Shii News – Academic Items
1.”Teaching the ‘Long’ 18th Century”
Friday, April 23, 2021; 9-11 am ET
Organized by Sarah Betzer, University of Virginia, and
Dipti Khera, Art History and Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
Roundtable featuring:
Anna Arabindan-Kesson, Princeton University
Nebahat Avcıoğlu, Hunter College, City University of New York
Emma Barker, The Open University, London
Ananda Cohen-Aponte, Cornell University
Prita Meier, Art History and Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
Nancy Um, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Stephen Whiteman, The Courtauld Institute of Art, London
This roundtable brings together scholars from a broad array of geographical foci and institutional perspectives who have been at the forefront of efforts to rethink approaches to thinking, researching, and, crucially, teaching the art and material culture of an interconnected “long” eighteenth century. Convened in conjunction with a session at the 2021 College Art Association conference, the roundtable will appear in distilled form in a dedicated issue of Journal18, forthcoming in Fall 2021.
Two key aims animate the roundtable and its afterlife in Journal18: 1) to reflect upon teaching the “long” eighteenth century, particularly in light of renewed debates on the reparation of objects, revision of histories, and inclusion of colonized and enslaved voices in museums, plantation sites, and public squares; and 2) to compile a list of resources and open-access supporting materials that are pragmatically useful for colleagues engaged in teaching the “long” and “broad” eighteenth century.
Register on Zoom:
https://virginia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qPSWyVTlSzCdu6PkVWVUlw
2. Anthony Welch
29 April 1942 – 10 February 2021
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Anthony Welch, noted art historian, scholar and academic leader. Tony had a long and distinguished career at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, beginning in 1971 as a lecturer with the Department of History in Art (now Art History & Visual Studies) and progressing to full professor in 1980. He also served as Associate Dean (1982-1985) before becoming the longest-serving Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts for a remarkable 13 years (1985-1998).
In the 1960s and early 1970s, there were few opportunities in North America to study Islamic art history. In the US, only Harvard University, New York University and the University of Michigan offered degrees in the subject. When he took up his position at the University of Victoria in 1971, Tony was the first fulltime lecturer in Islamic art history in Canada, and he remained the only one for much of his career.
Despite his administrative duties, Tony continued to teach throughout his career. He was an enthusiastic and inspiring lecturer, whose passion for the field of Islamic art history was immediately evident to all who knew him and which served to motivate and excite his many students. As a teacher, he was kind and encouraging and always willing to take the time to talk to any student individually, even during the years when his administrative duties weighed heavily upon him. He greatly influenced the careers of many of his students, especially those who continued on to study with him at the MA and PhD levels.
Having received his doctorate from Harvard in 1972, Tony’s dissertation formed the basis of his book, Artists for the Shah: Late Sixteenth-Century Painting at the Imperial Court of Iran (Yale University Press, 1976). Between 1972 and 1978, his four-volume catalogue, Collection of Islamic Art: Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, was privately published by Prince Sadruddin; this was an especially important contribution to the field as it made available material that was at the time little known.
In the early years of his career, Tony curated several exhibitions, each time authoring an accompanying catalogue of the same name. The first of these, entitled Shah ‘Abbas and the Arts of Isfahan, took place at The Asia Society in New York in 1973. A second exhibition, Calligraphy in the Arts of the Muslim World, was unique in its time for its singular focus on calligraphy, specifically the inscriptions found on various media and the inclusion of a translation of each one. This exhibition, too, opened at The Asia Society, in 1979, and then, over the following months, travelled to three other venues in the US. At Harvard, Tony had studied under the supervision of the renowned connoisseur and collector of, and lecturer on, Islamic painting, Stuart Cary Welch, with whom he co-curated the exhibition Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, which was first shown at the The Asia Society, in 1982, and then also travelled to three other venues in the US.
In later years his scholarly interests turned more to South Asia. Despite his increased administrative responsibilities, this engagement led to the publication of important studies on Delhi Sultanate and Mughal architecture, epigraphy, urbanism and landscape design, including, (co-authored with Howard Crane) “The Tughluqs: Master builders of the Dehli Sultanate,” Muqarnas 1 (1984): 123–36; “Architectural patronage and the past: The Tughluq sultans of India,” Muqarnas 10 (1993): 311–22; (co-authored with Hussein Keshani and Alexandra Bain), “Epigraphs, scripture and architecture,” Muqarnas 19 (2002): 12–43; and
“The Emperor’s Grief: Two Mughal Tombs,” Muqarnas 25 (2008): 255-273. He also published on other topics including hydraulic engineering and Indian manuscript painting.
In the latter part of his career at the University of Victoria, he turned his attention also to cataloguing and analyzing the archive of architectural drawings made by Richard Roskell Bayne (1801–78), who worked in the Indian subcontinent, resulting in an article (co-authored with Martin Segger and Nicholas DeCaro) entitled “Building for the Raj: Richard Roskell Bayne,” RACAR: revue d’art canadienne / Canadian Art Review 34.2 (2009): 74-86. Long a student of travelogues and their use for writing art and architectural history, he also edited, annotated, and wrote a substantial introduction for a translation by Clara Bargellini of the journal of a seventeenth-century Venetian traveller: The Travels and Journal of Ambrosio Bembo (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2007).
