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Shii News – Academic Items

1.Early Career Rescue Fellowship

Academic freedom is under pressure today. This requires rescue havens of free research. The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), the Tübingen College of Fellows (CoF), and the Zukunftskolleg Konstanz (ZuKo) invite early career researchers, whose work is restricted due to political pressure in the USA, to apply for the Baden-Württemberg Early Career Rescue Fellowships 2026-2028 (Ref. No. 2025/229)

Deadline for applications: 9 January 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3j7bh626

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Two Humanities Research Fellowships (10 Months) for the Study of the Arab World, NYU Abu Dhabi

We welcome applications from recent PhD graduates (PhD in hand between September 2021 and September 2026) working 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 and regions.

Deadline for applications: 5 January 2025. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/160447

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. 20 ANAMED Fellowships (2026-2027) for Studies on Anatolian Civilizations, Koç University, Istanbul

Koç University invites applications from scholars specializing in archaeology, art history, history, cultural heritage, and related disciplines of Anatolia from the Neolithic to the Ottoman period. Research grants will be awarded to approximately 10 PhD students, 10 postdoctoral and senior researchers to spend one academic year.

Deadline for applications: 15 December 2025. Information: https://anamed.ku.edu.tr/en/fellowships/

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Full Time Lecturer in Arabic, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania

Candidates should possess an M.A. in Arabic language and culture. Applicants with a more advanced degree in a field related to Arabic language, literature and culture will also be considered. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate a proven record of excellence in teaching Arabic as a foreign language. We especially welcome candidates with experience teaching Levantine Arabic and who can offer courses on media, popular culture, or Arabic in the digital age.

Deadline for applications: 15 January 2026. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/177559

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Appel à candidatures “Prix de thèse Islam, Moyen-Orient et mondes musulmans 2026”, CNRS & IISMM

Sont éligibles des travaux soutenus en français ou en France entre le 1er janvier 2024 et le 31 décembre 2025, dans toutes les disciplines des lettres et sciences humaines et sociales. L’organisation de ces prix de thèse entend distinguer des travaux de recherche portant sur l’Islam, le Moyen-Orient et les mondes musul-mans, caractérisés par leur excellence et leur caractère particulièrement innovant.

Date limite : 16 janvier 2026. Information : https://iismm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. New Books:

Social Anthropology in the Arab World – The Fragmented History of a Contested Discipline, Edited by Abdullah Alajmi, Daniele Cantini, Irene Maffi and Imed Melliti, Berghan New York/Oxford, 384 pages

Information: https://www.berghahnbooks.com/title/AlajmiSocial

 

Corruption in the Ottoman Polity – Empirical Insights, Conceptual Reflections, Edited by Boğaç A. Ergene and Cengiz Kırlı, Edinburg University Press, 352 pages

Information: https://tinyurl.com/mr34dbb7

 

 

 

 

 

