Shii News – Academic Items

1.The Gulf Research Center (GRC) is pleased to announce that we are accepting paper abstracts for the 16th annual Gulf Research Meeting (GRM), the annual academic conference highlighting critical issues of importance to the Gulf region and providing a basis for undertaking and engaging in academic and empirical research. GRM 2026 will take place in Cambridge (UK) from July 21-23, 2026.

1. GRM workshops cover a wide range of topics in the fields of politics, economics, environment, culture, energy, security, and the social sciences as they relate to the GCC states and the wider Gulf region.
   GRM 2026 Workshops:
   The Economic Architecture and Diplomacy of Climate Change in the Gulf: Financing the Transition
   Digital Media, Strategic Communication, and Soft Power in the Gulf: Public Diplomacy in a Transforming Region
   GCC-Sub-Saharan Africa Economic Relations: Energy, Mining, Infrastructure, and Food Security
   Overlapping Ambitions: State-Led Economic Diversification and Mounting Intra-GCC Competition
   Rational Agency and Uncertain Futures: AI’s Role in the Gulf Region
   Gulf–South Asia Relations in an Era of Deepening Interdependence
   Emerging Technologies and Defense Industrialization in the GCC: Navigating the Localization–Outsourcing Dilemma in the AI Era
   The GCC–EU Economic Bilateral Partnership: Strategic Opportunities and Economic Diplomacy
   Gulf Gas Strategies
   Mobilizing Diasporas and Gulf Private Investors for the Reconstruction and Development of Syria and Lebanon
   The GCC and Infrastructure Connectivity in the Changing Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Landscape
   Humanitarian Diplomacy and Mediation in the Gulf: Pathways to Regional Stability
   We welcome applications from both established academics/scholars as well as young and emerging researchers.
   For the descriptions of workshops and other information: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgulfresearchmeeting.net%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C559a36a888c1491bef5508de319f257e%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639002756754863676%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=G1m7db5EDgOTcxAnXz3s%2F%2F%2F3h5eUVSefd80q6pXpEis%3D&reserved=0.
   You are strongly invited to read the Participants Guidelines: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgulfresearchmeeting.net%2Fw%2FGRM2026-ParticipantsGuidelines-Updated-2025-11-18.pdf&data=05%7C02%7C%7C559a36a888c1491bef5508de319f257e%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639002756754893326%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=QAIJBDJYSoNEFvf%2B6zI7MEFtFtPpobbUkU2s6cr1aPY%3D&reserved=0
   The GRM 2026 poster can be downloaded here<https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgulfresearchmeeting.net%2Fw%2FGRM2026-CallPaperPoster.pdf&data=05%7C02%7C%7C559a36a888c1491bef5508de319f257e%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639002756754911032%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RinJGGr30K6A5DwiPn29Ea51vH0ai7j5KIma%2Bn%2BauG4%3D&reserved=0>.
   The deadline for applications is January 5, 2026.
   Applications should be submitted at:
   https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gulfresearchmeeting.net%2Fregister-paper-user&data=05%7C02%7C%7C559a36a888c1491bef5508de319f257e%7C2e9f06b016694589878910a06934dc61%7C0%7C0%7C639002756754927691%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4bcB7nP0GX3Rwy4aVGaWg0w8WLq%2FiwcTSU%2Fezwe4YVU%3D&reserved=0
   For questions, please contact us at grm@grc.net<mailto:grm@grc.net>.
   We are looking forward to receiving your application and please send this announcement to colleagues in your network.
   Best regards,
   Gulf Research Center (GRC)

 

 

 

 

2. The Alwaleed Centre (University of Edinburgh) is hosting an online event on 11 December at 4pm reflecting on the devastating war in Sudan. All are welcome, and further details can be found below. To register for free CLICK HERE.

