Shii News – Academic Items

1.Cambridge Seminars in the History of Cartography 2024-2025

United Kingdom

19 November 2024, 5.30pm UK time

Finnian O’Cionnaith, Dublin

‘A peculiar survey … for our peculiar purpose’: founding the Ordnance Survey of Ireland

25 February 2025, 5.30pm UK time

Maurice Whitehead, Venerable English College, Rome

Maps, meridians and missions: Christopher Maire, SJ (1697–1767), an English cartographer in continental Europe

6 May 2025, 5.30pm UK time

Onur Engin, University of Cambridge

Echoes on the map: unveiling the auditory history of late Ottoman Istanbul through digital cartography

All are welcome

All seminars will be on Zoom and joining instructions will be circulated nearer the time. Please send an email to events@emma.cam.ac.uk if you wish to join the mailing list.

The seminars are kindly supported by Emmanuel College Cambridge

Contact Information

For any enquiries, please contact Sarah Bendall at sarah.bendall@emma.cam.ac.uk

2. CFP INSAP 2025: Celestial Connections Across Time and Space

Call for Papers: INSAP XIII: Celestial Connections Across Time and Space

(Queen’s University Belfast, 8-13 June 2025)

We are delighted to announce a call for papers for the INSAP XIII conference Celestial Connections Across Time and Space. This conference aims to bring together scholars, artists, and scientists from various disciplines to explore the multifaceted relationships between the skies – be it the stars, planets, or other celestial phenomena – and their influence across cultures, histories, and fields of study. INSAP’s purpose from its inception has been to foster a dialogue that bridges the gap between the sciences and the arts, encouraging a holistic understanding of the universe.

Themes and Topics:

We invite proposals for papers, presentations and posters on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

Astronomy and Cosmology Through the Ages
How different civilisations have understood and interpreted the cosmos, including the development of astronomical knowledge, cosmological models and their influence on scientific progress.
Astro-Architecture and Celestial Alignments
Studies on ancient and modern architecture designed with astronomical significance, such as megalithic structures, sacred sites, and observatories aligned with celestial events.
Art and the Celestial: The depiction of celestial bodies and phenomena in visual arts, literature, and music across different historical periods and cultures.
Philosophy and the Cosmos: Philosophical interpretations of the universe.
Literature and Myth: The portrayal of celestial events in literature, myths, and legends; how the skies have inspired narratives and storytelling.
History of Science: The development of astronomical knowledge, key figures, and their contributions to understanding the universe.
Space Exploration and Human Imagination
Discussions on the impact of space exploration on contemporary culture, ethics, and the future of human civilisation, including the role of science fiction and speculative narratives.
Interdisciplinary Approaches: Combining methodologies from different fields to explore celestial phenomena.
Environmental and Ethical Implications of Space Exploration
Consideration of the environmental impact of space missions and the ethical questions surrounding the exploration and exploitation of outer space.

Submission Guidelines:

We welcome submissions from established scholars, early-career researchers, graduate students, practitioners in the arts and anyone interested in the sky. Submissions include:

Individual Paper: Abstracts of up to 300 words and short bio of the author(s).

Artistic Presentations or Performances: A description of the work (up to 300 words) and any technical requirements.

Key Dates:

Abstract Submission Deadline: 22 December 2024

Notification of Acceptance: 20 January 2025

Submission Process:

All submissions should include the following:

Title of the presentation.

Name(s) and affiliation(s) of the author(s).

Contact details.

A brief bio (up to 150 words).

Please submit your abstracts and proposals via the Proposal Submission Form:

Link to submission form

Conference Publication:

Papers from the conference will be considered for publication in a special journal issue of Culture and Cosmos.

Contact Information

For any queries, please contact the conference organising committee at insapxiii@gmail.com

3. ONLINE Webinar A Persian Paradise: Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson in Iran 1925-1927

with Nicci Obholzer

British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS), 16 October, 2024, 5:00 pm UK Time
This talk will take us behind the scenes of the Sissinghurst Castle’s exhibition “A Persian Paradise: Vita and Harold in Iran 1925-1929”: Nicci Obholzer reflects on the new research which led to this exhibition, the digitisation project of the Sissinghurst’s archives which made it possible, and where these take Sissinghurst’s new understanding of its collection.
The exhibition was sponsored by BIPS and the Iran Society and became Sissinghurst’s most visited exhibition ever.