Throughout his academic career, Tony was a member of numerous departmental, faculty and university committees. As Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts (1985-1998), he was a significant and influential contributor to the administration and development of the university. Following his tenure as Dean, he served as executive director of the Office of International Affairs (1998-2003), during which time he travelled extensively in Europe, Asia and South America promoting academic agreements between UVIC and various international universities. He also played a role in the wider community, and in 1992 was awarded a Canada 125th Anniversary Silver Medal in recognition of his work (1987-1991) in the development of an Arts Policy for the City of Victoria.
However, it is perhaps Tony’s very particular and subtle sense of humour that will be most fondly remembered by his former students and colleagues.
He is survived by his wife Hyesoon Kim, his son Nicholas, and his daughters Bronwen and Emily.
Submitted by Marcus Milwright and Elaine Wright
(With thanks to Hussein Keshani, Eleanor Sims, Lisa Golombek, Lesley Jessop and Janis Elliott for their comments and input.)
3. ONLINE Seminar “Alternative Dispute Resolution in Islamic and Middle Eastern Law” by Dr Jonathan Ercanbrack (SOAS), London, 8 April 2021, 5 pm – 6:15 pm GMT
The panel of distinguished experts will explore the practice of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Islamic and Middle Eastern law and share practical insights on the arbitration practice in Qatar and Turkey. The webinar provides an in-depth opportunity to explore the latest arbitration trends and controversies in the region.
Information and registration: https://www.soas.ac.uk/law/events/08apr2021-alternative-dispute-resolution-in-islamic-and-middle-eastern-law.html
4. ONLINE Roundtable “Umayyads, Early ʿAbbāsids, and Historical Periodization”, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 9 April 2021, 11:00 am PST
The temporal specificity of this subject speaks not onlx to the unstable boundary between Eurocentric Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, but more importantly to local schemes of periodization – Islamic, Jewish, and Christian. Likewise, the geographic specificity of empire that is implied by these dynastic subjects extends beyond the Middle East and cannot be contained by that area studies construct. These dual, overlapping frameworks for analysis offer opportunities for investigation and reflection.
Information and registration: https://mcusercontent.com/4eead3c27d77b3e347cf43c18/files/1ff58878-47ec-4036-84d8-30f3fadcb364/CMES_Periodization_Roundtable_papers2.pdf
5. ONLINE Seminar “Islam, Judaism, and Decoloniality” with Santiago Slabodsky and Sanober Umar, Jewish-Muslim Research Network, University of Michigan, 12 April 2021, 10:00 am ET
The authors suggest some paths towards disrupting/decentering (Eurocentric) intellectual epistemic hegemonies in the broadly defined fields of Jewish Studies and Islamic/Muslim Studies. Together, they will reflect on how we can draw on Southern epistemologies to broaden the horizon of Jewish and Muslim studies.
Information and registration: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/jmrn/upcoming-events/islam-judaism-and-decoloniality-with-santiago-slabodsky-and-sanober-umar/
6. ONLINE International Conference on “Canon and Censorship in the Islamic Intellectual and Theological History”, Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 8-10 October 2021
Muslim societies and theologies did not witness the emergence of a single institution that establishes a binding canon for everyone who adheres to Islam. Instead, the constitutional positions are (re)negotiated constantly in a scholarly discourse. Against this backdrop, the conference focuses on the question of how certain texts and positions evolve to a canon while others get lost in time.
7. Annual Conference of the Central Eurasian Studies Association (CESS), Ohio State University, Columbus, 14-17 October 2021
Submissions relating to all aspects of humanities and social science scholarship are invited. The geographic domain encompasses Central Asia, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, the Black Sea region, East and Central Europe etc.
Deadline for abstracts: 3 May 2021. Information: https://www.centraleurasia.org/conferences/annual/
8. 4th IDEO Conference: “The Cairo Edition of the Qurʾān (1924): Texts, Histories and Challenges”, Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies, Cairo, 16-17 October 2021
The conference examines the Cairo edition of the Qurʾān printed under the authority of the al-Azhar committee in 1924. The edition`s advent bears a significance that goes beyond the sphere of belief and takes an important place in the history of Islamic civilisation, including the history of institutions, material history, history of religious thought and history of Islamic studies. Papers in Arabic, French and English are welcomed.
Deadline for abstracts: 15 May 2021. Information: https://www.ideo-cairo.org/en/2021/03/call-for-papers-the-cairo-edition-of-the-qur%ca%bean-1924/
9. Journée d’études : « Articuler l’histoire sociale et environmental : Proche-Orient, Maghreb, Afrique, XIXe-XXIe siècles », Aix-en-Provence, 20 mai 2022 (date à confirmer)
Cette journée d’études a pour objectif de rassembler des historien-ne-s contemporanéistes spécialistes du Proche-Orient, du Maghreb et de l’Afrique travaillant dans une optique environnementale.