Sudan in Perspective: The Conflict, Its Drivers and the International Community

Thursday 11 December, 16.00-17.30 online via Zoom

Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).  Both groups are backed by external actors whose competing interests have further intensified the humanitarian crisis on the ground. The RSF, which is armed and supplied by the United Arab Emirates, stands accused of genocide in Darfur. On the other hand, SAF, which has allied with the Islamist Movement in Sudan and receives support from several regional countries, has also been accused of committing atrocities and human rights violations. Despite the scale of atrocities, mainstream legacy media and the broader international community have largely remained bystanders, taking little meaningful action to name or sanction the warring parties and their supporters.

In this timely online conversation, will be joined by Hamid Khalafallah (University of Manchester), who will trace the genealogy of the current conflict in Sudan and shed light on the geopolitical entanglements that continue to fuel it, and Award-Nominated Journalist Mat Nashed, who will respond with reflections on covering Sudan. Chaired by Dr Mira Al Hussein (University of Edinburgh).

To register for free CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

 

3. From Closure to Sharing: Exploring Research Data on the

Heritage of Afghanistan and Neighbouring Territories

Second French–Italian Summer School

Paris, 15–19 June 2026

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

This summer school is primarily intended for PhD candidates and Master’s students in the

Humanities and Social Sciences working on Afghanistan or its neighbouring countries. The training will be led by domain specialists and/or digital humanities scholars.

Participants will be accommodated at the Maison des Chercheurs on Campus Condorcet

(Aubervilliers, metro line 12, Front Populaire, Paris). Accommodation, meals and local transport

during the summer school will be covered by the organisers.

Travel to Paris is the responsibility of the participants, who should seek support from their home

university or research lab. Financial aid may be granted under specific criteria.

Applications (in either English, French, or Italian) must be submitted by 31 December 2025 to:

ismeo@ismeo.eu , with cc to m.baldi@ismeo.eu  and claire.jeannet@inalco.fr .

For further information, contact the above.

 

 

 

 

4. Zahra Institute:

Final Speaker Series event of the year. Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 17, and join us for an insightful lecture by Janet Klein:

Topic: Violence and Security in Kurdistan in the Long Twentieth Century
Date: Wednesday, December 17
Time: 12:00 PM Central / 1:00 PM Eastern
Speaker: Janet Klein, University of Akron

👉 Register now by clicking here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/v-G52vs9TXamSgZhX9Jw4w#

For more details about this and other upcoming programs, see the attached flyer and visit our website: www.zahrainstitute.org.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Library of Congress Junior Fellow Program 2026 application open

The Library has opened the application for the 10-week Junior Fellow Summer Program 2026. The South Asian Collection will host one project. The application closes January 2. This is a paid, on-site program at the Library in Washington, DC. Undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates are welcome to apply. Applicants must be US citizens. Below are the project descriptions. Please share with any students you think might be interested.

See Junior Fellow website for more details and the application.

For additional information, please contact Charlotte Giles (chgi@loc.gov) or message us through Ask-a-Librarian at ask.loc.gov/asia.

Enhancing Accessibility to an Ephemeral South Asia

Valuable pieces of ephemera trace shifts in ideas, issues of importance, and the diversity of views in society at the time of their distribution. For this Asian Division onsite project, the Junior Fellow will enhance the discoverability and accessibility of the South Asian Pamphlet Collection and United States Information Agency (USIA) Pamphlet Collection. The first collection is organized by 150 themed subcollections, dating from 1904 to 1993. The onsite fellow will have the opportunity to identify and research these rare materials. The fellow must have at least an advanced-intermediate level of reading and writing in a minimum of one of these South Asian languages – Hindi, Urdu, and/or Bengali – with a strong preference for two or more.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Journées d’études sur l’Asie centrale 

Centrale Asie : (Re)penser une région dans l’espace et dans le temps

Le GIS Moyen-Orient et mondes musulmans (MOMM), l’INALCO, l’Institut français d’études sur l’Asie centrale (IFEAC), le Centre de recherche sur le Monde iranien (CeRMI) (UMR 8041, CNRS / Sorbonne Nouvelle / Inalco / EPHE) et le Centre de Recherche Europes-Eurasie-CREE (EA 4513, Inalco) vous invitent aux Journées d’études sur l’Asie centrale intitulées “Centrale Asie : (Re)penser une région dans l’espace et dans le temps”.

