Faculty News

Sir William Luce Fellowship

Sir William Luce Fellowship

Durham University

The Sir William Luce Memorial Fund welcomes applications for the position of Sir William Luce Fellow which will commence in April 2017.

The Sir William Luce Memorial Fund was established to commemorate the long and distinguished career of Sir William Luce GBE, KCMG, DL (1907-77) in the Middle East during the era of the transfer of power.

The Fellowship is awarded annually to a scholar at post-doctoral level, diplomat, politician, or business executive, working on those parts of the Middle East to which Sir William Luce devoted his working life (Iran, the Gulf states, South Arabia and Sudan), and is hosted by Durham University during Easter term (24 April – 23 June 2017). The Fund may give some preference to proposals linked to the University’s Sudan Archive. The Fellowship, tenable jointly in the Institute for Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies and Trevelyan College, will entitle the holder to full access to departmental and other University facilities such as the University Library, including the Sudan Archive, and Computing and Information Services. It also carries a grant, accommodation and all meals for the duration of the Fellowship. The Fellow is expected to deliver a lecture on the subject of his or her research which will be designated ‘/The Sir William Luce Lecture’/, and should be cast in such a way as to form the basis of a paper to be published in a special edition of the Durham Middle East Papers series.

Applicants should send a CV, an outline of their proposed research and contact details for two referees, preferably by e-mail, by Thursday, October 6th to:

The Secretary
Sir William Luce Memorial Fund
Durham University Library
Palace Green
Durham DH1 3RN
United Kingdom
E-mail: luce.fund@durham.ac.uk

For further information about the Luce Fund, please click here.

31st Annual Middle East History and Theory Conference: THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

19524-580x481May 6–7, 2016

We invite graduate students, affiliated faculty, and independent scholars from a broad range of disciplines to submit proposals on any topic concerning the Middle East and Islamic world from the advent of Islam to the present day. Disciplinary focuses include but are not limited to: history, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, literature, philosophy, art history, cinema and media studies, gender studies, and diaspora studies. If you are unsure about the suitability of your topic, feel free to email us (see address below). Approximately 50 papers will be selected and arranged into themed panels of three or four.

Individual submissions and preformed panels are both welcome, though the latter is especially encouraged. Participants should be prepared to deliver a maximum twenty-minute presentation and respond to questions or comments from an assigned discussant. Written papers should be circulated to panel members at least two weeks before the conference.

Application. Please send submissions electronically to mehat.conference@uchicago.edu by no later than Friday, February 12, 2016. Please include each presenter’s name, institution, and position (graduate student, professor, independent scholar, etc.), and attach a 250-word abstract with a tentative title. The best abstracts will summarize the paper’s topic, its relationship and contribution to existing scholarship and specific conclusions. Abstracts will be collated by an assistant and evaluated anonymously by the coordinators; therefore, please do not include names or any identifying information in the abstract. Selection results will be announced in the middle of March 2016.

Sponsored panels. As in previous years, two of our sponsors are offering limited funding to support special panels in the following fields: (1) modern Arabic literature and (2) Central Eurasian studies. Participants chosen for one of these panels may be eligible for a modest travel subsidy. Those interested should submit their abstracts according to the process outlined above, with a note indicating their interest in being a part of one of these sponsored panels. Applicants not placed on a special panel will still receive full consideration for the general conference. Please circulate widely. Updates and announcements will be shared on the MEHAT website and Facebook page.

For all inquiries, please write to mehat.conference@uchicago.edu.

Conference Coordinators:

Mariam Sheibani PhD Student, NELC University of Chicago

Amir Toft PhD Student, NELC University of Chicago

October 28-29: “Reinventing Israel” conference at American University

American University logo

“Reinventing Israel: Transformations of Israeli Society in the 21st Century”

American University,
Washington, DC
October 28-29, 2015

Travel Subsidies for Junior Faculty Available

RSVP FOR SESSIONS:

Scholars are invited to attend “Reinventing Israel: Transformations of Israeli Society in the 21st Century,” an international academic conference on October 28-29, 2015 at American University in Washington, DC. The conference is sponsored by American University’s Center for Israel Studies and Jewish Studies Program. A limited number of travel subsidies are available for junior faculty and advanced graduate students. Applications for travel subsidies are due September 25, 2015. Notifications will be made on a rolling basis by October 1, 2015.

