Categories : Academic items
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Open Access Newspaper Archive: Lebanon
2. Virtual AGYA Workshop “Media Representations of Law and Justice: Middle Eastern Perspectives”, 19-21 August 2020, 2:00 – 5:30 pm CEST
Scholars from different regional sites, including Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran, and Turkey, will present and discuss they research on legal dramas and movies with experts from law, media and communication studies, as well as Middle Easter Studies.
The workshop is open to a limited number of engaged listeners. For further information, program and registration until 10 August see https://tinyurl.com/y2c9wou3
3. One‐day Workshop:” HTRising Ottoman Manuscripts”, Institut für Orientalistik, University of Vienna, 18 December 2020
The workshop aims to discuss the possibilities of automatic text recognition for Ottoman manuscripts. The workshop intends to present the first findings of working with the tool Transkribus (transkribus.eu) and further discuss other tools as well as the potentials and challenges of HTRising Ottoman manuscripts.
Deadline for submissions: 15 September 2020. Information: https://orientalistik.univie.ac.at/aktuelles/detailansicht-artikel/news/call-for-applications/?tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=76f7252190c4b22eb9d17ff3377a9c28
4. 2nd Biennial Symposium “Connectivity Across Borders: Global Borderlands in Historical & Modern Perspective”, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, 26-27 March 2021
We welcome proposals dealing with the role of borders and borderlands in shaping global narratives of connectivity across time and place.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 September 2020. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2020/04/23/cfp-global-borders-borderlands-symposium
5. POSTPONED: Panels on “Materiality of Languages: Epigraphy, Manuscripts, and Writing Systems in Byzantium and Early Islamic Near East (324-1204)“ during the 56th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, 13-16 May 2021 – Postponed until 2022
In this period, the Eastern Mediterranean witnessed greater linguistic transformations that affected the entire regions and cultures, including their popular and elite levels. The purpose of the sessions is to examine whether this situation led to consolidating associative links between certain languages and particular types, methods, and styles of writing regarded as their “proper” or “preferred” mediums; and to what extent modern scholars can detect these links today, studying epigraphy, manuscripts, and writing systems.
6. Postdoc Assistant Lectureship in Middle Eastern Studies in Social Anthropology, Social or Political Sciences (Tenure Track), Institute for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Bern
Prerequisites for application are a completed PhD and a promising research project aiming for a habilitation. Applicants should have excellent abilities in at least one Middle Eastern language, be engaged in innovative research and be prepared to cooperate with representatives of other disciplines and institutions.
Deadline for applications: 16 August 2020. Information: https://ohws.prospective.ch/public/v1/jobs/1822ed5f-52a8-41ca-8028-4e6705927685
7. Lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies (Grade 7), School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds
Qualification: A PhD in Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, International Relations or other relevant discipline with a Middle East focus; track record of producing research outputs of internationally excellent quality, including as single or main author of recent refereed publications; competency in Arabic, Persian or Turkish; etc.
Deadline for applications: 15 August 2020.
Information: https://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=AHCLC1119
8. Full-time Arabic Instructor, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Minnesota
Preferred qualifications: Experience teaching intensive language courses; ability to teach vernacular Arabic courses in addition to Modern Standard Arabic; demonstrated commitment to materials and course development, innovative teaching methods, integration of culture into the curriculum, and mentoring students.
Deadline for applications: 3 August 2020. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2020/07/23/full-time-arabic-instructor
9. Up to 12 Scholarships from the MESA Global Academy for Displaced Scholars from the MENA Region Currently Located in North America
Applicants must 1) hold a PhD in social sciences or humanities; 2) have been primarily affiliated with an institution in the MENA region prior to displacement; and 3) have a publication record indicating scholarly productivity (in English, French, their native MENA language).
Deadline for application: 7 August 2020. Information: https://mesana.org/advocacy/2020/07/08/global-academy-scholarship
10. Three Post-Doctoral Fellowships for 2021-2024, Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts, Princeton University, New Jersey
Applications are invited for two Open Fellowships in the Humanities and Social Sciences and one Fellowship in Humanistic Studies.
Deadline for applications: 4 August 2020. Information: https://sf.princeton.edu/about-us/news/call-applications-postdoctoral-fellowships-2021-24
11. Online Graduate Student Writing Workshop of the American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS), 7 November 2020
Doctoral or Master candidates will present, discuss, and receive valuable feedback on work related to North Africa. Accepted applicants will circulate an abstract of their project, a primary source of approximately 3-5 pages or 5-10 minutes, and a brief analysis of their primary source, raising questions or challenges to be discussed with the group.
Deadline for submissions: 1 August 2020. Information: https://aimsnorthafrica.org/annual-dissertation-workshop/
12. Studies and Observation for Online Collection of on “Corona Crisis: Local Perspectives of a Global Challenge”, Leibniz Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO)
Scholars engaged in studies on the Middle East, North Africa and the Muslim world are invited to publish their thoughts, observations, and first reports on the impact of this crisis.
Further information: https://www.zmo.de/en/knowledgetransfer/corona-experiences
13. Articles for “Diyâr. Journal of Ottoman, Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies“
Diyâr is a new, interdisciplinary and interregional academic journal concerned with research on Turkey, the Ottoman Empire and its successor states, Iran, Central Asia and the Caucasus. We accept articles of a variety of research topics and areas in the field of the humanities, cultural studies and social sciences written in German, English, and French.
Deadline for articles: 15 March 2021. Information: https://www.diyar.nomos.de/index.php?id=7418&L=1
14. Call for chapters: Marriage and Forced Migration: New Understandings of Conjugal Relationships in the Middle East and North Africa
- Edited by: Yafa Shanneik, Mulki al-Sharmani and Farah Al Taji
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has experienced, since the beginning of the 21st century, large-scale forced movement of populations who fled wars in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia. The absorption of millions of these refugees, including (un)recognised asylum seekers, in neighbouring countries creates a number of significant socio-economic and political challenges. This massive forced population movement also resulted in ruptures of traditional understandings of family structures and gender roles defined by religio-cultural norms and values of both new-comers and of receiving societies.
This edited volume seeks to analyse conjugal relationships and matrimonial practices (marriage and divorce) as they are being debated and developed in theory and practice in the MENA region. We aim to explore to what extent the conflict- and crises-induced displacement of people contribute to the emergence of new understandings of family structures and relationships and their wider religious and socio-economic context. While there is a growing body of research on gender and sexuality in the MENA region and legislative or judicial approaches towards questions of Islamic family law, fewer studies have given attention to the impact of the significant refugee flows on the emergence of new conjugal relationship norms and practices in the MENA region.
Deadline for abstract submission: 15 September 2020
Abstracts of 300-500 words need to specify the empirical research and/or methodological and conceptual discussions the chapter is based on and the broader questions addressed. We also need a short bio of up to 200 words. The abstract and the bio need to be sent as one email attachment in MS Word format to Yafa Shanneik: y.shanneik@bham.ac.uk with ‘abstract and bio’ and your last name in the subject heading.
Further information at:
15. Open Access Newspaper Archive: Syria
- July 28, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. Instructional Professor (open rank) in Persian
The University of Chicago: Humanities Division: Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Location: Chicago, IL
Open Date: Jul 22, 2020
Deadline: Aug 24, 2020 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Description
The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and the College of the University of Chicago invite applications for appointment to a one-year open-rank position as Instructional Professor in modern Persian. Start date of the appointment will be September 1, 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter. Appointment will be made at the rank of Assistant Instructional Professor, Associate Instructional Professor, or Instructional Professor, depending on qualifications and educational background. This is a non-renewable, one-year appointment to fill an immediate curricular need.
Responsibilities include both teaching and service duties. Teaching consists of six courses in Persian language across three quarters, both elementary and intermediate, as well as a seventh topical Advanced Persian course (Persian of the Media, Persian Literature, Iranian History, etc.). Service duties may include assistance with student placement, programmatic assessment, coordination of the Persian Language Circle, Conversation Table, or other program-specific duties. Instructional Professors of all ranks are required to engage in regular professional development.