Information and registration:

https://www.bips.ac.uk/event/persian-paradise/

4. Call for Applications: SoFCB Junior Fellows Program

Rare Book School’s Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography (SoFCB) invites applications for its 2025–27 cohort of Junior Fellows. The deadline is Friday, November 1, 2024.

This scholarly society works to advance the study of texts, images, and artifacts as material objects through capacious, interdisciplinary scholarship—and to enrich humanistic inquiry and education by identifying, mentoring, and training promising early-career scholars. Junior Fellows will be encouraged and supported in integrating the methods of critical bibliography into their teaching and research, fostering collegial conversations about historical and emerging media across disciplines and institutions, and sharing their knowledge with broader publics.

The fellowship includes tuition waivers for two Rare Book School courses, as well as funding for Junior Fellows to participate in the Society’s annual meeting and orientation. Additional funds are available for fellows to organize symposia at their home institutions, and fellows will have the option of attending a bibliographical field school to visit libraries, archives, and collections in a major metropolitan area. After completing two years in good standing as Junior Fellows, program participants will have the option to become Senior Fellows in the Society.

The Society is committed to supporting diversity and to advancing the scholarship of outstanding persons of every race, gender, sexual orientation, creed, and socioeconomic background, and to enhancing the diversity of the professions and academic disciplines it represents, including those of the professoriate, museums, libraries, archives, public humanities, and digital humanities. We warmly encourage prospective applicants from a wide range of disciplines, institutions, and areas of expertise.

For more information and to apply, please visit: http://rarebookschool.org/admissions-awards/fellowships/sofcb/. For more information about diversity and the SoFCB, please read the SoFCB Diversity & Outreach Committee’s Welcome Letter: https://rarebookschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2024-SoFCB-Welcome-Letter.pdf.

Inquiries about the SoFCB Junior Fellows Program can be directed to SoFCB Administrative Director Kathryn Higinbotham at kathryn.higinbotham@virginia.edu.

Contact Information

SoFCB Administrative Director Kathryn Higinbotham at kathryn.higinbotham@virginia.edu.

Contact Email

kathryn.higinbotham@virginia.edu

URL

https://rarebookschool.org/sofcb/

5. Second Symposium on Middle Eastern, North African and Central Asian Dances, Music and Performing Arts (MENACA 2024), Pomona College in Claremont, California, 3-6 October 2024

The program offers scholarly papers, two keynote speakers, movement workshops, a film screening, and a dance concert providing a rich scholarly context in which dialogue and debate are encouraged.

Information and programme: https://www.menaca2024.com/schedule/

6. ONLINE Launch “Big Bang or Slow Motion? Changing State-Society Relations in MENA” of the Special Issue “Drivers of Change in Social Contracts in the Middle East and North Africa Region”, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), 9 October 2024, 4:00 –

5:30 pm CET

A first input will take a conceptual perspective and compare the changes in the MENA with those in other regions. The second input deals with the very specific social contract that emerged in Egypt under President Sisi after the 2011 revolution and the 2013 coup. The third input will focus on digitalisation as a potential factor of change to social contracts in MENA. The final open debate will discuss policy options and research needs for more inclusive and sustainable development.

Information and registration: https://archive.newsletter2go.com/?n2g=ezs426oj-wre98ce9-ji8

7. International Workshop “Women’s Knowledge Production in Qur’anic Exegesis”, Berlin Insti-tute for Islamic Theology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10-11 October 2024

The international workshop, organized by the Chair for Islamic Textual Studies (Qur’an and Hadith), aims to illuminate the often overlooked contributions of women to the field of Qur’anic exegesis. It seeks to delve into the role of women in generating exegetical knowledge, both historically and in contemporary contexts.

