Categories : Academic items
Shii News – Academic Items
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
- August 12, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
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.
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
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
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
- August 09, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
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.
- 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/.
- August 05, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
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.
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
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
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
- August 02, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
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 1st 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
3. Iran and French Orientalism
Persia in the Literary Culture of Nineteenth-Century France
J C Hartley
Bloomsbury, 2025
- July 29, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
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
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
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
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 29thof August, and applicants will be notified by the 1st 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
- July 26, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. Fons Vitae Publishing is delighted to announce a new very exciting partnership with the recently launched Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies.
The Tokat Library of Islamic Classics, a translation series published in partnership with Fons Vitae.
“The Tokat Library of Islamic Classics (Fons Vitae) endeavors to present the timeless writings of the Islamic tradition to contemporary readers in robust and lively English translations.
With full awareness of the breadth and creativity of Islam’s literary achievements across languages such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Punjabi, Malay, and Chinese, the Library encompasses works from a wide variety of genres, namely philosophy, mysticism, theology, scriptural commentary, legal theory, science, poetry, history, travel writing, and biography.
Each translation in the Tokat Library of Islamic Classics is of the highest quality and is undertaken by a skilled translator who is also a widely recognized expert in the text’s subject matter, thereby ensuring both readability and scholarly precision.
For more information, visit https://tokatinstitute.org
2. Studies in Iranian History and Culture
In Honor of Elton L. Daniel
M Ashtiany et al eds.,
Brill, 2025
3. Poetic Desire and Literary Thievery
Economies of Intertextuality in Arabic Literature
M J al-Musawi
CUP, 2025
4. Departmental Lecturer in Classical Arabic Literature
The University of Oxford from January 2026 to June 2027.
Deadline to apply is August 14.
Further Information: Job Details
5. ASPIRANTUM’s 2025 Persian Language Winter School (from December 01 to December 26, 2025) in Yerevan, Armenia.
For more details about the Persian Language Winter School and to apply, please visit: https://aspirantum.com/courses/persian-language-winter-school
The 2025 Persian Language Winter School will last for 4 weeks (80 hours).
The participation fee is:
$1900 – 4 weeks
We offer a special discount exclusively to PhD students.
$1200 – 4 weeks (only for PhD students).
- July 22, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1.The Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies is pleased to announce its inaugural Book Completion Grant (in the amount of $3000).
See here for details: https://tokatinstitute.org/grants/book-completion-grant
2. Visualizing Egypt: European Travel, Book Publishing, and the Commercialization of the Middle East in the Nineteenth Century
P Banas,
AUC Press, 2025
https://aucpress.com/9781617976674/
3. Classical Persian through Living Books: Introduction to Persian Manuscripts
The course will take place from August 11 until August 21st (two weeks).
Designed for students with little or no prior exposure to Persian manuscripts, this intensive course offers an introduction to the Persianate manuscript tradition. Here is a short-hand list of the main manuscripts that will be discussed (links on the website):
- Kitāb al-abniya ‘an haqāiq al-adwiyya. 1056 AD
- Florence Shahnameh, 1217 AD, Florence
- Naṣr-Allāh Munšī, Kalīlah va-Dimnah (Persian MS 68), 1219 AD, Manchester
- Prince Baysunghur’s Rose Garden (Gulistan) by Sa`di (Per 119), 1427 AD
- Dawlatshāh Samarqandī (d. ca. 1494). Taẕkirat ul-Shuʻarā (Persian MS 54). Date 1749.
By the end of the course, participants will:
- Be able to read and interpret Classical Persian manuscripts
- Be familiar with key scripts, including Nasqand Nasta‘liq
- Understand Persian orthographic conventions and their development
- Gain insight into historical manuscripts from diverse regions and periods
- Explore the connection between Persianate literature and manuscript art
- Build the skills needed to work independently with Persian manuscripts
You can read more and apply via the link below.
The application deadline is August 4th.
https://ferdowsi.org/classical-persian-through-living-books-summer-2025/
Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature
Yerevan, Armenia
Website: www.ferdowsi.org
4. Four and a Half Ghazals from the time of Ferdowsi (in Early Judeo-Persian)
The manuscript presented in the post (Ms. Heb. 8333.195, probably from the first half of the 11th century, kept at the NLI) is a unique piece in that it preserves to us a small collection of 4 (and a half) poems written in Persian in Hebrew characters, which in my estimate date to the late 10th century.
This manuscript is highly important in that it can provide us with a glimpse into the earlier stages of the development of Persian literary traditions.
