on urgent regional issues in the area comprising Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, the Gulf monarchies and Iran. Fellows are expected to engage with academic staff at Durham and with the distinctive resources available at Durham – The Sudan Archive and the extensive documentary and library collections relating to the MENA region and Gulf in particular.

Deadline | 1 October 2025

More information

 

 

 

 

 

7. Book Launch: The Enduring Legacy of the Habsburg Islam Policy

The Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC) is proud to announce the publication of The Enduring Legacy of the Habsburg Islam Policy, edited by Sevgi Adak and Thomas Schmidinger. This timely volume explores how Islam was governed, represented and instrumentalised under the Habsburg Empire, and how these imperial legacies continue to shape the treatment of Muslim minorities in contemporary Central and Southeastern Europe.

Published as part of AKU-ISMC’s Governance in Muslim Contexts series, the book draws on archival and ethnographic research across multiple regions to examine the enduring impact of imperial Islam policies in shaping state–Muslim relations. Published Open Access – download your free copy here.

And join us on Thursday, 16 October 2025 for a Book Launch to celebrate with editors Sevgi Adak and Thomas Schmidinger, who will discuss the key themes and motivations behind the volume. The event will be held at the Aga Khan Centre in London and will also be streamed live via Zoom

Booking

The event is free, but booking is essential.

Register to Attend:

In-Person (Aga Khan Centre, London)
Register on Ticketsource

Online via Zoom
Register for Zoom

 

 

 

 

 

8. Asemana Books: The Art of Speaking and Writing by Mirza Agha Khan Kermani – Edited by M. Rezaei Tazik

Fann-e Goftan wa Neveshtan

(The Art of Speaking and Writing)
By Mirza Agha Khan Kermani
Edited by: M. Rezaei Tazik
ISBN: 9781997503071

This volume presents for the first time in book form a complete collection of articles by the influential Iranian thinker Mirza Agha Khan-e Kermani (1853/4–1896), originally published in the Akhtar newspaper of Istanbul. Kermani was one of the pioneering intellectuals of modern Iranian thought, a prominent critic of religion and autocracy, and a foundational figure in the discourse of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution.

During his stay in Istanbul, Kermani contributed to Akhtar with a series titled The Art of Speaking and Writing, spanning twelve articles. These pieces, published between August and November 1889, offer invaluable insights into Kermani’s evolving literary philosophy and intellectual vision at a formative period in his career.

🔗 Order the book:
https://www.lulu.com/shop/mirza-agha-khan-kermani-and-m-rezaei-tazik/the-art-of-speaking-and-writing/paperback/product-7kvpkjw.html

📚 Read more:
https://asemanabooks.ca/the-art-of-speaking-and-writing/

 

 

 

 

 

9. CFP – LAMPS Seminar Series, semester one
We are very pleased to announce the attached call for papers for the Late Antique and Medieval Postgraduate Society’s seminar series, to take place in the upcoming semester (September – December 2025). The seminar series is intended to serve as an open forum for postgraduate students from Edinburgh and beyond to present their research and gather valuable feedback and input from an interdisciplinary cohort. As such, we encourage the submission of works-in-progress and completed research alike.

We encourage the submission of abstracts on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Late Antique Studies
• Archaeology
• Medieval Studies
• Byzantine and Islamic Studies
• Renaissance Studies
• Medieval Romance
• Neo-Medievalism
• Art History
• Reception Studies

Practicalities:

• Seminars will be held in-personon Tuesdays at 17:00, location TBA
• Submissions of a 300-word abstract and professional bio must be made to lampsedinburgh@gmail.com
• Deadline for submissions is the 29^thof August, and applicants will be notified by the 1^st of September

For further information and a QR code to sign up to our mailing list, see attached the poster for our CFP. For any further enquiries you can contact us at lampsedinburgh@gmail.com.

Kindest regards,

The LAMPS committee

 

 

 

 

 

10. New Book: “Covidocracy: Do Pandemics Defend Dictatorships and Challenge Democracies” by Nicolai Due-Gundersen (Bloomsbury Academics)

The book examines Saudi Arabia’s and other responses to Covid. For Saudi Arabia, the book focuses on government responses to previous pandemics, MBS’ rise to power and analyses speeches given by King Salman during Covid before analysing Saudi Arabia’s health diplomacy during Covid.

Information: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocracy-9781350581265/

 

 

 

 

 

11. New Open Access Book: “Handbook of Families in the Arab Gulf States” Edited by Md Mizanur Rahman, Kaltham Al-Ghanim, Ziarat Hossain, Sharique Umar (Springer)

The book demarcates how Gulf families are experiencing many formidable challenges and undergoing profound changes due to speedy economic transformation, educational reforms, extensive use of social media, rapid urbanization, migration, women empowerment, and the intersections of popular culture from both the East and the West.

Information and online access: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-96-3412-5

 

 

 

 

 

12. New Book: “Islam and Pseudoscience” by Stefano Bigliardi (Cambridge University Press); Free Online 21 July – _4 August 2025

This book discusses, in critical fashion, different ideas and approaches that combine pseudoscience and Islam. It begins by historically reconstructing the debate on Islam-related pseudoscience developed by Muslim and non-Muslim critics. After a section discussing other malpractices and erroneous approaches, which do not strictly qualify as pseudoscience but accompany and foster it, the book ends with the discussion of overarching questions constituting an agenda for future discussions of Islam-related pseudoscience.

Information and online access: https://tinyurl.com/vrk8x6r8