Information and programme:

https://www.islamische-theologie.hu-berlin.de/de/workshop-knowledge-production_poster-programm.pdf

8. ONLINE Seminar “Women, Workers, and Dis/Empowerment in Saudi Arabia” by Nora Jaber (Edinburgh), Centre for Gulf Studies, Exeter, 5 November 2024, 17:00 – 18:30, London Time

This talk examines the relationship between Saudi Arabia’s legal gender order for citizens and its labour regime. It shows how ‘women’s empowerment’, while beneficial to some, is implicated in the reproduction of material inequalities that are invariably racialised and gendered, particularly as they affect migrant workers. It considers how future feminist struggles can be articulated and directed so as to dissolve, rather than re-produce, the social relations through which all forms of exploitation are sustained.

Information and registration: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/events/details/index.php?event=14195

9. ONLINE Seminar “Redirecting Movement in the Indo-Iranian Borderlands and Beyond” by Mikiya Koyagi (University of Texas Austin), Centre for Gulf Studies, Exeter, 12 November 2024, 17:00 – 18:30, London Time

This talk conceptualizes the Indo-Iranian borderlands not as a periphery between empires but as a space where multiple routes of circulation merged, linking Iran to India, India to the Soviet Union, and interior lands to the Persian Gulf and beyond. It does so by examining how the formation of the Pahlavi state redirected the movement of goods, people, and ideas in the Indo-Iranian borderlands and its surrounding areas with the border town of Dozdab (present-day Zahedan) as the emerging infrastructural nodal point.

Information and registration: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/events/details/index.php?event=14196

10. ONLINE Seminar “The Voyage of The Crooked: Writing History Across the Gulf and Indian Ocean” by Fahad Bishara (University of Virginia), Centre for Gulf Studies, Exeter, 3 December 2024, 17:00 – 18:30, London Time

This talk charts out an oceanic microhistory, grounded in the voyages of the Kuwaiti dhow, The Crooked in 1924-25. It anchors itself in the nakhoda’s logbook, and looks out onto a world of texts, letters, accounts, and other writings by nakhodas. Through these writings, and from The Crooked’s deck, we can begin to thread together lifeworlds and histories that have been scattered along the coasts of Arabia, South Asia, and East Africa.

Information and registration: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/events/details/index.php?event=14198

11. HYBRID International Conference “Conflict Dynamics in Arabic and World Literature”, Cairo, 7-9 December 2024

Conflict dynamics allude to the attitudes, perceptions, and elements that shape the course of conflicts, in-cluding identity issues, feelings, lack of communication, and contentious politics. Those conflicts are best conveyed, negotiated and, at times, resolved through narrative. Literary and cultural products convey all kinds of conflict dynamics, whether as power struggles or resolution strategies.

Extended deadline for abstracts: 15 October 2024.

Information: https://conferences.andromedapublisher.org/CDIAAW/?

12. “3rd Postgraduate Islamic Studies International Conference: Understanding Islam an Muslim Societies in a Changing World”, Western Sydney University, 9 December 2024

The conference seeks to examine the inner complexities of Islam as a complete way of life and its variety of rituals, practices, and teachings embedded in the pattern of Muslim everyday living using modern academic tools, scientific research methods, and theoretical frameworks. It is designed to foster and disseminate on-going and new research about Islam and Muslims in national and international contexts.

Deadline for abstracts: 9 October 2024. Information: https://www.isra.org.au/postgradconf24/

13. “Fifth European Convention on Turkic, Ottoman and Turkish Studies (Turkologentag 2025)”, University of Mainz, 18-20 September 2025

The conference is organized in co-operation with the Society for Turkic, Ottoman and Turkish Studies (GTOT e.V.). We are inviting proposals for papers and panels in the domains of language, literature, history, culture, society, politics, and philology of the Turks and the Turkic peoples. Conference languages are English, Ger-man, and Turkish.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2024. Information: https://turkologentag.uni-mainz.de/call-for-papers/

14. 13th Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies: “A New World Order – A New Middle East?”, Oslo, Norway, 25-27 September 2025

We encourage papers that address different aspects of these developments, ranging from the religious, cul-tural, historical, and social to the political. We also welcome papers on other relevant themes pertinent to Middle Eastern and/or Islamic Studies, including the disciplines of Middle Eastern history, anthropology, ar-chaeology, religion, politics, sociology, language, and literature.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2024.