Qualifications
Applicants should demonstrate previous language teaching experience at the college or post-secondary level. An M.A. degree or equivalent is required. Candidates with specialized training in second language acquisition, second language pedagogy, and/or assessment are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants must demonstrate sufficient language proficiency for teaching Persian in a university context, e.g. through an ACTFL-certified result at the Superior level or higher, or through receipt of an advanced degree earned in a Persian-language context.
Application Instructions
To apply for this position, please submit your application through the University of Chicago’s Academic Recruitment website at http://apply.interfolio.com/77441. An application must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching statement, one sample syllabus for elementary or intermediate Persian, and the names and contact information of three potential recommenders. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to submit a video demonstrating classroom teaching,
Application deadline: All applicant materials must be received by August 24, 2020 at 11pm central time.
This position is contingent upon budgetary approval. The terms and conditions of employment for this position are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the University and the Service Employees International Union. For information on the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, please go to https://nelc.uchicago.edu. For questions about the position, please contact Amanda Young at amanday@uchicago.edu.
2. Graveyard of Clerics: Everyday Activism in Saudi Arabia,
<https://t.e2ma.net/click/kbg5yc/07bopb/c1yalm>/
Pascal Menoret, Stanford University Press, 2020.
3. Islamic Manuscript Basics
This site holds basic information and resources relating to the study of Islamic manuscripts. If you are new to thinking about the material aspects of Islamic manuscripts or are simply curious and want to know more, then this site is for you!
Organization
There are 7 content pages: Basics, Binding, Substrate, Layout, Scripts, Decoration, Notes.
At the bottom of each page (except Notes) is a link to a short exercise that will let you test your knowledge. You can also access any of the exercises from the Exercises page.
Finally, the Glossary page has photos of additional aspects of manuscripts that may be of use to you, the References page has a short bibliography which will help you get started on further research, and the SIMS Resources page has explanations of tools and resources at The Schoenberg Institute of Manuscript Studies which may be of use to you.
Things to Know
As you work through these pages, keep in mind that manuscript making was a team effort and included papermakers, scribes, and binders at the very least. Fancy, or deluxe, manuscript production would also include (teams of) illustrators and illuminators.
You can find digital collections of Islamic manuscripts used on this website in OPenn, which hosts over 500 open-access, high-resolution digitized Islamic manuscripts from Philadelphia area collections and Columbia University. All images on this site are open access under Creative Commons licenses and have been taken from OPenn, unless otherwise stated.
Where to Start
If you are unfamiliar with Perso-Arabic script, please start with the Basics page, if you are familiar with it, then choose any other page to begin. We recommend beginning with Binding and working your way through the pages in order.
Happy learning.
4. SINARC, the Arabic language and culture program at the Lebanese American University (LAU), offers intensive courses in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and the Levantine dialect at all levels. The program’s unique success is underpinned by academic rigor, cultural immersion and personalized attention.
Study Arabic Online is a new SINARC program that simulates a classroom setting using all the latest tools for effective virtual language acquisition. The program provides a number of credit-based and non-credit based course options on various levels for students interested in Arabic as a second language only and not toward earning a degree at LAU. All courses are organized and divided according to ACTFL standards and are delivered using various online learning platforms.
Registration for the 8-week Online Program (October 5–November 27, 2020) is open. For more details, check our website.
Register online by September 28
5. SOAS Racialisation of Islam lecture series
The final two lectures in the Racialisation of Islam lecture series will take place on:
- Monday 27th July, 6-8pm, via zoom.
- Monday 24th August, 6-8pm, via zoom.
To register, please click here.
6. Open Access – Iraqi Newspapers
7. Jean Aubin (ed. Denise Aigle): Études sur l’Iran médiéval: géographie historique et société. (Studia Iranica. Cahier 60.) 365 pp. Paris: Association pour l’avancement des études iraniennes, 2018. ISBN 978 2 910640 46 0. https://www.orient-mediterranee.com/spip.php?article3490&lang=fr
- July 25, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy of Persian
ISBN 9781138333055
July 16, 2020 by Routledge
660 Pages – 62 B/W Illustrations
The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy of Persian offers a detailed overview of the field of Persian second language acquisition and pedagogy. The Handbook discusses its development and captures critical accounts of cutting edge research within the major subfields of Persian second language acquisition and pedagogy, as well as current debates and problems, and goes on to suggest productive lines of future research.
The book is divided into the following four parts: I) Theory-driven research on second language acquisition of Persian, II) Language skills in second language acquisition of Persian, III) Classroom research in second language acquisition and pedagogy of Persian, and IV) Social aspects of second language acquisition and pedagogy of Persian.
The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy of Persian is an essential reference for scholars and students of Persian SLA and pedagogy as well as those researching in related areas.
2. CHANGED TO VIRTUAL EVENT: 54th Annual Meeting of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), Washington DC, 5-17 October 2020
The original meeting days of 10-13 October 2020 are reserved for MESA plenary events such as the presidential panel and awards ceremony, as well as some late-breaking sessions. The preliminary program is available at https://mesana.org/annual-meeting/program. Details on registering for the virtual conference will be posted soon.
3. 3rd “International Conference on Advanced Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (ICARSH)”, (Including MENA Studies), Stockholm, 9-11 October 2020
The event is designed for members of the academia and non-profit, public, and private sector members who are interested in the latest research and academic developments in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities, including Middle Eastern History, Religion, Political Relations, Sociology, Anthropology, Law & Politics, etc.
Deadline for submission of papers: 14 September 2020. Information: https://www.icarsh.org/
4. POSTPONED: International Conference: “Musical Sources and Theories from Ancient Greece to the Ottoman Period”, Ruhr-University Bochum, 19-23 November 2020. New Date: 10-12 June 2021
Papers will focus on Arabic, Persian and Byzantine music theory, instruments and ways of transmission, with their roots in Ancient Greece and an outlook onto Ottoman and Safavid music. Call for Papers closed. Guests are welcome!
Information: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/orient/aktuelles/index.html
5. 3rd “International Conference on Research in Social Sciences (RSSCONF)”, (Including MENA Studies), Dublin, 27-29 November 2020
Research in Social Sciences is a leading conference in politics, humanities, communications, law, education, and other areas of social sciences, including Middle Eastern History, Religion, Political Relations, Sociology, Anthropology, Communication, Geography, Arts, Law & Politics, etc.
Deadline for submission of papers: 31 October 2020. Information: https://www.rssconf.org/
6. Colloque international : « Les représentations paysagères dans les littératures du monde arabe et du Proche-Orient » — Inalco (Paris), 30 novembre et 1 décembre 2020
Ce colloque a donc pour ambition de rassembler des chercheurs en littérature arabe mais également en littérature hébraïque, persane et turque d’époque médiévale et moderne autour. Langues de communication : français, arabe, anglais.
7. Conférence internationale « Islam et Pudeur », Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgique, 3-4 décembre 2020
La conférence se centrera sur le thème de la pudeur (hayâ’) dans l’Islam, ses conceptions, ses réceptions et ses perceptions dans le monde musulman et le monde occidental. Comment comprendre les tensions majeures qui surviennent aujourd’hui sans une compréhension plus précise et mieux ancrée de la tradition islamique et de ses contextes?
Information: Dr. Ayang Utriza Yakin ayang.walad@uclouvain.be
8. 3rd ANU Religion Conference: “Religion and Migration: Culture and Policy”, Australian National University, Canberra, 8-10 December 2020
Forms of human movement including global immigration, asylum-seeking, climate migration, and the internal migration accompanying mass urbanisation, have radically altered religious cultures around the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. The aim of this conference is to explore the various phenomena related to religion and migration; the political and social transitions impacting upon the transnational religiosity of contemporary communities.
