Shii News – Academic Items
1. Early Islamic History Faculty Position – Princeton University
Princeton University: Office of the Dean of the Faculty: Humanities: Near Eastern Studies
https://apply.interfolio.com/193875
Location: Princeton, NJ
Open Date: Sep 18, 2026
Salary Range or Pay Grade: Assistant Professor: $86,000 – $100,000; Associate Professor: $115,000 – $135,000; Full Professor: $179,000 – $276,000 per year
Description
The Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University invites applications for a tenured or tenure-track faculty position in the field of Early Islamic History, with a primary focus on the period ca. 600–1300 CE. We seek a dynamic and innovative scholar whose research engages critically with the historical development of Islamic societies in this formative era. While the core of the position is historical in nature, we welcome applications from candidates whose work is grounded in related disciplines and whose scholarship brings fresh perspectives to the study of early Islam.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and research statement. Please also include the names and contact information for three references. Referees will not be contacted until later in the process. Junior level applicants need to also provide a writing sample, for example one chapter or an article. Review of applications will begin on October 30, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in a relevant field by the time of appointment. A strong record of original research is essential. Proficiency in classical Arabic and strong paleographic skills are also important. We are particularly interested in candidates who can contribute meaningfully to the department’s teaching and research missions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an active research agenda, participate fully in departmental activities, and contribute to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic community.
This position is subject to the University’s background check policy
2. IFANCA Chair in Indian Muslim Studies
About the Position
Arizona State University’s The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences invites applications and nominations for the inaugural IFANCA Chair of Indian Muslim Studies, at the rank of Associate Professor, with a start date of August 16, 2027. The Chair will hold tenure in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies (SHPRS) and will be fully embedded in the Center of Muslim Experience in the United States (CME-US), ASU’s hub for innovative, publicly engaged scholarship on Muslim life in America and globally.
Position Overview
The inaugural IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America) Chair of Indian Muslim Studies will be a senior scholar — or a highly accomplished scholar on a strong upward trajectory whose work exemplifies both rigorous humanistic inquiry and the capacity to lead. The Chair will advance innovative research in Indian Muslim Studies, shape CME-US’s intellectual agenda, and contribute to ASU’s commitments to inclusive excellence, global engagement, and meaningful public scholarship.
About the Center of Muslim Experience in the United States (CME-US)
The Center of Muslim Experience in the United States (CME-US) is a multi-partnership, transdisciplinary research and community outreach center at Arizona State University leading the way in producing transformative scholarship about Muslims in the U.S. that contributes to an American inclusive future.
About the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies
ASU’s School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies (SHPRS) is one of the nation’s largest and most innovative transdisciplinary humanities institutions. With 92 faculty and nearly 1,600 majors, the school teaches more than 33,000 students each year in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. A substantial portion of the student population is online, including a pioneering master’s program in World War II Studies in collaboration with the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Additionally, the school hosts transdisciplinary programs and affiliated research and education centers.
About The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of Arizona State University, committed to improving communities on a local, national and global scale. We support the professional development and growth of our faculty and staff in their cutting-edge research to advance these aims. Within The College, our faculty engage with a large curious student body, guiding them as they grow into socially aware, critical thinkers and writers able to succeed in a wide range of careers and to address the challenges of the twenty-first century. Advancing the success of our students remains our top priority. To learn more about The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, please visit https://thecollege.asu.edu.
About Arizona State University
ASU exemplifies a new prototype for the American public research university. As articulated in the ASU Charter, ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
Essential Functions
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- The Chair will advance innovative research in Indian Muslim Studies, shape CME-US’s intellectual agenda, and contribute to ASU’s commitments to inclusive excellence, global engagement, and meaningful public scholarship.
- Maintain a distinguished, internationally recognized research and publishing agenda in Indian Muslim Studies within their humanistic discipline
- Teach undergraduate and graduate courses aligned with their expertise and in accordance with the curricular needs of the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies
- Mentor graduate students and junior faculty
- Provide intellectual leadership in shaping CME-US’s research, programming, and initiatives related to Indian Muslim Studies
- Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across ASU, nationally, and internationally
- Organize and convene regular conferences, workshops, and seminars
- Engage public audiences, community partners, and broader civic life
- Supports IFANCA’s mission which includes values of service, adaptability, and integrity and increase awareness through education
Disciplinary Home and Areas of Scholarly Interest
This position is anchored in the Humanities and housed in SHPRS. We particularly welcome scholars working in:
- History (including intellectual, social, religious, political, and cultural history)
- Religious Studies (anthropology of religion, religious thought, material culture, and contemporary and global religious movements)
- Philosophy (including political philosophy, ethics, and philosophy of religion)
- Related humanistic fields such as Literary and Cultural Studies, Gender and Justice Studies, Ethnic Studies, Islamic Studies, Asian Studies, or Law and Ethics, where the primary methodology is humanistic
Candidates’ research should focus on Indian Muslim communities in any period (precolonial, colonial, or postcolonial) with attention to contemporary concerns, and may address themes including, but not limited to, pluralism and justice, postcolonial nationalisms, migration and diaspora (with particular attention to Indian Muslims in the United States), law and governance, public narratives and public memory, environmental humanities and ethics, social movements, intellectual history, or everyday lived experience.