Cet événement est organisé avec le soutien d’Eur’Orbem (UMR 8224, CNRS / Sorbonne Université), de l’Institut d’études de droit public (IEDP) (EA 2715, Université Paris-Saclay), de ZooStan (IRL 2023, CNRS / Université Al-Farabi) et de l’ANR Ceremoniac.”

Dates et lieu de l’événement

Jeudi 11 et vendredi 12 décembre 2025 (09h00-18h00)

INALCO – Maison de la Recherche (2, rue de Lille – Paris 7e) – Auditorium Dumézil

Information et programme

Sur le site web du CeRMI : https://cermi.cnrs.fr/centrale-asie-repenser-une-region-dans-lespace-et-dans-le-temps/

Sur site web de l’Inalco : https://www.inalco.fr/evenements/centrale-asie-repenser-une-region-dans-lespace-et-dans-le-temps

 

 

7. UCLA: the Pourdavoud Institute

Legacies of Ancient Persia: New Episode Available

Episode 33 features Dr. Olga M. Davidson, a research fellow with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations at Boston University, who joins Lexie as she recounts her serendipitous steps towards specializing in Persian epic literature, particularly the Shahnameh, and its comparative significance alongside Greek classics, the rich cross-cultural connections that shape her research, the importance of the Shahnameh, and her ongoing projects, her views on the current state of Persian studies in academia and the potential for greater inclusion in high school curricula.

Olga M. Davidson earned her Ph.D. in 1983 from Princeton University in Near Eastern Studies. She started her teaching career with a series of yearly appointments as lecturer, and then in 1992 she became an Assistant Professor at Brandeis University; from 2000 to 2005, she continued there as an Associate Professor. Meanwhile, from 1986 to 1991, she was Faculty Dean of Currier House, Harvard College. During her years as professor at Brandeis, she organized the creation of a Concentration in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, and she served as the chair of that concentration from 1992 until 1997. A course she regularly taught at Brandeis was “The Woman’s Voice in the Muslim World.” In 2007-2008 she was Visiting Associate Professor, Modern Languages and Comparative Literature, at Boston University and, starting in 2009, she has been affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations at Boston University, as Research Fellow. Since 1999, she has been Chair of the Board, Ilex Foundation.

https://linktr.ee/legaciesofancientpersia

 

 

 

 

 

8. International and Interdisciplinary Conference “Philosophy and Poetry in Islamic Contexts”, University of Erlangen, 14-17 January 2026

The conference explores the diverse interrelations between philosophical thought and poetic expression in Islamic cultures, ranging from the reception of Greek philosophy to modern poetic forms and aesthetic discourses. The contributions address various historical periods, geographical regions, and literary traditions, with particular focus on philosophical theories of poetry, poetic forms of philosophical expression, and dialogues between poets and philosophers.

Deadline for registration: 7 January 2026. Information and program: https://tinyurl.com/f727and3

 

 

 

 

 

9. Appel à communication : Résistances et solidarités transnationales avec les artistes et intellectuel·les de Turquie (depuis 1980)” Inalco, 20 mars 2026

Axes et problématiques : Les réseaux de solidarité. – La censure et l’autocensure. – Les stratégies de resistance. – Les mythes du procès, de la prison et de l’exil. – La question du genre. – La dimension géographique. – Les approches comparatistes.