Information: https://hrc.cass.anu.edu.au/events/religion-and-migration-culture-and-policy-0
9. Postdoctoral Researcher in Religion and Extremism, University of Groningen
Qualification: A PhD from a relevant field, including Theology, Religious Studies, Political Science and International Relations, Security Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology.
Deadline for applications: 15 September 2020.
Information: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/work-with-us/job-opportunities/?details=00347-02S0007TIP
10. Fully Funded European Research Council (ERC) Collaborative PhD Studentship “The European Qu’ran”, in Collaboration with the University of Copenhagen and the British Library, London
The PhD studentship is fully funded and embedded in the six-year international research project “The European Qur’an: Islamic Scripture in European Culture and Religion (1150-1850)” (EuQu). The project studies the ways in which the Islamic Holy Book is embedded in the intellectual, religious and cultural history of Medieval and Early Modern Christians, European Jews, freethinkers, atheists and European Muslims.
Deadline for application: 15 September 2020. Information: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CAQ489/fully-funded-european-research-council-erc-collaborative-phd-studentship-the-european-quran-in-collaboration-with-the-university-of-copenhagen-and-the-british-library-london?uuid=664a07cb-c57e-11ea-8705-064da8edb92a&campaign=jbew20200714&source=jbe
11. Doctoral Scholarship in the Research Project “Historicity of Democracy in the Arab World”, Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient, Amman,
The profile sought is that of a doctoral student at the start of his/her dissertation, working on the theme of the historicity of democracy in the Middle East from a historical, sociological, anthropological or political science perspective. Excellent language skills in Arabic and English are required. Knowledge of German or French is valued.
Deadline for applications extended to 31 August 2020. Information: https://www.zmo.de/fileadmin/Karriere/ZMO_PhD_Amman_English_updated.pdf
12. Assistant Director of the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR), Amman
Candidates with a post-graduate degree and professional experience in Middle East/North Africa studies are preferred. This could include cultural anthropology, sociology, history, MENA studies, political science, archaeology, ancient or modern languages, etc. A working knowledge of Arabic is useful, and English speaking/writing fluency is required.
Deadline for applications: 8 August 2020. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2020/07/15/assistant-director-in-amman
13. Humanities Research Fellowships for the Study of the Arab World, NYU Abu Dhabi Research Institute
Distinguished scholars with an established reputation and promising scholars who are at the beginning of their career can apply for a research fellowship. The program awards one-year senior fellowships and one- / two-year postdoctoral fellowships.
Deadline for application: 1 October 2020. Information: https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/research/centers-labs-and-projects/humanities-research-fellowship-program.html
14. Proposals for Research Groups 2022/23 at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF), University of Bielefeld
Do you have an exceptional interdisciplinary research idea? Do you want to join forces with international colleagues from various disciplines? The ZiF provides funding (up to 500,000 € for a research group with a duration of 10 months), support by a research group coordinator, and a professional infrastructure.
Deadline for proposals: 1 October 2020.
Information: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/(en)/ZiF/Aktuell/Call_for_Project_Proposals.pdf
15. Research Grant for Omani Studies at the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient Berlin for 3 Months
We are seeking an outstanding postdoctoral scholar who is engaged in Omani Studies. The Grant is sponsored by the Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science and comprises funding for a research stay, starting in late 2020 or in 2021 at ZMO, as well as travel costs to Berlin.
Deadline for applications: 10 September 2020.
Information: https://www.zmo.de/fileadmin/Karriere/CfP/CfP_TheOmanResearchGrant_ZMO.pdf
16. Articles on “Governing and Living Amid COVID-19 in the MENA” for Special Issue of the Jounal “Middle East Law and Governance”
This special issue will take a broad look at how the MENA – the state, governments, and societies of the region — are governing and/or living amid COVID-19. It encourages papers from a wide range of disciplines and methodological approaches in the social sciences and humanities.
Deadline for manuscripts: 1 December 2020. Information: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/melg-overview.xml?contents=editorialContent-17621
17. Articles on Islam in the Widest Sense for Journal „Waikato Islamic Studies Review“, University of Waikato, New Zealand
Submissions are invited on any topic or theme, including religion, philosophy, history, politics, sociology, culture, and law, within the broad field of studies on Islam and Muslim societies.
Information and past Journals: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/fass/UWISG/review.shtml
18. Articles on “Children and Political Agency: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives from the Middle East” for Special Issue of “International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES)”
We seek original historical and empirical case studies delineating the political subjectivity and agency of children in the Middle East, North Africa, Muslim South East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Our definition of political agency does not only include participation in social, political and revolutionary movements or institutional political processes. From a methodological point of view, we prioritize children’s perspectives within their socio-political and cultural contexts, and thus doing research with children, not about or on children.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 August 2020.
Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2020/06/17/cfp-ijmes-special-issue
19. New “Digital Library of the Middle East Platform (DLME)” by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and Stanford Libraries
DLME aims to become one of the world’s largest online archives of MENA artifacts. It aggregates 127,443 digital records of published materials, documents, maps, artifacts, audiovisual recordings, and more from the MENA region. It also provides an array of applications, tools, and descriptions that enrich the content and facilitate browsing, search, and interpretation. The DLME is intended to serve as a resource for teachers, students, and researchers, as well as for the general public.
Information: https://dlmenetwork.org/library
20. Proceedings of the 11th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Volume 2: Field Reports, ed. by Adelheid Otto, Michael Herles and Kai Kaniuth; Islamic Archaeology, ed. by Lorenz Korn and Anja Heidenreich. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag 2020, ISBN 978-3-447-11367-0
The majority of the volume contains papers given in the section on “Field Reports” at the XIth ICAANE in Munich 2018. Besides, it gathers fifteen out of thirty-six papers given in the section on “Islamic Archaeology”, demonstrating that the Islamic period, while touching the fringe of modernity, has become a firm part of the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East and that, in the reality of archaeological fieldwork, the periods before and after the Arab-Islamic conquests have become inextricably connected.
21. Podcasts organized by the French Institute of the Near East (IFPO):
Une histoire des épidemies au Proche et Moyen Orient” (A History of Epidemics in the Near and Middle East)
Have epidemics changed the history of the Near and Middle East? How did societies from this region react to this phenomenon? This serie of podcasts wants to look back at the history of epidemics in a region which has been regularly affected during the past, relying on the work of historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists and philosophers.
Episodes are mostly in French, but do not miss episode #4 in English (with Lara Meneghini): “The Black Death: Venice and the Creation of the Lazzaretto”, which discusses about how the city of Venice, leader of the Mediterranean trade during the Middle Ages and Early Modern History, reacted to the threat of the plague in order to guarantee its economic interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. Lara Meneghini discusses about the creation of the lazzaretti and their role in preventing the spread of epidemics. Through an historical and archaeological perspective, she presents the material evidence of these quarantine structures and of the passage of goods and merchants coming from the Near and Middle East.
https://www.ifporient.org/a-history-of-epidemics-in-the-near-and-middle-east/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7ypBvwGG2o&t=1s
- July 21, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.We are delighted to announce the launch of the report from our AHRC funded Re/presenting Narratives of Islam on Campus.