Appointment and Support
The IFANCA Endowed Chair comes with a competitive salary, dedicated research funds, and programming support commensurate with rank and experience. The Chair will be fully integrated into CME-US’s collaborative environment and is expected to be an active contributor to its mission and community. The position also offers opportunities to collaborate with other ASU centers and initiatives focused on religion and conflict, transborder studies, Asian studies, security studies, and applied ethics.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- PhD in History, Religious Studies, Philosophy, or a related Humanities discipline
- Qualifications commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor at ASU
- A record of scholarly excellence commensurate with rank
- An active research agenda with evidence of sustained productivity and impact
Desired Qualifications:
- Familiarity with or experience in Islamic Studies, South Asian Studies, or related fields
- Demonstrated commitment to innovative teaching and graduate mentorship
- Experience with and commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration
- Experience in or demonstrated interest in center-based or collaborative research environments
- A demonstrated record of or clear potential for public and community engagement
- Experience organizing academic conferences, workshops, or seminar series
- Demonstrated commitment to working with faculty, staff, students, and communities to advance the principles of the ASU Charter.
Application Instructions
The application deadline is 13 November 2026. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled. Candidates will be asked to create or use an existing Interfolio Dossier to submit the following application materials:
- a curriculum vitae
- a letter of interest
- the names, positions, and contact information of three references who may be contacted directly
: https://apply.interfolio.com/193990.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, Yasmin Saikia (ysaikia@asu.edu).
3. Leigh Douglas Memorial Prize
About the Prize
This prize was established jointly in 1986 by the Leigh Douglas Memorial Fund and BRISMES in memory of Dr Leigh Douglas who was killed in Beirut in 1986. The prize is awarded annually to the writer of the best PhD dissertation on a Middle Eastern topic in the Social Sciences or Humanities awarded by a British University in the previous year. The current value of the prize is £600 for the winner and £250 for the runner up.
The annual deadline for this prize was changed in 2023 to allow the winner(s) to be invited to attend the BRISMES annual conference.
Eligibility
Any student who has submitted their PhD dissertation on a Middle Eastern topic in the Social Sciences or Humanities to a British University between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026 is eligible to apply. If you are submitting your thesis after the deadline in 2026, you will be eligible for the following year’s prize.
We recommend that submissions for this prize are made after completion of your viva in order to benefit from feedback from the viva panel, but applicants can make a submission before the viva if they wish. Please note that you can only submit your PhD dissertation once for this prize. Entering your thesis for this award does not preclude entering it for other awards.
How to Apply
Please send an electronic copy of your thesis and a letter of nomination from your supervisor to office@brismes.org.
The deadline for submissions is 23:59 GMT on Monday, 23 November 2026.
https://www.brismes.ac.uk/awards/ldmp
4. G. de Callataÿ – B. Halflants – S. Moureau – J. Mattila,The Epistles of the Brethren of Purity, On Magic. 2. An Arabic Critical Edition and English Translation of Epistle 52b and 52c, Oxford: Oxford University Press in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2026, xxi-1304 pages. (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/on-magic-part-ii-9780198955436?lang=en&cc=be)
Open Access:
https://transvol.sgsi.ucl.ac.be/download.php?id=0f69fa7c4f1d35b1
5. The session, “Gifts to the Sacred: Portable Objects and Material Patronage across Religious Traditions,” has been accepted for the AAH 2027 Annual Conference, taking place at the University of Exeter from 7–9 April 2027.
I would be very grateful if you could help me share and circulate the Call for Papers as widely as possible. If you know of any mailing lists, academic networks, societies, social media groups, or other platforms that might be particularly useful for reaching interested scholars, please do let me know. I’d really like the Call to reach colleagues working across different fields, regions, and religious traditions.
Also, if anyone specific comes to mind who you think might be a particularly interesting contributor to the session, please feel free to send them the Call or encourage them to apply. I would be very grateful for any suggestions or introductions.
