Categories : Field-specific (academic)

Monthly Talk: The Beginnings of Modern Shiʿism

Date: 9 May 2026

Location: In-person at The Islamic College (London, UK) and online

Papers are welcome on any aspect of Shiʿi studies, including but not limited to theology, philosophy, mysticism, law and jurisprudence, contemporary issues, history, anthropology, sociology, art, literature, the ḥawzah, ritual practice, and interfaith/intrafaith studies. Papers may address any branch of Shiʿism.

Special theme: the study of the Qur’an. This year, we are hosting special panels on the study of the Qur’an. We particularly encourage the submission of papers on topics such as Qur’anic exegesis (tafsīr), past and present; the history and compilation of the Qur’an; Qur’anic manuscripts; translations of the Qur’an, classical and modern; or any other topic pertaining to the study of the Qur’an.

Publication: Presenters will have their work featured in conference proceedings and/or an edited volume on the Qur’an published by ICAS Press, offering an opportunity for quick, quality publication of research.

Submit an abstract at: https://islamic-college.ac.uk/conference-on-shii-studies-submit-an-abstract/

E-mail enquiries to: shiistudies@islamic-college.ac.uk

Abstract deadline: 15 January 2026

Online presentations: Limited slots for online presentations are available. When submitting your abstract, indicate whether you would like to present in-person or online. This option cannot be changed.

Closing date: Monday 15 December 2025,

with Fuchsia Hart, The Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collection at the V&A and Stephennie Mulder, Associate professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin.

Register at:
https://universiteitleiden.zoom.us/meeting/register/MGNA8u2HT3Ca1RG5ubxtXA#/registration

To stay updated on upcoming events, learn more about our broader project, “Embodied Imamate: Mapping the Development of the Early Shīʿi Community 700–900 CE,” or watch recordings of previous lectures in this series, please visit our YouTube channel (Embodied Imamate) and our website: https://embodiedimamate.hcommons.org/.

Four Positions for the Research Project “Alevi Archive: Ethnohistory of Alevi Communities in Ana-tolia, 16th – 20th Century”, Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig

The project will reconstruct the only scarcely explored ethnohistory of the Alevis in Anatolia, focusing on the period from the 16th to the 20th century. It will examine settlement dynamics and the processes of community-building among Alevi groups, as well as their complex relationships with the state, Sunni Muslims, and non-Muslims. Combining a range of methods based on previously unconnected sources—including Ottoman archives, Alevi manuscripts, oral traditions, and material culture—a comprehensive virtual research environment will be developed. This environment will enable the reconstruction of the development of Alevi communities within the context of Ottoman social and religious history from the Early Modern Period to the Modern Era.

The positions are:

Historian as Research associate (m/f/d): https://www.saw-leipzig.de/de/ausschreibungen/stellenausschreibungen/aral-researcher01_engl.pdf/view
Anthropologist as Research associate (m/f/d): https://www.saw-leipzig.de/de/ausschreibungen/stellenausschreibungen/aral-researcher02_engl.pdf/view
Research Software Engineer (m/f/d): https://www.saw-leipzig.de/de/ausschreibungen/stellenausschreibungen/aral-researcher03_engl.pdf/view
Doctoral position Digital Humanities (m/f/d): https://www.saw-leipzig.de/de/ausschreibungen/stellenausschreibungen/aral-dh-doct04_engl.pdf/view

Deadline for applications: 30 November 2025.

Symposium

Capacity is limited to 100 participants. Please register at your earliest convenience.