This AHRC-funded research Re/presenting Narratives of Islam on Campus provides the first nationwide picture of how Islam is experienced, perceived and interacted with on university campuses in the UK. This research shows how the UK Government’s counterterrorism Prevent strategy has reinforced negative stereotypes of Muslims and has encouraged ‘a culture of mutual suspicion and surveillance’ on university campuses. Based on findings from a national survey of 2,022 students across 132 UK universities and interviews and focus groups conducted with 253 staff and students at six higher education institutions, we recommend that universities take an active role in building peaceful relations on campus and beyond. This can be achieved through active challenge of prejudice and empowering Muslim and all marginal voices. As discussed in the forthcoming book, suspicion and negative stereotypes need to be replaced with shared, equal and just understandings of who we all are. To read the full report – https://www.soas.ac.uk/representingislamoncampus/publications/file148310.pdf
The research has been covered favourably in the media:
Times Higher: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/prevent-reinforces-negative-views-islam-among-students-uk
Open Democracy: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/limits-inclusivity-islamophobia-higher-education/
Research Professional: https://www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/he/agencies/other/2020/7/Prevent-duty–discouraging-free-speech–in-universities.html
2. MIDDLE EAST HISTORY / STUDIES
Darmstadt University of Technology – Postdoc Researcher: Global History of Material Culture and Technology, 1850-2000
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=60214
Closing date: 8/21/20
3. Layli and Majnun
By Nezami Ganjavi,
Translated by Dick Davis
Mage, 2020
‘ Dick Davis is an accomplished poet and scholar; he is also the finest translator of Persian poetry. With Layli and Majnun, he brings Nezami’s classic to life for the first time in brilliant and moving English verse that captures all the extraordinary power and ingenuity of the original poem. Meanwhile, an introduction and copious explanatory notes shed a fascinating light on Nezami’s life and work, and the astonishing virtuosity of his poetic style, that help set the stage for the reader’s enjoyment of this tour de force of Persian literature.’
https://magepublishers.com/layli-majnun/
4. The Iranian-American Diaspora and The Black Lives Matter Movement Webinar – Wed., July 22, 2020, 4-5 pm PST
Speakers:
Dr. Cornel West, Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University
Dr. Ali Akbar Mahdi, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Ohio Wesleyan University
Dr. Touraj Daryaee, Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies and Professor of History at University of California, Irvine
Moderated by:
Dr. Annahita Mahdavi, Associate Professor, Social Sciences Dept., Long Beach City College
This event is presented by UCI Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture.
Zoom Registration at:
https://ucihumanities.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zQ6j2PhKRVa2vkYJpuJvkA
We expect this online event to exceed the maximum capacity for attendees. If you are unable to join the Zoom webinar, you may also view this event LIVE on UCI Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/samueljordancenter )
5. We warmly invite you to join Anthropology of the Middle East and Central Eurasia network meeting, which will take place online on Monday July 20th, 2020; 11.00 – 13.00 (Lisbon time, GMT+1).
Here are the technical instructions on how to access our network meeting provided by organisers:
“Anyone interested can use that link to RSVP. They enter their name, email, institution and an hour before the meeting they’ll receive an automated email reminding them to login. From 59 minutes before the meeting begins, that same URL changes from being an RSVP to direct entry into the meeting.”
https://shindig.com/login/event/easanet-acme
The meeting will be an opportunity to hear an overview of AMCE’s activities since last EASA conference including our journal, film program and social media activities. We will also discuss our future plans, including new structure of our journal.
AMCE was established in 2010 as one of the active networks of the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA) with the aim of getting together all like-minded and interested anthropologists, students and researchers of social science working on a diversity of aspects of modern and contemporary societies in the Middle East and Central Eurasia, including those who work on minority groups, or on religious themes.
The recent long wars and increasing political, religious, and ethnic clashes in the different regions of the Middle East and Central Eurasia, signal that more geopolitical changes in these regions are forthcoming. Under such present conditions of conflict and transformation, anthropologists have plenty of work to do, and may yet contribute to a better understanding of complex problems and their resolution.
All are welcome to join us.
Dr. Pedram Khosronejad | Adjunct Professor
Religion and Society Research Cluster | School of Social Sciences
E: P.Khosronejad@westernsydney.edu.au
6. The Great Lakes Adiban Society (GLAS) invites submissions for its fourth annual workshop, scheduled to take place online on September 5–6, 2020, from 9:00–1:30 EDT (with breaks).
The primary purpose of this gathering is to share work in progress for critique and feedback, rather than to present work that is already finalized or published. Graduate students and first-time participants are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants will have the option of presenting their projects as either a ‘lightning talk’ of 5 minutes (with 15 minutes for discussion), or as an in-depth presentation of 20 minutes (with 30 minutes for discussion). In either case, we encourage you to privilege the conceptual issues you wish to discuss, and to be provocative with respect to your topics, discipline, and methodology. This could include projects that use non-traditional sources, employ digital humanities approaches, or foreground collaborative practices in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on research into Islamicate literatures. We are expressly mindful of the fact that our time together is most valuable when it involves exchange and argumentation; for that reason, we also ask that participants commit to attending the full duration of the workshop.
If interested, please fill out our online application by August 7, 2020. Please be aware that we have a limited number of slots available, and may not be able to accept every application. If this happens, however, you are still welcome to participate in the workshop as an audience member. A link to register as an audience member will be circulated in mid-August, along with the finalized schedule.
About us: GLAS aims to provide a regional forum for scholars of Islamicate adab, particularly of the medieval and early modern periods, primarily based in the Great Lakes region of North America, to meet and share their work. We leave our parameters of language and genre intentionally open in order to invite as wide a collaboration as can be useful, but as a group we are generally interested in the literary production of the broad complex of premodern Muslim societies across the Eastern Hemisphere. This naturally includes the major Islamicate languages of Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Urdu, as well as many others (Armenian, Georgian, Hebrew, Spanish, etc.) that participate in similar literary conventions. We consider this comparative angle an essential part of our scholarly work. For more about GLAS and the work we have done in the past, please visit https://greatlakesadiban.github.io/; if you have any questions, you can email Cameron Cross at kchalipa [ at ] umich [ dot ] edu.
- July 18, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Call for Papers
The Indo-Persian Musical Confluence
A program of online events held by the University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Ethnomusicology, Summer 2020 – Winter 2021
Deadline for submissions is August 31, 2020 (We may accommodate proposals that arrive
after the deadline if possible)
Submission format:
We welcome a variety of formats suitable for online delivery, including
• Individual panels, maximum 2 hours total
• Individual talks
• Performances
• Film screenings, with an introductory talk
Abstracts for submissions should be no longer than 250 words and should be sent to
mohammadim@hotmail.com by August 31, 2020. (We may accommodate proposals that arrive after the deadline if possible). Notification of acceptance to the conference will be sent in September 2020.
For details and questions related to the conference please contact Mohsen Mohammadi at mohammadim@hotmail.com
English language must be used.
2. Webinar: “Freiburg Conversations on Tafsir and Transregional Islamic Networks”, Orientalisches Seminar, University of Freiburg, Summer 2020, Next Meeting 15 July 2020, 10 a.m. CEST
The sessions are hosted by Majid Daneshgar and Johanna Pink.
For information about the program and registration for the meetings see http://www.orient.uni-freiburg.de/islamwissenschaft/konferenzen-vortraege/freiburg-conversations-summer-2020
3. Symposium: “Ottoman Ego-Documents”, Istanbul Medeniyet University, 7-9 April 2021
The symposium will be in English and Turkish. The texts belonging to pre-Tanzimat period are particularly advised to present. The primary sources used in the presentations can be in Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, Persian or any other languages spoken/written in Ottoman territories. The main focus would be on the texts written in Ottoman Turkish.
Deadline for abstracts extended until 31 July 2020.
Information: https://benanlatilari.medeniyet.edu.tr/en/symposium/home-page-sempozyum
4. 14th Annual Conference: “Global Islamophobia and the News Media, Entertainment Media, and Social Media“, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 8-9 April 2021
Panelists from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds — including, computer science, sociology, anthropology, religious studies, political science, communication, media studies, and psychology — are invited to present their research on Islamophobia in the news media, entertainment media, and on social media.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 September 2020. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2020/07/08/global-islamophobia-and-the-news-media-entertainment-media-and-social-media
5. FSCIRE Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research on “The ribā in Classical Islamic Thought: Theology, Economic Thought and Practices“, Bologna
Candidates may apply for the position of Junior Research Fellow (1 year, renewable once). Applicants must have obtained their doctorate after 15 June 2015. The successful candidate will sign a research contract with an annual gross salary of € 23,500.