Session: Gifts to the Sacred: Portable Objects and Material Patronage across Religious Traditions
Conference: AAH 2027, University of Exeter, 7–9 April 2027
Paper proposal deadline: 23:59 UK, Sunday 25 October 2026
Session Call for Papers:
Gifts to the Sacred – AAH 2027 Session
Full AAH 2027 Call for Papers:
AAH 2027 Call for Papers
Zahra Khademi
Doctoral Researcher | The Courtauld
https://courtauld.ac.uk/people/zahra-khademi/
6. Penser la modernité en Iran : regards croisés (XIXe-XXe siècle)
La journée est organisée par les doctorants en études iraniennes de l’Université Sorbonne Nouvelle avec le soutien du CeRMI (UMR8041 – Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien) et de l’ICEE (Intégration et Coopération dans l’Espace Européen – EA 2291).
Elle s’articulera autour de quatre panels consacrés à la modernité dans les domaines de la littérature, de la politique, des relations internationales et de la sociologie.
Date et lieu
Mardi 6 octobre 2026
Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, 8 avenue de Saint Mandé 75012 Paris
9h30-13h (salles B115) – 13h30-16h (salle A608)
Programme des interventions est en fichier joint.
Entrée est libre, dans la limite des places disponibles.
Les organisateurs
Roxane Bertran de Balanda (ICEE)
Asyeh Ghafourian (CeRMI)
Antonin Hoffmann (ICEE)
Mariam Nahavandy (ICEE)
——————————————————–
CeRMI – CNRS UMR 8041
Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien
Campus CNRS Ile-de-France Villejuif
7, rue Guy Môquet – 94800 Villejuif – FRANCE
cermi@cnrs.fr – https://www.cermi.cnrs.fr
The course is primarily aimed at those interested in Christianity in the Middle East and we will be reading Christian Arabic texts from the first day to the last. However, it is also suitable for anyone who would like to practise reading premodern Arabic texts intensively, including directly from manuscripts. In previous years, the course has attracted participants from a wide range of academic backgrounds and at different stages of their careers, from undergraduates to professors. The recommended minimum level is one year of intensive Classical Arabic or Modern Standard Arabic, or equivalent experience. For further information and registration, please visit https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/biblical-languages/christian-arabic-2027.
I will also be teaching a four-day Arabic Taster for complete beginners (6-9 January 2027, https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/biblical-languages/christian-arabic-texts-taster-course). In addition, the Winter School at Westminster College offers short courses in Coptic, Syriac, Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
All best wishes,
Krisztina Szilágyi
Contact Information
Dr Krisztina Szilágyi
Contact Email
URL
https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/biblical-languages/christian-arabic-2027
8. Arabic Edition, Annotated English Translation and Introduction of Abu Salama al-Samarqandi’s Jumal usul al-din, titled A Summary of the Principles of Religion, can now be ordered internationally from Turath Publishing. This project not only makes accessible a teachable digest of al-Maturidi’s kalam, thereby unlocking the tricky Kitab al-tawhid, but it illustrates the way in which his original theological formulation was received as an early school tradition in Samarqand.
Order from here: https://turath.co.uk/collections/abu-salama-mu%E1%B8%A5ammad-b-mu%E1%B8%A5ammad-al-samarqandi
9. A Talk by Dr. Linda Komaroff
“The Iranian Art-Diaspora and American Museums”
Time: Thursday, Oct 1, 2026 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) (12 p.m. PST).
Zoom Registration Link: https://unomaha.zoom.us/meeting/register/5hKLeLvlRvOT9fMJI-5JRg
Dr. Komaroff is Curator of the Art of the Middle East at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). She is an Islamic art specialist with a doctorate from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. She has published and written extensively on Islamic and contemporary Middle East art, is the recipient of two Fulbright fellowships and awards including the prestigious Alfred H. Barr, Jr. Award from the College Art Association for The Legacy of Genghis Khan exhibition catalog, and received the Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award. She has taught at Hamilton College, New York University, Princeton University, and UCLA.
Sponsors: The American Institute of Iranian Studies (AIIrS) and the UNO Department of History
10. Assistant Professor in Comparative Politics
Durham University
The School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University seeks to appoint an exceptional scholar as an Assistant Professor with research and teaching expertise in Comparative Politics, whose work uses quantitative research methods and has a regional focus on Africa, Asia, Latin America or the Middle East. The successful candidate will join the Centre for Institutions and Political Behaviour.
Deadline | 28 September 2026
More information
11. Postdoctoral Research Fellow
German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
GIGA seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Peace and Conflict Studies/ International Relations/ Comparative Politics or International Political Economy. This is a full-time position, with an initial contract of three years and the possibility of another three years after successful evaluation and depending on the availability of funds.
Deadline | 15 October 2026
More information
12. Assistant Professor in Islamic Philosophy
University of Cambridge
The Faculty of Divinity wishes to appoint to an Assistant Professorship in Islamic Philosophy from 1 September 2027. Applicants should have a doctorate in Islamic Philosophy and either a proven track record of, or demonstrable potential for high quality research and publications in any aspect of Medieval Islamic Philosophy.