7. CfP : Arab Media and Society

Call for Papers, Issue 40 – Media & Geopolitics in the Arab World

The deadline to send submissions for peer review is December 1, 2025.
The Arab world today stands at the intersection of shifting global alliances, prolonged conflicts, and the rise of new powers competing for influence across the Middle East. Media plays a pivotal role in this environment, not only as a mirror reflecting events but also as an active participant shaping narratives, identities, and public opinion. The coverage of wars and conflicts, the construction of national and regional soft power, and the increasingly blurred lines between journalism, strategic communication, and digital activism underscore the centrality of media in contemporary geopolitics.
Traditional and new media platforms are being mobilized in different ways: to wage information wars, to brand nations in global markets, to influence foreign policy debates, and to create alternative narratives that challenge dominant Western perspectives. At the same time, transformations in media ownership, the rise of AI-driven technologies, and the expanding role of transnational digital platforms are reshaping how politics is communicated and contested across the region.
For its 40th issue, Arab Media & Society invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to submit contributions that critically interrogate the nexus between media and geopolitics in the Arab world. We welcome theoretically informed and empirically grounded research that sheds light on how media institutions, journalists, communicators, and audiences engage with, resist, or reproduce geopolitical agendas.
Key Themes
Submissions may explore, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  1. War, Conflict, and Crisis Coverage
  • Media framing of ongoing conflicts in Palestine, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and Syria.
  • The politics of visibility and invisibility in reporting war casualties, refugees, and humanitarian crises.
  • The use of disinformation, propaganda, and psychological operations in digital and broadcast media.
  • AI and algorithmic mediation of war coverage: from drone footage to automated verification.
  1. Soft Power and Nation Branding
  • Competition among Arab states in projecting global soft power through media, cultural industries, and sports.
  • The use of mega-events (World Cup, Expo, film festivals) as tools of geopolitical communication.
  • Strategic employment of influencers, YouTubers, and content creators in diplomacy and branding.
  • The role of Arabic-language global networks (Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Sky News Arabia) in shaping international perceptions.
  1. Shifting Media Ownership and Power Structures
  • Privatization and consolidation of Arab media industries.
  • The role of sovereign wealth funds, multinational corporations, and foreign investment in Arab media.
  • Cross-border media influence and the geopolitics of satellite television.
  • Global technology platforms (Meta, X, TikTok, YouTube) as new geopolitical actors in Arab media ecosystems.
  1. New Forms of Communicating Politics
  • Digital activism and the reconfiguration of political participation in the Arab world.
  • Online censorship, surveillance, and digital authoritarianism.
  • Diaspora and exiled media’s role in reshaping Arab geopolitics.
  • The aesthetics of resistance: memes, short videos, and digital humor as political communication.
  1. Emerging and Cross-Cutting Themes
  • Climate change, environmental diplomacy, and media representations in the Arab region.
  • Migration, borders, and the geopolitics of Arab media coverage.
  • Gender and geopolitics: women journalists, feminized narratives of conflict, and representation of gendered violence.
  • AI, cyber warfare, and the weaponization of digital communication.
  • Religious media, sectarian narratives, and their geopolitical implications.
  • The Arab-Israeli conflict in contemporary media ecologies and its global resonances.

The above list is a non-exhaustive set for suggested areas of research. We welcome contributions that explore other dimensions related to media and conflict in the Arab region.
Submission Guidelines:
All submissions must be in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx), adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style, and have a maximum length of 10,000 words (including footnotes and citations).
Please include the author’s name (as it should be published), their affiliation, and a brief abstract of no more than 150 words.

Deadline for Full Papers:

December 1, 2025 for peer-reviewed submissions and December 15, 2025 for all other submissions.
Please email all submissions to: editor@arabmediasociety.com For further information regarding our publishing policies, kindly visit: www.arabmediasociety.com/publishing-policies/
Contact Information:
For any inquiries regarding the call for papers, please contact: editor@arabmediasociety.com.
Thank you for your interest and support of Arab Media & Society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Book Launch & Celebration — Fereshteh Molavi’s “Stories from Tehran” (Nov 29, Toronto)

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating Fereshteh Molavi and her new collection Stories from Tehran, published by Asemana Books — in collaboration with Zagros Foundation & 2:45 Literature Circle, co-sponsored by Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies, and supported by Noghreh publishing house, Moj Orchestra and Insufin Insurance.

Featuring speakers: Mahdiyeh Ezzatikarami, Mahdi Ganjavi, Diana Manole, Mohsen Maleki, Sasan Qahreman, Niaz Salimi & Marta Simidchieva

With a special note from: Houra Yavari

Plus: the premiere of a short film by 2:45 Literature Circle, inspired by Molavi’s stories

Music: Musical performance by Moj Orchestra, conductor Saman Mohammadnabi

Bilingual: English & Persian

Saturday, Nov 29

6:00–8:00 PM

North York Memorial Community Hall, 5110 Yonge St, Toronto

To read more about this book:

https://asemanabooks.ca/stories-from-tehran/

Asemana Books

 

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