Deadline for applications: 25 July 2020. Information: http://www.fscire.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Fscire_Fellowship_Postdoc_2020_Islam.pdf
6. Post-doctoral Fellowship for Research on “Occult Beliefs and Practices in the Ottoman Empire before the Tanzimat“, Institute for Mediterranean Studies, Rethymno, Crete, Greece
Candidates must hold a PhD degree in Ottoman history or literature, and have a strong interest in the topic of occult sciences, practices and beliefs in the Ottoman Empire. The position will start on 1st November 2020 at the earliest or upon agreement. Applicants should read fluently Turkish and English; knowledge of other major languages (French, German) will be appreciated.
Deadline for applications: 31 August 2020.
Information: https://ims.forth.gr/uploads/docs/CALL/IMS.20200703_32804_EN.p
7. Chercheur.euse au sein du Département des études arabes, médiévales et modernes (DEAMM), Institut français du Proche-Orient (Ifpo), Beyrouth
Activités principales : Développer un programme de recherche impliquant un travail de terrain et s’inscrivant dans l’un des axes de recherche du centre dans le domaine des études arabes classiques et modernes (littérature, linguistique, histoire, civilisation, philosophie, productions culturelles).
Date limite de candidature : 23/08/2020.
Information : https://www.ifporient.org/appel-a-candidature-chercheuse-chercheur-deamm/
8. Directeur.trice scientifique du Département des études contemporaines (DEC), Institut français du Proche-Orient (Ifpo), Beyrouth
Activités principales : proposer une stratégie de département ; diriger une équipe de chercheurs ; initier des programmes de recherche ; accompagner le pilotage de l’Observatoire urbain du Proche-Orient, etc.
Date limite de candidature : 23/08/2020.
Information : https://www.ifporient.org/appel-a-candidature-directeur-trice-scientifique-dec/
9. Directeur.trice de l’Institut français du Proche-Orient (Ifpo), Beyrouth
Description synthétique du poste : Piloter, organiser, gérer un centre de recherche en SHS à l’étranger (UMIFRE), à vocation régionale. Initier et coordonner l’élaboration et la mise en oeuvre de projets individuels et collectifs de recherche en SHS.
Date limite de candidature : 23/08/2020.
Information : https://www.ifporient.org/appel-a-candidature-directrice-directeur-ifpo/
10. Fellowships for Research about Oman, Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, Muscat
The fellowship is open to PhD candidates and university academics who are US citizens or affiliated with an American university, and funds one scholar or team of scholars to carry out research in Oman each year. The fellowship awards up to $51,000 for the fellow or team of fellows.
Deadline for applications: 15 September 2020.
Information: https://www.sqcc.org/Scholarships-0024-Fellowships/Research-Fellowship-Program.aspx
11. Covid-19 et mondes arabes et musulmans : une veille d’articles, vidéos, podcasts, séminaires en ligne, appels et autres initiatives
Suite à la pandémie, de nombreux articles et autres initiatives en lien avec le Covid-19 et les sociétés des mondes arabes et musulmans ont été publiés Depuis fin mars, l’IREMAM a entrepris une veille documentaire, non exhaustive. Celle-ci comprend une sélection d’articles, de podcasts, de vidéos, de séminaires en ligne, d’appels et d’autres initiatives.
Information: https://iremam.cnrs.fr/spip.php?article6834&lang=en
12. Arabic Postgraduate Research Conference
Negotiating Arabic Text in Translation
27th – 29th July 2020
4 – 5:30 pm (London Time)
The first Arabic Postgraduate Research Online Conference, Negotiating Arabic Text in Translation will take place on 27th – 29th July 2020. Sessions will be in the form of a Zoom webinar and will run from 4 to 5:30 on the above dates.
The event is organised by Swansea Arabic Research Group (ARG), which is part of the Department of Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting at Swansea University.
The event includes research papers and information about studying a postgraduate programme in or related to Arabic at Swansea University. The presentations cover various applications of literary and translation theories on Arabic texts, exploring technical, political and religious questions. The texts being analysed include, film, political speeches, novels and the Qur’an.
There will also be an opportunity to virtually meet academic staff at the Department of Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting to discuss research opportunities and learn about the programmes we offer in Arabic and Arabic-related areas of study.
Click on the link to support our postgraduate students throughout the three sessions or at individual sessions, especially if you supervise one of the speakers.
To reserve your place, click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/postgraduate-research-conference-negotiating-arabic-text-in-translation-tickets-113010920706
We look forward to welcoming you there.
Swansea Arabic Research Group (ARG)
Department of Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting
Swansea University
- July 14, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Open Access Book:
Trajectories of State Formation across Fifteenth-Century Islamic West-Asia
J van Steenbergen, ed. Leiden: Brill, 2020
https://brill.com/view/title/57550
2. Toys and ephemera in a fifteenth-century multilingual illustrated dictionary from India
The Miftāḥ al-Fużalā or Key of the Learned of Muḥammad Dā’ūd Shādiyābādī (BL Or 3299), a multilingual illustrated Persian dictionary written in 1468 gives us glimpses into the ephemeral life of the sultanate of Malwa in Central India.
3. The History Department of Tulane University is seeking a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor in Islamic/Middle Eastern history, starting August 2020. Research specialization open, teaching experience required. The teaching load will be 3/3. The successful candidate will be expected to teach in the Fall semester a course on the History of Islam to 1400, an upper-level seminar on the Modern Middle East, and a third course to be determined in consultation with the candidate; and in the Spring semester other courses on the history of Islam and/or the modern Middle East. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to Tulane’s growing interdisciplinary program in Middle East and North African Studies and the vibrant cohort of scholars associated with it. Candidates will be expected to have PhD in hand or to have defended their dissertation by Sept 1. Tulane University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to excellence through diversity. All eligible candidates are invited to apply for position vacancies as appropriate.
Candidates should submit a letter of application and CV and at least two letters of reference. Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. All application materials and inquiries should be sent to:
F. Thomas Luongo
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of History
Tulane University
tluongo@tulane.edu <mailto:tluongo@tulane.edu>
4. The Historians of Islamic Art Association (HIAA) Majlis, held periodically in conjunction with the conference of the College Art Association (CAA), offers an opportunity for junior scholars in Islamic art to learn about their colleagues’ work and to connect with more senior scholars.
HIAA invites submissions from graduate students at ABD level or recent PhDs to present at its next Majlis, to take place in New York city on the afternoon of Thursday, February 11, 2021 during CAA’s Annual Conference. [Note: Although we hope that the conference and associated programming will be held in person, in the event of continued restrictions on large gatherings, the Majlis will be held virtually]
We are delighted to announce that the Majlis will be held at Silsila, a research center at NYU dedicated to material histories of the Islamicate world.
HIAA invites proposals for 20-minute papers on current research focused on any topic, time period or region related to islamic art, architecture, and archaeology. We especially encourage proposals that highlight research and activism that expands our understanding of race and its representation in Islamic art and culture, and to topics that deal with the way racism or race has played a part in writing about Islamic art.
Proposals should be submitted by email to HIAA secretary Fatima Quraishi at sec.hiaa@gmail.com as a single document which includes the following:
** a cover sheet with your name, academic status, contact information (postal address, e-mail address, telephone number/s) and title of proposed presentation
** an abstract of no more than 300 words
Proposals are due by August 15, 2020.
Please note that those selected to present at the Majlis must be current members of HIAA.
5. Imago Mundi Ltd. in close collaboration with the National Museum of Maps and Old Books in Bucharest and the University of Bucharestinvite applications for the 29th International Conference on the History of Cartography, July 4–9, 2021 Bucharest.
The conference is entitled ‘Conflict and Cartography’ and proposals for individual papers, poster presentations and workshops are welcomed on various aspects of the history of cartography, under the following themes:
- Imperial and Anti-Imperial Cartographies
- Questioning the interrelation of mapping and imperialism, with a special focus on cartography as a hegemonic or a counter-hegemonic discourse.
- Frontier Cartographies
- Exploring the role played by mapmaking and cartographic knowledge in imagining and building barriers, edges, boundaries, limits and frontiers.