Information: https://nsmes.org/Thirteenth-Nordic-Conference-on-Middle-Eastern-and-Studies

15. The HM Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Professorship of Modern Arabic Studies, University of Cambridge

The ideal candidate will have an innovative vision for the future of Modern Arabic Studies at Cambridge and enthusiasm to build on current strengths in maintaining and developing a leading research presence. They will hold a PhD or equivalent postgraduate qualification and would ideally currently hold a professorial position.

Deadline for application: 5 November 2024.

Information: https://www.minervasearch.com/current-opportunities/sultanqaboos/

16. Assistant Professors in Arabic Studies, Department of Arabic and Translation Studies, Amer-ican University of Sharjah

A PhD in Arabic Studies, Arabic Literature or related areas is required. The willingness and ability to teach entry-level Arabic heritage classes is essential. The ability to offer courses on the history, culture and society of the United Arab Emirates will be a distinct advantage. Successful applicants will have native or near-native proficiency in Arabic and English.

Deadline for applications: 15 December 2024.

Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2024/09/17/positions-in-arabic-studies

17. Visiting Lecturer (1-3 Semesters +) in Middle Eastern and North African Studies (Arabic Language and Literature), Bowdoin College, Brunswick

An advanced degree, MA or PhD, in Arabic or a related discipline is required by the date of appointment. Successful candidates will demonstrate a strong commitment to undergraduate liberal arts education.

Deadline for application: Open until filled. Information: https://careers.bowdoin.edu/postings/14923

18. Tenure Track Position in International Relations (Focus Middle East), Government Department, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA

The rank will be Assistant Professor or Instructor depending on qualifications. Applicants should possess or be close to completing a doctorate degree. The position is in international relations and we are particularly interested in candidates whose scholarship and teaching combine that expertise with a regional focus on the Middle East.

Deadline for applications: 7 October 2024. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/149720

19. Advanced Assistant or Associate Professor in Arabic Literary / Cultural Studies, Tulane University

We are actively seeking an Arabist who can teach a variety of literary or cultural topics in both English and Arabic, with the period of specialization open. The ideal candidate might also contribute to our programs in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Africana Studies, Environmental and Urban Studies, and/or Native American and Indigenous Studies. Candidates should have an established record of scholarship and demonstrated excellence in teaching.

Deadline for applications: 15 November 2024. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/152104

20. Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track) in the Arabic Language and Culture, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC

We seek candidates who have a commitment to excellence in teaching and research. Applicants must have a Ph.D. (or ABD status) in Arabic linguistics, literature, second-language pedagogy, or a related area. We seek a candidate with native or near-native fluency in Arabic and English, and experience in teaching Arabic language courses of all levels.

Deadline for applications: 20 October 2024. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/2024/09/23/assistant-professor-in-the-arabic-language-and-culture

21. Assistant Teaching Professor for Persian Language and Culture (3 Years), University of Washington

Qualifications: Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant field such as Persian language, Persian culture, language pedagogy, or applied linguistics; superior proficiency in Persian, as demonstrated by teaching reviews; demonstrated excellence, as demonstrated by teaching reviews, in college-level Persian language teaching at all levels to diverse groups of students, including heritage learners.

Deadline for applications: 10 October 2024. Information: https://mesana.org/resources-and-opportunities/20 24/09/17/assistant-teaching-professor-persian-language-and-culture243

22. Grants and Places in the Doctoral Program of the “Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies (BGSMCS)” for 2025/2026, Freie Universität Berlin & Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin & Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO)

The BGSMCS supports doctoral candidates who develop academically well-founded and relevant answers to questions arising in various research areas under the thematical umbrella of Muslim cultures and societies. The BGSMCS also provides its fellows with access to a broad academic network. The program is ideal for highly qualified and socially engaged junior scholars with a global outlook. Introduction week: 7-10 October 2024.

Deadline for applications: 1 November 2024.