Conference Chairs:

Michael Brenner, Seymour and Lillian Abensohn Chair in Israel Studies, American University and Chair of Jewish History and Culture, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich
Pamela Nadell, Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender Studies, American University

Conference Summary:
The 1967 Six-Day War, with its resulting control of significant new territory, compelled profound changes in Israel’s self-definition. Demographically, Israel’s society has become more religious. Politically, it has gradually moved to the right. The transformation of Israeli society has been ongoing ever since.

This conference will examine the more recent aspects of the transformation of Israeli society in the 21st century, including the birth of the start-up nation and the growing economic inequality, changes in Holocaust memory and in Israel-diaspora relations. Scholars from the United States and Israel will present new insights in the fields of politics, law, economy, art, and literature. They turn our attention to the immigrants from unexpected destinations like Nigeria and Burma, who claim to derive from “the lost tribes,” as well as to the growing Israeli diaspora in America and Europe, and to the changing self-definition of Israeli Arabs who regard themselves increasingly as Palestinians. A concluding panel addresses the question of how Israel will look twenty years from now.

Link to application, with program:

Questions: American University Center for Israel Studies, israelstudies@american.edu, 202-885-3780

International Conference on the Geo-Politics of the Middle East: Call for Papers

Geo Politics of the Middle East

The Middle East Studies Forum (MESF) at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ADICG), in partnership with the Middle East Institute (National University of Singapore) and the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (ANU) are pleased to issue this Call for Papers for the forthcoming symposium ‘Making Sense of Geo-Politics in the Middle East’.
Deakin University (Melbourne, Australia), October 28-29, 2015

The rise of the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq, which claims to revive the historic Islamic Caliphate, has brought to the fore intense state rivalries. This is most notable between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which appear to be locked in a number of theatres of conflict from Syria to Yemen. But other enmities have also intensified as a result of growing tensions and states’ self-perception of their regional weight. These include frictions between Qatar and Egypt, Iran and Turkey, and Egypt and Turkey. Compounding each of these is the emergence of the self-declared Islamic State and the prospects of a future Kurdish state.

This conference welcomes informed and robust discussion of the following key questions:

  • Do recent events suggest a reassertion of state-centric politics over ideological considerations?
  • Are we witnessing the demise of ideology as a normative tool for change?
  • To what extent can the reassertion of geo-politics in the Middle East be seen as a vindication of the neo-realist paradigm in International Relations?
  • What is the trajectory of future developments in the region?
  • What are the key factors driving geo-politics in the Middle East

Keynote Speakers:

  • Prof. Mehran Kamrava, Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University
  • Prof. Amin Saikal, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (the Middle East and Central Asia), ANU
  • Prof. Gareth Stansfield, Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies, Exeter University

Abstract Submission:

If you would like to present a paper as part of this conference, please submit the following to Dr. James Barry (james.barry@deakin.edu.au) by Friday 31 July 2015:

– A title and 250 word abstract addressing one of the key questions outlined above, and a 100 word biography

Hosted by:

The Middle East Studies Forum at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, in partnership with the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore and the ANU Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (the Middle East and Central Asia).

Contact: Gemma Ross McGlynn, g.rossmcglynn@deakin.edu.au

8th Annual ASMEA Conference: Call for Papers & Panels

October 29 – 31, 2015

Key Bridge Marriott Hotel * Washington, D.C.

ASMEA is currently seeking proposals for paper and panel presentations for its Eighth Annual Conference. Scholars from any discipline, tenured or untenured faculty, or those otherwise affiliated with a recognized research institution, may submit proposals to present at the Conference. Unique proposals from senior graduate students (ABD) will also be considered. Proposals on topics related to the Middle East and Africa should consist of a one-page outline of new and unpublished research. A recent C.V. with all contact data also must be included with name, e-mail, phone number, and affiliation.