Date limite : 15 décembre 2025. Information : https://tinyurl.com/bd7sfeau

 

 

 

 

 

10. Mediterranean Seminar Workshop “Food and Foodways across the Mediterranean World”, University of Oregon, Eugene, 22-23 May 2026

Papers will deal with any aspect of the production, distribution, consumption or representation of food and foodways in the Mediterranean world from Antiquity to the present, whether literal or metaphorical, historical or imagined, as seen from disciplinary perspectives as diverse economic, social, cultural, or political history, literature, history of philosophy, history of science and medicine, art and art history, musicology, anthropology or any related humanities and social science disciplines.

Deadline for workshop proposals: 15 February 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/5hy45sr9

 

 

 

 

 

11. Conference “Counter-Islamophobia: History, Theory, and Praxis”, International Islamophobia Stu-dies Research Association, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 22-24 May 2026

Proposed themes: Interdisciplinary or comparative approaches to counter-Islamophobia praxis. – Empirical Case Studies and Best Practices of counter-Islamophobia. – Historical and archival work that traces structures, logics, or resistance to Islamophobia. – Theoretical interventions that reframe or expand the scope of Islamophobia Studies. – Regional studies, especially from the Global Majority.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 January 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/3ha7zt5p

 

 

 

 

12. CfP: Ottoman Slaveries and Typologies of Unfreedom, Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS), University of Bonn, 24-26 June 2026

The conference explores how different configurations of slavery and dependency shaped, enabled, or constrained the agency of enslaved individuals. Rather than viewing agency as the antithesis of domination, we aim to examine it as a relational and context-dependent capacity – one that emerged within, and was shaped by, the very structures of asymmetrical dependency that defined Ottoman slavery.

Deadline for abstracts: 30 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/nhesftxp

 

 

 

 

 

13. “Meeting of Graduate Students in Islamic Art, Architecture, or Archaeology” at the “21st Colloquium of the Ernst Herzfeld Society”, University of Frankfurt, 2 July 2026

The graduate meeting will consist of papers given by graduate students based on their current research. Any topic relating to Islamic Art and Architecture or Islamic Archaeology is welcome.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ed78jypu

 

 

 

 

 

14. 12 Fellowships and Awards of the “W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR)”, 2026-2027

AIAR supports an annual Fellows program that brings US, Israeli, Palestinian and other international scholars together in the shared pursuit of research excellence. Applications are open to students and scholars of the humanities and social sciences studying any aspect of cultural development in the southern Levant from deep prehistory to the Early Modern period.

Extended deadline for applications: 19 December 2025. Information: https://aiar.org/fellowships

 

 

 

 

 

15. Call for Articles for the “The Middle East & North Africa Journal on Violence and Extremism”

MENAVEX is a biannual, peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to advancing critical research and dialogue on violence, extremism, and their global implications. It serves as a multidisciplinary platform where scholars, practitioners, and policymakers exchange innovative insights and evidence-based analyses

Deadline for articles: 15 December 2025. Information: https://tinyurl.com/ckfjty2e

 

 

 

 

16. New books:

 

“Gateway to the Mediterranean: An Environmental History of Late Ottoman Izmir” by Onur Inal, Cambridge University Press

Information and content: https://tinyurl.com/mpjswrza

 

Open Access Issue of “Anthropology of the Middle East”:

This is a special issue entitled, “Middle Eastern Migrants in East Asia: Navigation of Identity, Religion and Belonging.”

Content and online articles: https://tinyurl.com/3u2tew46

 

 

Launch of the TRANSLAPT Book Series: “Empires in Translation: Intersections of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish in the Eastern Mediterranean

This series is dedicated to exploring the vital roles of translation, language, and cultural exchange in shaping the history of the early modern Eastern Mediterranean. The series will highlight the complex dynamics of interaction among Arabic, Persian, and Turkish traditions. The first volume, a monograph by Philip Bockholt titled “Türkische Übersetzungen aus dem Arabischen und Persischen: Akteure, Adaption und Rezeption in der Frühen Neuzeit”, is scheduled for publication in spring 2026.

Information: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/serial/eit-b/html

 

Posted in: Academic items