Information: https://www.bgsmcs.fu-berlin.de/announcements/202409_cfa_doctoral_programme.html

23. ONLINE Course: „Istanbul in the 16th Century“, SOAS, London, 18 October – 6 December 2024

This online specialist art short course will explore the geography of the Ottoman capital and how it changed and reached its apex under the patronage of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. The lectures offer a wide view on the artistic output of the time, looking at ceramics, works on paper but also textiles and architec-ture.

Introduction and programme: https://www.soas.ac.uk/study/find-course/istanbul-16th-century

24. REMMM: Dissent in the Arabic literary space: Commitment, autonomy and international circulation

Main themes:

1 – Dissent and the role of literary actors

2 – Dissent and autonomy of the field

3 – Dissent and the international circulation of works and actors

Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2024. Information:

https://journals.openedition.org/remmm/21519?fbcl%20id=IwY2xjawFXW_dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZ1S71Y1sK5SKySV2D4unzNhTrKVH5pEI5I03d7er4hz1_eWN%20a0KEHxCcw_aem_Dk4

25. Articles on “Secularism in Social and Political Contexts: Contemporary Trends, Movements, and Ideas in the Middle East” for a Special Issue of the Journal “Religions”

Themes: 1) Original research articles studying how secularism manifests itself in social, political, and intel-lectual layers in the last decade. 2) Articles/reviews that explore contemporary academic approaches, ideas, theories, and methods on the study of secularism and politics in the Middle East. Editors: Dr. Gokhan Bacik & Dr. Serkan Seker.

Deadline for manuscripts: 30 June 2025.

Information: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/35392B10OI

26. History of Science/Medicine job at Rice University

Assistant Professor, Medieval or Early Modern History of Science, Technology, and/or Medicine at Rice University
Call for applications
Institution Type: College / University
Location: Texas, United States
Position: Assistant Professor
The Department of History in the School of Humanities at Rice University in Houston, Texas, seeks applicants for a tenure-track assistant professor of medieval or early modern history of science, technology, and/or medicine. A PhD in a relevant field is required at the time of appointment. The area of geographical specialization is open. The search will be held in the 2024-2025 academic year, with a start date for the position of July 1, 2025.
This position will complement the Department of History’s strengths and course offerings at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and will also facilitate interdisciplinary connections with other departments in the School of Humanities and the School of Social Sciences and with programs in Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Science and Technology Studies, Medical Humanities, Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, Jewish Studies, the Center for African and African American Studies, Politics, Law, and Social Thought, and the Center for Environmental Studies. The successful candidate for this position will hold a primary appointment in the Department of History, complement existing faculty strengths, and foster connections with STEM fields on campus.
The Department of History at Rice University has a growing strength in the history of science, technology, and medicine and has implemented a new pre-modern course requirement for undergraduate majors. The University offers an undergraduate interdisciplinary major and minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies and has recently launched a minor in Science and Technology Studies. The Fondren Library’s Woodson Research Center has a rich collection of rare books pertaining to the history of science, technology and medicine, including early editions of Copernicus, Newton, Robert Boyle, and William Harvey.
Applicants should demonstrate an outstanding record of research and teaching. Applicants should be prepared to teach regularly-offered undergraduate and graduate courses in the medieval and early modern history of science, technology, and/or medicine. Candidates with evidence of teaching excellence and of cultivating connections with STEM students of diverse backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply. The normal course load in the School of Humanities is 2:2.
Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2024 (via Interfolio) and must include a letter of application; CV, including a list of publications and other authored, creative works; diversity statement; a writing sample of approximately 25 double-spaced pages; evidence of teaching excellence; and 3 letters of reference. The position will remain open until filled. For further information or questions contact Luis Campos, search committee chair, at lc@rice.edu. General information about the Department of History can be found at https://history.rice.edu.
Rice University is a private, comprehensive research university located in the heart of Houston’s dynamic museum district and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees across eight schools and has a student body of over 4,000 undergraduates and a nearly equal number of graduate students. The fourth largest and most diverse city in the United States, Houston provides an opportunity for scholars to collaborate with area universities, museums, and civic organizations, and to engage with the broader metropolitan community.
Application Process
This institution is using Interfolio’s Faculty Search to conduct this search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossier account and can send all application materials, including confidential letters of recommendation, free of charge.
Apply Now