- Cartographies of Nostalgia and Imagination
- Focusing on cartography as an exercise in wish-fulfilment, in which deceptive, consoling or anticipative fantasies are projected onto maps.
- Cartographies of Difference and Map Consumption
- Aiming to investigate the world of map consumption and cartographic fashions in driving the market, as well as in shaping the actual form and content of maps.
- Any other aspect of the history of cartography
Deadline for submission of proposals is Monday, 5 October 2020.
For further details see https://ichc2021.com/call-for-papers/
6. British Institute of Persian Studies
Webinar: Iran in Global International Relations
22 July 2pm UK time
In this lecture, Shabnam Holliday (University of Plymouth) talks about her approach to her research. She highlights the importance of Area Studies because it is through Area Studies that it is possible to appreciate the complexity of history and the domestic. These are essential for a better understanding of the international in general, and Iran’s international relations in particular.
Shabnam Holliday is Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of Plymouth. She is also the current Director of the British Institute of Persian Studies’ Modern Research Project. Recent publications include ‘Populism, the International and Methodological Nationalism: Global Order and the Iran-Israel Nexus’, Political Studies (2020). She is the author of Defining Iran: Politics of Resistance (Routledge 2011).
Please note, registration is required. Capacity for the webinar is 100 people.
7. Iran’s Reconstruction Jihad
Rural Development and Regime Consolidation after 1979
Eric Lob
Cambridge University Press, 2020
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/irans-reconstruction-jihad/0A4A897EDC13565F99FAA042CAFC06A7
8. POSTPONED – American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies (ACSIS) has rescheduled its conference for 19-20 March, 2021 at Villanova University.
The original conference was supposed to be held on March 27-28, 2020 at Villanova University. The theme of the conference is “the Influence of Islam in Politics and Society: Civic Engagement, Social Inclusion and Political Participation”. We will stick with the same program and participants.
The venue of the conference is Garey Hall, Villanova University, 800 E. Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA 19085 USA. Please check our website < acsis.villanova.edu > for more updates.
- July 11, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Postponed: Conference: “Islam, Peace, and Justice”, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, 21-22 September 2020,
Postponed until 20-21 September 2021
Papers are invited that challenge stereotypes about Muslims, their relationship with cultural and religious pluralism, and the connection between Islam and violent extremism. We are looking for critical articulations of how Islam and Muslims draw on faith-inspired principles and energies to fostering resilient cultures of peace and justice.
Deadline for abstracts: 22 March 2021. Information: https://stmcollege.ca/documents/conferences-and-lectures/islam-peace-justice-call-for-papers.pdf
2. 14th Annual International Conference on Mediterranean Studies, Institue for Education and Research, Athens, Greece, 29 March – 1 April 2021
The aim of the conference is to bring together academics and researchers from all areas of Mediterranean Studies, such as history, arts, archaeology, philosophy, culture, sociology, politics, international relations, economics, business, sports, environment and ecology, etc.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 August 2020. Information: https://www.atiner.gr/mediterranean/call
3. 14th Annual Muslim Studies Conference on “Global Islamophobia and the News Media, Entertainment Media, and Social Media”, Michigan State University, 8-9 April 2021
Scholars in sociology, anthropology, religious studies, political science, communication, psychology, computer science, media studies, and other relevant fields are invited to present work related to Muslim portrayals in the media (e.g., news, entertainment, social media) and evaluate its effects either on publics or on Muslims themselves.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 September 2020. Information: Mohammad Khalil khalilm@umich.edu
4. “4th Congress of Studies on the Middle East and Muslim Worlds”, Aix-en-Provence, 28-30 June 2021
This event is organized by GIS Moyen Orient et mondes musulmans (MOMM) in collaboration with IREMAM, IDEMEC, CHERPA, IMAF, and SEMOMM. The themes fall under anthropology, archaeology and history of art, law, economics, geography, history, islamology and religious sciences, linguistics, literature, philosophy, sociology, political science, in a global or regional perspective. As in previous years, the congress is an invitation to move beyond disciplinary and institutional compartmentalization, by bringing together contributors from diverse backgrounds, working in France and around the world.
Information: http://majlis-remomm.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Appel_4e%CC%80meCongre%CC%80s_en.pdf
5. Professor of Islamic Studies, Lund University
Requirements: Experience of research focusing on both present-day and historical Islam; Arabic language skills; experience of having initiated and formulated strategically important research applications; experience of educational development that includes digital tools and teaching environments, etc.
Deadline for applications: 30 September 2020.
Information: https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/type:job/jobID:334474/?where=26
6. “AMECYS Early Career Article Award“ on the Study of Children and Youth in the Middle East, North Africa and the Diasponic Communities, Association for Middle East Children and Youth Studies
By September 2020, the recipient must have received the doctoral degree in 2014 or later. The articles must be scholarly, non-fiction, based on original research and published in English. Articles must have been published 2017-2019.
Deadline for (self-)nominations: 1 August 2020. Information: https://amecys.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/amecys-early-career-article-award.pdf
7. “Claremont Prize for the Study of Religion“ for the First Book by Early Career Scholars in the Humanities or Social Sciences, Columbia University
Submissions can be on any aspect of the study of religion, including the study of secularism. Prize-winners will be invited to the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life(IRCPL) to participate in a workshop and the books will appear in IRCPL’s series, “Religion, Culture, and Public Life,” published by Columbia University Press.
Deadline for submissions: 14 September 2020. Information: https://www.ircpl.columbia.edu/claremont-prize
8. Columbia’s Global Center in Amman is hosting a series of events every Monday in July about Kalīla wa-Dimna and the ERC project AnonymClassic.
We will begin with a keynote discussion on Monday, July 6th between Beatrice Gruendler, Bilal Orfali, and Rima Redwan to discuss the significance of Kalīla wa-Dimna, the project of editing the text, and its manuscript illustrations. On the next three Mondays, we will have academic workshops on various aspects of the project.
You can register for the events through the links below or the event site: https://globalcenters.columbia.edu/events/wisdom-encoded-digital-kalila-wa-dimna
I’ll be moderating each webinar workshop and feeding questions to the presenters via the Q&A function in zoom. Unfortunately, only a very limited number of participants will be visible on video to ask questions and engage with the presenters directly. Please email me at work (mlkeegan@barnard.edu) if you would be interested in being part of the active/visible audience for one of the workshops (July 13th-27th). Apologies in advance if I cannot squeeze you in.
All the very best,
Matthew L. Keegan
Moinian Assistant Professor
Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures
Barnard College, Columbia University
9. Early Career Researcher Prize
The British Institute of Persian Studies invites submissions for its Early Career Researcher Prize of £1000. The prize will be awarded for the best dissertation or early career book manuscript in the field of Persian Studies, broadly understood, covering the disciplines of art history, history, literature and religious studies. Submissions may focus on any area of the Persianate world, including Iran, Central Asia, India and Anatolia. Chronologically, submissions are welcome in all fields up to the early twentieth century (c. 1925). The committee is unable to consider submissions in the fields of archaeology, contemporary politics or International Relations. In addition to the cash prize, which is intended to support research expenses for finalising a publishable monograph, the successful submission will be considered for publication in the British Institute of Persian Studies monograph series, published and distributed by Gingko Library and the University of Chicago Press.
Eligibility:
The prize is open to scholars who have successfully defended a PhD dissertation in the last 4 years (the viva must have taken place from 1 January 2016 to 1 July 2020). The PhD must either be awarded by a UK university or the applicant must currently have an affiliation to a UK Higher Education Institute; in this case the PhD may be awarded by another institution, but only submissions in English are eligible for consideration. By entering the competition you give the British Institute of Persian Studies first refusal on the right to publish your work should you be successful.
How to apply:
Please send a PDF of either dissertation or equivalent piece of work (e.g. a revised version of the dissertation or a manuscript of another work of equivalent length, c. 80,000 words) to bips@thebritishacademy.ac.uk by the deadline of 15 August 2020. Please include a cover letter confirming the date of award of PhD and your eligibility. The cover letter should also state in no more than 800 words what you believe is the contribution to scholarship of your submission.