Date limit pour les propositions de communication : 30 avril 2021. Information : https://iismm.hypotheses.org/51458
10. 6th World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES-6), University of La Manouba, Tunis, 19-23 September 2022
Mind this date!
11. Posts:
Lecturer in Arabic Language (2 Years), University of Bayreuth, Germany
Candidate profile: Native or near-native proficiency in Arabic; knowledge of German or English; A. degree or higher in Arabic language and/or linguistics; specialization or certificates in TAFL (Teaching Arabic as a Second Language) are especially welcome; university-level teaching experience.
Deadline for application: 12 April 2021. Information: https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/de/universitaet/arbeiten-an-der-universitaet/stellenangebote/wiss-personal/SZ-Lektor-ArabischDuE/index.html
Postdoctoral Researcher in Islamic Theology, University of Tübingen
Qualification: Doctorate in the field of Islamic Studies, Arabic Studies or Islamic Theology. We are looking for a highly motivated and talented scholar who is interested in conducting research in the field of theological Hadith studies and who is familiar with the relevant areas.
Deadline for applications: 15 April 2021. Information: https://professorpositions.com/postdoctoral-researcher-in-islamic-theology,i19353.html
12. Articles on “The Qur’an in History: The History of the Qur’an: From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics” for Special Issue for Journal “Religions”
This is issue will explore the correlation between the Qur’an and the historical events that in different ways have affected its understanding and interpretation during the thirteen centuries of Islamic history. The main idea is to work on specific verses, precise suwar (part of them), or singular words through a historicized hermeneutical approach which could frame and share facets, insights, and makings which have settled the understanding of this revelation in a specific phase of Islam and human history.
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2021. Information: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/QH_HQ_FCCS
13. New “Journal of Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies (JLAIBS)”, Edinburgh University Press
The JLAIBS as a hotspot for interdisciplinary dialogue aims to disseminate new approaches and methodologies that intend to transform our understanding of broader Late Antique and Medieval phenomena, such as knowledge transfer and cultural exchanges, by looking beyond single linguistic traditions or political boundaries.
Information: https://www.euppublishing.com/loi/jlaibs
14. New Book Series “Islam, Culture and Society” Leuven University Press
Topics that are of particular interest to the series are the interdisciplinary roles of history, social behaviours, religious (and other) identities, local traditions, cultural and legal systems, as well as diversity, inclusion, and tolerance in (re)shaping the plurality, changeability, diversity and global connectedness of Muslim cultures and societies.
Information: https://iismm.hypotheses.org/52884
15. An ‘enhanced’ Qur’an manuscript from Madura
The British Library
16. Digital Archive of Persian Periodicals
In order to facilitate interchanging the ideas using a community service with both private and public messaging features, a Twitter account (@PersianProject) has just been opened for the project as following:
http://twitter.com/PersianProject
You are kindly requested to join now (if your professional limitations allow) and share your comments and queries while following development of the project.
We will be pleased to discuss on your specific concerns.
Kind regards,
Majid Samavi
Head of the Persian Archives Project
17. The American Lafayette of Iran: The Story of Howard C. Baskerville
by Reza Aslan, April 23, 2021 2:00 pm (EST.
You can register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RPfjuWavSGqJ4t02duXPPw
Aslan’s forthcoming book, BASKERVILLE, will be published by W.W. Norton & Company.
18. On April 14th at 6pm EST Dr. John Seyller will be giving the 2021 Ananda Coomaraswamy Annual Lecture on South Asian Art at the MFA, Boston.
His lecture, titled “A Rediscovered Mughal Master,” will present new research on Ilyas Bahadur, a long-overlooked artist active in India in the late 17th century.
For information on the lecture click here. Free registration can be found here.
19. The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies Presents:
Women Depicting Freedom of Movement in Iranian Cinema
Professor Nacim Pak-Shiraz, University of Edinburgh
Friday April 9, 4:00-6:00 P.M. EST
Zoom Registration: https://uoft.me/IranianStudies
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/218454189994463
20. La prochaine séance du séminaire “Littératures d’Asie du Sud” accueillera Marc Toutant (CNRS/CETOBaC)pour une communication intitulée :
Le turk est « la langue des rois »
Nouvelles sources manuscrites sur la description de la langue turke dans l’Inde moghole (XVIIe-XIXe siècles)
Le séminaire se tiendra en visioconférence, le vendredi 9 avril 2021, entre 10h30 et 12h30 (heure de Paris). Les personnes souhaitant y assister devront se connecter sur BigBlueButton à partir du lien suivant :
https://webinaire.ehess.fr/b/cas-it0-7mq
Posted in: Academic items
- April 06, 2021
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