Deadline | 16 October 2026
More information
13. Call for Applications | 2027 Sir William Luce Fellowship
The Sir William Luce Memorial Fund committee welcomes applications for the 2027 Sir William Luce Fellowship, 26 April – 25 June 2027. The fellowship is awarded annually to a scholar at post-doctoral level, diplomat, politician, academic or business executive, working on those parts of the Middle East to which Sir William Luce devoted his working life (the Gulf monarchies, Yemen, Iran, Sudan, and South Sudan). The fellow is hosted by Durham University during the Easter term of each academic year.
Deadline | 7 October 2026
14. Call for Entries | Lives Beyond the Archives: Alf Muslimah Research Competition
Al-Mujadilah Research invites scholars, researchers, and experts to submit proposals for research-based entries for Alf Muslimah, a forthcoming encyclopaedia dedicated to documenting the lives, intellectual contributions, and social impact of leading Muslim women across the globe and throughout the ages. The project seeks to recover and present the stories of Muslim women exemplars whose lives, achievements, and legacies have often been overlooked, underrepresented, or preserved only through local community histories, oral traditions, or regional archives.
Deadline | 22 October 2026
More information
15. Call for Speakers | GMEF Speaker Series 2026/2027
The Glasgow Middle East Forum is organising a Speaker Series for the 2026/2027 academic year and are seeking a diverse range of voices to contribute to this interdisciplinary platform, which fosters discussion on socioeconomic and political developments within West Asia and North Africa. The organisers particularly welcome proposals from those working in the social sciences (political science, international relations, anthropology, sociology, economics) as well as the arts and humanities and encourage both established academics and postgraduate researchers to apply. If you would like to apply, or know anyone who might be interested in speaking, please complete/forward this form.
16. The Triumph of Iran’s National Narrative: Literary Memory, Civil Society, and Uprising
Kamran Talattof
17. Event link: https://sofheyman.org/events/celebrating-recent-work-by-mushin-musawi
Join us for our New Books Series event honoring Poetic Desire and Literary Thievery: Economies of Intertextuality in Arabic Literature by Muhsin J. al-Musawi. In this wide-ranging and innovative study, Muhsin J. al-Musawi examines debates surrounding literary authenticity across Arabic and Islamic culture over seven centuries.
Professor al-Musawi will be joined by panelists Hamid Dabashi, Madeleine Dobie, Elaine van Dalen, and Tarek El-Ariss.
Thursday, October 8, 2026, 6:15 pm EDT | In person at the Heyman Center and online via Zoom
18. EUME Berliner Seminar Series: “Europe in the Middle East – The Middle East in Europe”, Forum Transregionale Studien, Berlin, 7 / 13 / 21 / 28 October 2026, 17:00 – 18:30 CET
Themes: – “Feminist Comics in Arab and Latin American Protest Culture” by Rasha Chatta & Jasmin Wrobel. – “The Shudder Remains: Voice, Body, and Affect in Contemporary Palestinian Poetry” by Daniel Behar. – “Protest in a Post-Gramscian Moment: From the Middle East to Liberal Democracies” by Myriam Ahmed. – “Memories of Violence: The Hama Massacre (1982) in Syrian Literature” by Anna Christina Scheiter. The audio recordings of the Berliner Seminar will be available on SoundCloud.
Information and summaries: https://tinyurl.com/cxhcy3d3
19. ONLINE Conférence internationale « La décolonialité en question? Critiques de la modernité occidentale ou tentation de repli? », Sociétés du Maghreb et du Moyen-Orient, 8-9 octobre 2026
Programme : https://tinyurl.com/yc4y52hf
20.. Conference: “Islam and Muslims in Greece from the 14th Century to the Present Day. Individuals, Groups, Spaces & Institutions”, École française d’Athènes, 15-16 October 2026
Programme: https://tinyurl.com/3r8xc3hf
21. Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology (9 Months), Focus Middle East, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
Candidates must have completed their Ph.D. in anthropology by May 31, 2027 (Spring 2027) and are expected to have an active research program focused on the Middle East. Previous teaching experi-ence as instructor-of-record at the college level is preferred.
Deadline for applications: 30 October 2026. Information: https://tinyurl.com/4r5hj5y5
22. Associate Professor or Professor of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies (Focus Islamic World), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
We are seeking applicants with a strong publication record and an outstanding research program. Candidates should demonstrate prior excellence in teaching and mentorship of students. The ideal candi-date will be committed to interdisciplinarity and able to effectively work with colleagues across various disciplines, subfields, and backgrounds. Candidates whose work would contribute to the conversation of UVA’s Islamic Worlds Initiative would be particularly welcome to apply.
Deadline for applications: 5 October 2026. Information: https://apply.interfolio.com/190665
Posted in: Academic items
- September 26, 2026
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