You are welcome to read more about it in this post:
https://ferdowsi.org/four-and-a-half-ghazals-from-the-time-of-ferdowsi-in-early-judeo-persian/
5. ‘Black Light in Akbarian and Persianate Sufism’ online lecture IIS
Please join us at 5 pm (British time) on Thursday, 24th of July, for the next session of the Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series organised by the Institute of Ismaili Studies.
Dr Dunja Rašić’s talk is titled “Behind the Veil of the Night: The Black Light in Akbarian and Persianate Sufism”, with Dr Toby Mayer as discussant.
This lecture will focus on Ibn ʿArabī’s writings on the black light of the night. We will explore Ibn ʿArabī’s notions of the night serving as the source of knowledge, power and protection for the spiritual seekers known as the Nightfolk (ahl al-layl) and identify the possible origins and parallels of these teachings in Persianate Sufism.
To join, please register for online attendance at https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/behind-the-veil-of-the-night/
6. “International Conference on Turkic Studies”, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Warsaw, 13-14 November 2025
Proposals for papers and panels are invited in the domains of language, literature, history, culture, society, and politics, and philology of the Turkic peoples.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 July 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2rey25p7
7. Workshop “Cities and Decolonization: Anti-colonial Struggles, Urban Protest, and Global Solidarities”, University of Oxford, 19-20 March 2026
The workshop advances current approaches to anti-colonialism by rethinking the urban histories of the struggle against empire in Asia and Africa through a focused examination of actors, venues, and tensions. This approach moves beyond comparative frameworks to reveal the complex entanglements and ongoing legacies of urban anti-colonial protest, connecting historical struggles with contemporary debates over urban space and colonial heritage.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/yke5hts2
8. Conference “Istanbul: Cultural Pasts – Urban Futures” Işık University Istanbaul, 6-8 July 2026
The conference is expressly international and welcomes perspectives from across a range of fields: the humanities and the social sciences; architecture, urban planning and landscapes; heritage studies and design, and more. As such, it is open to local, regional and international discussions of art historical research, building renovation projects, digital art and heritage, anthropological study and socio-cultural critiques – past, present and future.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 July 2025. Information: https://amps-research.com/conference/istanbul-heritages/
9. Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in Middle East History, Brigham Young University, Utah
The appointment is for a scholar with expertise in Middle East history, preferably with a specialization in the period 600-1800 CE. Those with exceptional teaching and a strong research agenda are encouraged to apply. The position may be filled with visitor
Deadline for applications: 30 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2k5uvun9
10. Articles on “The Arab World and Middle East in an Age of Dynamism and Change” for a Special Issue of “The Journal of Social Encounters”
The latest developments in the MENA region will be explored from the perspectives of Anthropology, Arab and/or Arabic Studies, Classics, Communication and Rhetoric, Diaspora Studies, Education, Ethnic Studies, Gender Studies, Government, History, Human Rights, International Law, International Relations, Media Studies, Mediter-ranean Studies, Middle East Studies, Peace Studies, Political Science, Religious Studies, and/or Theology.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 August 2025. Contact Dr. Mawa Mohamed at mawabagi@gmail.com
11. Articles on “Gift Giving and Economic Anthropology” for a Special Issue of the Journal “Anthropology of the Middle East”
We invite contributions to investigate gift giving, receiving, and reciprocating as they occur within complex value systems of different cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. These investigations could be within religious, social, economic, and political dimensions. Submissions may draw on data from archaeology, linguistics, and cultural anthropology to illuminate the complexities and historical depth of gift exchange.
Deadline for articles: 1 August 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3wrhtn24
- July 19, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. Book Launch: Language, People, and Society: Iranian Minority Languages and Literary Traditions | Aug 1 at OISE, U of T
Asemana Books, in proud collaboration with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, warmly invites you to the launch of a groundbreaking new volume:
🗓 Friday, August 1, 2025
🕑 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Room 11-164, OISE, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON
This powerful, multilingual volume features original contributions in Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, and includes a pioneering study on Iranian Sign Language—the first of its kind in an academic collection. Drawing on the proceedings of the 2023 McGill Symposium of Language Studies, the book brings together leading voices from across Canada, Europe, and the Middle East to explore urgent questions of language, identity, resistance, and representation.