- July 07, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Open Call for Editors and Contributors
As we approach the summer holidays, the Digital Orientalist is happy to announce its annual open call for editors, contributors, and team members. As we continue to expand our publication and readership, we are also looking to expand into new fields and as such we are eagerly looking for several new editors for the next academic year (2020-2021) from the following (or related) fields:
- African Studies.
- Central Asian Studies.
- Indian Studies.
- Korean Studies.
- Middle Eastern Studies.
- Mongolian Studies.
- Sinology.
- South East Asian Studies.
- Oceania or Pacific Island Studies.
- Persia or Iranian Studies.
These editorial positions will be particularly attractive to graduate students and early career researchers, but are also open to senior academics. Editors will be expected to contribute 5-6 posts between September 2020 and June 2021. In addition to new editors, we are also looking for people who are able to contribute guest posts or series of guest posts on the Digital Humanities in General, Islamic Studies, Japanology, Syriac Studies or any of the above noted fields.
If you have something interesting to say and you wish to reach an expanding global audience, then do not hesitate to get in contact by sending a CV to james@digitalorientalist.com.
(See: https://digitalorientalist.com/2020/06/30/open-call-for-editors-and-contributiors/. And, for a link to the blogposts themselves: www.digitalorientalist.com. )
- July 04, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.POSTPONED: International Conference of the Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TARII): “From Ancient to Modern: The Current State of Research on Iraq“, Washington, DC, 9 October 2020. Postponed to 1 October 2021
This conference will bring together American, Iraqi, and international scholars to present their findings and exchange their ideas in any subject area.
Information: https://www.tarii.org/conferences
2. Professorship (W3) in “Islam Studies: Arabic“, Heidelberg University
The professorship focuses on intellectual history and religious studies with regard to the Islamic world. The successful applicant is expected to master the full range of the subject as qualified above, and be experienced in the study of classical as well as modern literary and scholarly texts in Arabic, as evidenced by excellent publications. In addition, a good knowledge of Persian is especially appreciated.
Deadline for applications: 31 July 2020. Information: https://adb.zuv.uni-heidelberg.de/info/INFO_FDB$.startup?MODUL=LS&M1=1&M2=0&M3=0&PRO=29033 (English text at the end)
3. Research Fellow (3 Years) for Project “Religion for Peace: Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace”, German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Hamburg
Requirements: Very good MA in political science, economics, or other social sciences, sound quantitative methodological skills, including advanced statistical skills regarding cross-country time-series, keen interest in the topic of religion, peace and conflict in Africa and beyond.
Screening of applications will begin on 6 July 2020. Information: https://www.giga-hamburg.de/sites/default/files/md_pdf/GIGA-20-05_ResearchFellow_Religion-for-Peace-DFG.pdf
4. Tenure Track Full Professor of Islamic Origins (1.0 FTE), University of Groningen
What we ask: a PhD degree in Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Theology, or another field appropriate to the position; experience and proven success in teaching; an exemplary research record demonstrated by publications in monographs and articles in top journals; success in acquiring external funding; fluency in the English language; etc.
Deadline for applications: 31 August 2020. Information: https://www.academictransfer.com/en/292492/tenure-track-full-professor-islamic-origins-10-fte/?utm_source=ATemailalert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=job_click
5. Junior Researcher/Researcher on the Geopolitical Situation in the MENA Region, Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC), Johannesburg
Requirements: At least a Master’s degree in either International Relations, Political Science, or a related field; Experience in research design, analysis and in writing policy papers on the MENA region; Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of Arabic, Turkish and/or Persian will be an advantage.
Deadline for applications: 8 July 2020.
Information: http://www.actionappointments.co.za/uploads/1/5/3/7/15374534/ad_amec_researcher_1.pdf
6. Chapters for Edited Book on “Rethinking Islamism beyond jihadi Violence: Fighting Ideas Leaving the Sword Aside“ (Vernon Press)
This volume seeks original contributions investigating the following issues: The origins of Islamism and the differences with jihadism; The evolution of Islamism over time and places; The role played by non-jihadist Islamist organisations in different national contexts and their appeal.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 August 2020. Information: https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/6203814/call-book-chapters-%E2%80%98rethinking-islamism-beyond-jihadi-violence
7. Open Access – Taliban Sources Repository
The Taliban Sources Project (TSP) is one of few Taliban documentation projects in existence and is the only collection to include the cultural, social, and legal output for the years 1979-2011.
The TSP has transformed a large private collection of Taliban documents into an enduring and usable intellectual resource for scholars of Afghanistan, Taliban and Asian history.
Compiled between 2006 and 2011 by researchers based in southern Afghanistan, the TSP collection is one of only a few such private documentation projects in existence, and is the only collection to include Taliban’s cultural, social and legal output for the years 1979-2011.
Original documents and English translations.
Open Access site:
https://www.hf.uio.no/ikos/english/research/taliban-sources-repository/
8. Postponed – The HIAA (Historians of Islamic Art Association) Biennial Symposium, originally planned for October 2020, has been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 outbreak to April 15–17, 2021.
For the final symposium program and other details, see the symposium website, at: https://lsa.umich.edu/histart/hiaa-symposium.html
9. The International Journal of Islamic Architecture (IJIA) invites readers and potential authors – researchers, graduate students, university faculty, and professionals in architecture and related fields (i.e., art history, urban planning, landscape design, sociology, anthropology, preservation, archaeology, etc.) – to join its editorial staff for a conversation and workshop on Friday July 24 12:30–1:30 EST for an open conversation on research and the publication process. The informal session will provide an opportunity for a discussion, questions and answers regarding the state of publication in the field, potential avenues for publishing success, and the journal’s perspective on the future of architectural studies in the Islamic world.
Founded in January 2012, IJIA publishes bi-annually, peer-reviewed articles on the urban design and planning, architecture and landscape architecture of the Islamic world. IJIA aims to encourage dialogue and discussion between practitioners and scholars. Articles that bridge the academic-practitioner divide are highly encouraged. The journal is specifically interested in contemporary architecture and urban design in relation to social and cultural history, geography, politics, aesthetics, technology and conservation. Spanning across cultures and disciplines, IJIA seeks to analyze and explain issues related to the built environment throughout the regions covered. The audience of this journal includes both practitioners and scholars.
Please use the following URL by July 17 in order to register for this free event and for access to the Zoom session link: https://temple.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIuduGtrD0tE9w5F92q_KBbzVyuTxpLlyub
10. Richard Piran McClary, The Medieval Monuments of Central Asia, Qarakhanid Architecture of the 11th and 12th Centuries,Edinburgh University Press, 2020. 344 pages, 184 colour illustrations, ISBN 9781474423977
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-medieval-monuments-of-central-asia.html
11. The Manuscript Collection of Sir William Jones (British Library)
Nizami, Rumi, Jami, Urfi Shirazi, Tajalli, Ghani Khasmiri, Mirza Jalal Asir, Fighani, Asafi, Ibn Sayyid al-Nas, Ibn Matruh, al-Sharif al-Radi, Mahmudd ibn Fahd al-Halabi,
- June 30, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.Loyola University – Maryland – Lecturer in Middle Eastern and North African History
http://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_display.php?id=60167
The History Department at Loyola University Maryland invites applications for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor/Lecturer in Middle Eastern and North African history, with the possibility of a renewal. The successful applicant will teach four undergraduate courses a semester (ordinarily two preparations), including a survey of modern Middle Eastern history. Basic departmental or university service is expected. We seek candidates who display a strong commitment to excellence in teaching, including an appreciation of or engagement in high impact practices in History. The appointment will begin on August 24, 2020. Ph.D. in hand and teaching experience preferred but not required
Closing date: Sept 16, 2020.