Featured Speakers:
• Dr. Shahrzad Mojab (University of Toronto)
• Dr. Amir Kalan (McGill University)
• Dr. Mahdi Ganjavi (University of Toronto)
Books will be available on-site
Event Language: English | Multilingual roots celebrated
Free & open to the public
About the Volume
Language, People, and Society is edited by Amir Kalan, Mahdi Ganjavi, Anisa Jafari, and Lale Javanshir, and showcases critical work across languages and disciplines. With chapters by:
Amir Kalan · Shahrzad Mojab · Yalda Kaveh · Sima Hasan Dokht Firooz · Sara Siavoshi · Ardavan Guity · Jafer Sheikholislami · Anisa Jafari · Vahid Rashidi · Samad Pourmousavi · Hajar Kabiri · Saqi Ghahreman · Suzan Karimi · Elmira Bahmani
The collection examines the social lives of minority languages in Iran and among the diaspora—making essential contributions to linguistic justice, cultural memory, and transnational scholarship.
Available now worldwide, including Europe, North America, and Australia.
Order your copy: Purchase the Book
Learn more: Asemana Books Website
2. The Wonder of the World Book Talk on MELA Notes YouTube Channel
We’re delighted to announce that the recent MELA Notes Book Talk on:
The Wonder of the World: Travel Journals of Hajj Sayyah in the U.S. (1874–1875)
by Mirza Mohammad-Ali Mahallati (Hajj Sayyah)
Edited, Translated, and Introduced by Ali Ferdowsi (Notre Dame de Namur University)
In conversation with Mahdi Ganjavi (MELA Notes Review Editor) is now available for streaming on the MELA Notes Journal YouTube channel.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJfMxR_qgc0
3. Tajikistan Learning Tour – Sept 2025
Greetings from the Hikmat International Institute,
We’re excited to share that in addition to our premier online course on Islamic Mysticism this August, we are organizing a special Learning and Exploration Tour to Tajikistan in September 2025.
If you’d like to complement your summer with a journey that blends spiritual insight, academic engagement, and cultural discovery — this tour is for you. You’ll explore one of the region’s most beautiful and untouched countries through guided visits, scholarly discussions, and breathtaking natural landscapes.
This program offers a rare opportunity to explore Tajikistan’s historical, cultural, and natural wonders through an academic lens. It’s more than a tour — it’s a carefully curated experience combining scholarship, reflection, and discovery.
🗓️ Dates: September 6 – 13, 2025
📍 Locations: Dushanbe, Hissar Fortress, Sarazm (UNESCO site), Panjakent ruins, Lake Iskandarkul
🎓 Highlights: Guided tours, cultural immersion, scenic exploration, historical and natural sightseeing
⚠️ Very limited spaces are available, so we strongly encourage you to register soon to secure your place!
https://hikmat-ins.com/tajikistan-learning-tour/
4. Join us for the 7th PMA talk in 2025 by Dr Fuchsia Hart
THE ADES COLLECTION OF CERAMICS AND ITS PROVENANCE
In 1949, Gurgan Faiences by Iranian curator Mehdi Bahrami was published in Cairo. In the work, Bahrami presents a group of 12th/13th-century ceramics which, he argues, were made and recently excavated in Gurgan, in Iran’s northeast. Many of the objects published were owned by Clement and Raymond Ades in Cairo. The V&A now holds 40 examples of these ceramics from Iran once owned by members of the Ades family, with many more in other British collections. Further objects published by Bahrami were owned by Jacques Matossian, an art and antiquities dealer also based in Cairo. In this talk, Fuchsia Hart will focus on the little-known figure of Matossian and his wider role in the lives of the ‘Gurgan faiences’ and the formation of the Ades Collection. While Bahrami’s publication provided a starting point for this research, Fuchsia will draw on documentation still held in the V&A archives to explore the collection histories of the Ades objects. Using additional archival material, the objects will also be contextualised within the wider market for art from Iran in 20th-century Egypt. While many questions remain about the provenance of the Ades Collection and the larger proposed group of ‘Gurgan faiences’, this talk will begin to explore the story of their journey from Iran to England, via Egypt.
DR FUCHSIA HART
Fuchsia Hart is a historian of the arts of the Islamic world, specialising in the arts of Iran. She has been the Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London since 2022. She is currently working on a number of projects, including a display of royal dress from Saudi Arabia and an article about British ceramics at the Qajar court. She holds a PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford. Her PhD thesis explored the patronage of major shrines in Iran and Iraq by the second Qajar ruler of Iran, Fath ‘Ali Shah (r.1797-1834). In the past, she has held positions at the Bodleian Library (Oxford), the University of Warwick (UK), and Turquoise Mountain (Kabul).
24 July 2025, 5 – 6.30 pm UK Time
Online Lecture on Zoom
Zoom Registration Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/m_zhmCKzTWu8qL8bVae2CQ
Kind regards,
The PMA Team
Persian Manuscripts Association
https://persianmanuscripts.org/
5. Myth and History in Ancient Persia
The Achaemenids in the Iranian Tradition
R S Zarghamee
EUP, 2025
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-myth-and-history-in-ancient-persia.html
6. Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies
The Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies is a non-partisan academic body that is informed by a broad and robust approach to Islamic studies. Led by an internationally renowned team of specialists, it draws from the best traditions of scholarship in Islamic thought, taking in fields as diverse and interconnected as philosophy, mysticism, rational theology, science, logic, art, and literature.
- July 15, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment
Shii News – Academic Items
1. Socioeconomic Transformation in the Sasanian Empire
Late Antique Central Zagros
Hossein Habibi
EUP, 2023/2025
2. “International Conference on Turkic Studies”, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Warsaw, 13-14 November 2025
Proposals for papers and panels are invited in the domains of language, literature, history, culture, society, and politics, and philology of the Turkic peoples.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 July 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2rey25p7
3. The Standing and Understanding of Scholars in Society: Arab and European Experiences
Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA), Tunis, 5-7 December 2025
The conference follows two main aims: a) to create a better understanding of the chances and challenges of academics “going_public_” – _be it through their contributions to media discourses, policy counselling, the conduct of blogs or other forms of science communication; b) to reflect on the involvement of stakeholders from society in research projects – _the challenges of participatory and transdisciplinary research for and with society. The ultimate goal is the publication of a peer-reviewed special issue and/or edited volume with an internationally renowned publisher. All conference-related costs will be covered by AGYA.
Deadline for abstracts: 22 July 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3cs8jsxb
4. CFP: “Oceanic Crossroads” The Mediterranean Seminar Fall 2025 Workshop (8 & 9 December: Abu Dhabi)
Proposals are welcome from scholars of all ranks from across all disciplines of the Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, or Sciences that engage in the broadest sense with social, historical and cultural aspects of the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. Junior scholars, graduate students, contingent faculty, scholars of under-represented communities, and those whose work engages with historiographically marginalized groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/bdfsdv7w
5. Three Panels on the Islamic World at the “72nd Annual Meeting of the Renaissance Society of America”, San Francisco, 19-21 February 2026
Panels: Histories, Materials, Myths: Perceptions and Depictions of the Distant Past. – _Presence in Absence, Absence in Presence: Excavating Labour in the Early Modern World. – _Out of Sight: Early Modern Depictions and Narratives of the Unseen.
Deadline for abstracts: 30 July 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/456nhzcf
6. 26th Symposium of the “International Committee for Pre-Ottoman and Ottoman Studies (CIÉPO), Varna, Bulgaria, 23-27 June 2026
Themes: The Black Sea Region and Crimea in Pre-Ottoman and Ottoman Times. – _Europe, the Mediterranean World, and the Ottomans: War, Trade, and Diplomacy. – _The Nomads and the State. – _Ottoman Agriculture between Tradition and Transformation. – _Demography and Migrations. – _Governance and Corruption, Public Order and Justice. – _Ottoman Studies and Digital Humanities. Languages are English, French, German, and Turkish.
Deadline for abstracts: 31 October 2025. Information: https://ciepo26varna.weebly.com/
7. Senior Research Fellowship in Modern Languages 2026, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, All Souls College, University of Oxford
Applicants are expected to have a correspondingly distinguished record of achievement in research. The primary duty of a Senior Research Fellow is to pursue on a full-time basis a programme of academic research in Oxford.
Deadline for applications: 19 September 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ec9aduj3
8. Associate or Full Professor in Islamic Studies, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, Hartford, CT
A successful candidate should demonstrate expertise in a particular area of Islamic Studies, though the research specialization is open. The person must be grounded in the Islamic tradition and able to teach in broad areas related to contemporary issues and themes.
Deadline for applications: 1 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/2xaedr9s
9. Faculty Member in Islamic Chaplaincy, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, Hartford, CT
HIU seeks an engaged, dedicated practitioner-scholar to join our esteemed faculty. We invite applications for a full-time or half-time faculty position in Islamic Chaplaincy (open rank). The ideal candidate would be classically trained in the Islamic tradition, experienced as a chaplain, inter-culturally sensitive, and actively involved with local and broader Muslim chaplaincy communities.
Deadline for applications: 1 October 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/tuc4fhjt
- July 12, 2025
- by Andrew Newman
- 0 Comment