2. MENAdoc has thus far digitized (with open access) 412 out-of-print titles of Schwarz Verlag’s Islamkundliche Untersuchungen.
https://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/iud
3. New online pedagogical resource, Teaching Medieval Slavery and Captivity (http://medievalslavery.org/).
This website offers a collection of primary sources in English translation as well as images and selected bibliographies of scholarly work to help those who want to incorporate the history of slavery and captivity into their classes. The scope of the collection is global and covers the 4th through 17th centuries.
4. Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History Volume 16 North America, South-East Asia, China, Japan, and Australasia (1800-1914)
https://brill.com/view/title/57203
5. Open Access Journal – Anthropology of the Middle East
https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/ame/ame-overview.xml
6. Persianisms: Cultural Encounters in the Anglophone World Call for Papers
We invite proposals for an interdisciplinary colloquium on the topic of Persianisms: Cultural Encounters in the Anglophone World to take place virtually at the University of York across the period 10-12 December 2020.
This colloquium is underpinned by our conviction that relationships between Iran and the West are as important and urgent as ever. It aims to explore the range and depth of the exchanges and encounters that connect Anglophone and Persian cultures across centuries of contact from antiquity to the present-day manifest in poetry, diplomacy, religious polemic, scholarship, travel narratives, material culture, art, and curatorship.
We invite proposals from all disciplines and all career stages, including postgraduate, and early career researchers. We welcome proposals for traditional short papers, or for presentations that exploit the online format in other ways, e.g. short discussions of single images, objects, or texts, or group roundtable discussions. As a guide, the contribution of any individual should not exceed 20mins.
In particular we solicit proposals that speak to, or cross over, our three main themes: literature and language, material culture and political culture, including the following:
- The roles and functions that “Persia” (as it was known by Europeans before the 1930s) has played in the imagination of English-speaking writers, scholars, commentators, and artists.
- How notions of Persia and Persian have shaped the English language and its cultures.
- Representations of Iran in English poetry, fiction and travelogues.
- The influence of Persian and Islamic models in the history of the English book.
- Cultures of scholarship including Orientalisms, Islamic studies and Indo-European philology.
- The expressions and legacies of Persian culture in the Anglophone world through collectors and curators and the role of galleries, libraries, museums, and archaeological collections.
- The extent of ‘Persian’ distinctiveness within spheres of material exchange and interaction across the Middle East and India and between those regions and Europe.
- The histories of encounters between Anglophone and Persianate political and economic interests including the reception and representation of Persian history over time.
- Conflicts, revolutions, flashpoints and radical change, from the Mongol invasions to the Great Game, oil and the 1979 Revolution.
- Cultural and historical expressions of Perso and Islamo-phobia and -philia.
- Histories of religious and political polemic.
- The cultural life of Islam in its various forms, including Shi’ism and Sufism, in the Anglophone imagination.
- The dynamics of gender, race, sexuality, and power at work in cross-cultural encounters and exchanges.
Confirmed speakers include Prof Lloyd Ridgeon (Reader in Islamic Studies, University of Glasgow) and Dr Nur Sobers-Khan (Lead Curator, South Asian Collections, British Library).
Please send proposals of no more than 200 words to persianisms@gmail.com by Saturday 15 August. Proposals should be accompanied by a 50-word biography, and an indication (if known at this point) of your availability between 10-12 December.
Joanna de Groot (History/Centre for C18th Studies/Centre for Modern Studies)
Shazia Jagot (English/Centre for Medieval Studies)
James Williams (English/Centre for Modern Studies)
7. Piety, Politics, and Everyday Ethics in Southeast Asian Islam
Ed. Robert Rozehnal
London: Bloomsbury 2020.
8. Short Course – Manuscripts in Arabic Script, Introduction to Codicology
14-15 August 2020
This online course (2 days) aims to introduce Arabic manuscripts from a codicological and textual point of view. The first day will provide an overview of the field of codicology and it role in the manuscript field in general and in identifying the key features of the manuscript in particular. The second session will be dedicated to writing supports, the structure of quires, ruling and page layout, bookbinding, ornamentation, tools and materials used in bookmaking, and the palaeography of book hands. The second day will focus on the importance of manuscripts in research. While the first session will cover the Para-textual features in the Arabic manuscripts, the second session will demonstrate the different approaches in editing manuscripts.
This introductory course is intended for students, researchers and librarians who are working in the field of manuscript studies. In the two-days course, a wide range of aspects will be covered for those who are acquiring basic knowledge in this field.
Learning Outcomes
– Basic understanding of the field of manuscript studies in general.
– Identify the role of manuscripts in knowledge production in different areas studies in Muslim cultures.
Length of course
2 days (4 lectures)
Course Convenor
Dr Walid Ghali is the Head of the Aga Khan Library, London, Assistant Professor at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations and a Chartered Librarian of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). Also, he is a member of the Islamic Manuscript Association, University of Cambridge.
Dr Ghali received his PhD from Cairo University, Faculty of Arts in 2012. His current research projects focus on the Islamic manuscript traditions, particularly in Arabic script, and the history of books. Dr Ghali teaches Sufism, Arabic literature and manuscript traditions.
Before moving to London, Dr Ghali worked in various librarian roles at the American University in Cairo. He has also held several consultancy roles in and outside Egypt, such as the Ministry of Endowment, Qatar University and the Supreme Council for Culture in Kuwait.
Time
14-15 August 2020, 11.00-14.00
Tickets and Booking
Tickets: £50 per day, £80 two days. Register as soon as possible.
*The course will be delivered via Zoom. Further details will be provided later upon registration. For any questions about the course, please contact walid.ghali@aku.edu .
9. Posts
Senior Teaching Fellow in Israeli & Middle Eastern Studies
SOAS University of London
The School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics (LCL) is recruiting a Senior Teaching Fellow in Israeli & Middle Eastern Studies. You will be expected to establish and maintain good working relationships with students, staff, academic peers and external/professional organisations. Flexibility and responsiveness, particularly to the changing education environment is also a key requirement.
Closing date for applications | 29 June 2020
Further information
Language Tutor in Arabic (Fixed-term)
The University of Manchester
Applications are invited for the fixed-term post of Language Tutor in Arabic, which is tenable from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021. You must possess near-native command of both Arabic and English; demonstrate excellent language-teaching skills; and, have an educational background appropriate to the delivery of the specified duties.
Closing date for applications | 8 July 2020
Further information
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Queen Mary University of London
A Postdoctoral Research Assistant position is available in Dr Isabelle Mareschal’s group to conduct a qualitative study of how children’s learning and education are influenced by participation in a non-formal education intervention and to examine how an education intervention can best be developed and implemented in humanitarian crisis contexts. Because the project involves one-on-one interviews in Jordan, fluency in Arabic and a familiarity with Jordanian and Syrian cultural contexts is required. The successful applicant must be willing to conduct one-on-one interviews with adults and children in Jordan in safe but challenging environments with limited supervision.
Closing date for applications | 12 July 2020
Further information
10. Other opportunities
CBRL 2020 Undergraduate Dissertation Prize
Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL)
CBRL have announced the undergraduate dissertation prizes in the field of Levantine Studies for the academic year 2020:
- Levantine archaeology or history: the CBRL Prize for a final-year undergraduate dissertation, or major research paper
- Contemporary Levantine studies: the CBRL Prize for a final-year undergraduate dissertation, or major research paper
UK based heads of departments, chairs of departmental examination boards or their representatives can nominate up to one final year dissertaion in each of the above subject areas.
Deadline | 31 July 2020
Further information
Call for Submissions: 2021 Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Submissions are now open for the 15th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award. This is one of the world’s leading Arabic book prizes which annually awards outstanding literary and scholarly works written in Arabic or engaging with Arabic culture. Each year prizes are awarded by an independent jury to authors, translators, publishers, and organisations from around the world. Each winner receives 750,000 UAE Dirhams (£166,000 / $204,000) to support their career and create opportunities for greater scholarship and creativity.
Deadline | 1 October 2020
Further information
- June 27, 2020
- by Andrew Newman
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