The deadline for proposals is Monday, March 30, 2015.

SUBMIT PAPER Proposals
SUBMIT PANEL Proposals
REGISTER for the Eighth Annual Conference.

ASMEA offers the following GRANT OPPORTUNITIES to its Members in conjunction with the Eighth Annual Conference.

ASMEA Research Grants
The Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa is pleased to offer research grants of up to $2500 to qualified professors and students engaged in the study of the Middle East and Africa. Application deadline is Monday, March 2, 2015. Find out more information, HERE.

Moroccan Studies Research Grant
ASMEA and the Moroccan-American Cultural Center (MACC) are pleased to offer research grants for scholars and students whose research is focused on the Kingdom of Morocco. Grants of up to $2500 will be awarded to qualified applicants. Application deadline is Monday, March 2, 2015. Find out more information, HERE.

Conference Travel Grant
ASMEA is pleased to offer travel grants of up to $500 to attend the Eighth Annual Conference for qualified members whose paper proposal is accepted for presentation and have not been awarded any other grant from ASMEA. Applications will be available in the Spring.

 

Any questions or for more information, contact ASMEA at 202.429.8860 or info@asmeascholars.org<mailto:info@asmeascholars.org>.

Call for Proposals: Grants for Postdoctoral Fellows for research in the fields of

Post Doctoral Fellowship for research in the fields:

  • The Persian Gulf Today
  • Iran since the Islamic Revolution
  • Contemporary North Africa

See the Truman Institute website for application instructions:

http://truman.huji.ac.il/?cmd=grantsandscholarships.269  (Hebrew)

http://truman.huji.ac.il/?cmd=grantsandscholarships.270  (English)

Closing date for applications: February 15th, 2015

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Middle East Studies

The Institute for Middle East Studies (IMES) at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs invites applications for the position of Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Middle East Studies. Fellows may come from any discipline in the social sciences or humanities, as long as their primary substantive specialization is in the Middle East/North Africa (to include Iran and Turkey). Candidates should receive their Ph.D. on or before September 1 of the fellowship year, and must be in
residence at IMES for the duration of the fellowship period (September 1 – May 31). Fellows are expected to take an active part in the intellectual life of the institute, including giving a research presentation and attending other institute events. This position offers a salary of $45,000, medical benefits, access to the GW library system, a computer, and office space. The fellow may also be invited to teach an M.A. level course at the Elliott School in an area related to his/her research.

To Apply: The candidate is required to submit the following materials in PDF format to imes@gwu.edu:

– CV (not to exceed 2 pages)
– Statement of Research (not to exceed 1,000 words)
– Writing Sample (an article or a chapter of the dissertation)
– Three letters of recommendation

Deadline: For full consideration, please submit the complete application by January 31, 2015. The successful candidate will be notified via email by 1 March, 2015.

Woolf Institute Visiting Fellowship 2016

The Woolf Institute, which specializes in the study of relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims from a multidisciplinary perspective, invites applications for its annual visiting fellowship.

The Fellowship is tenable for a two to three month period that overlaps one of the Cambridge terms 2016:
Lent term: 12 January–11 March 2016
Easter term: 19 April–10 June 2016

The successful candidate will be expected to be involved in a project of academic research, public education or of the arts in an area relevant to the Institute’s work.

The Fellow will be asked to present their work at a symposium on the subject of their project proposal.

There is no stipend attached to the Fellowships, but Fellows will be entitled to free accommodation in Cambridge and round-trip travel from their country to Cambridge. They will also have access to the Woolf Institute and Cambridge University libraries.

The Fellowship is available for a postdoctoral scholar of any academic rank, a policymaker or analyst in a relevant area of work, or an artist (writer, painter, photographer, etc.) and will most likely be asked to participate in some of the Institute’s teaching or practice-based activities. Further information about the Institute can be found at: http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk.

A letter of application, CV, the names of two referees who may be approached, a project proposal (1,500 words max.), and a sample of work should be sent to: Electors of the Visiting Fellowship, Woolf Institute, 12-14 Grange Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DU, UK or e-mailed to Tina Steiner at bs411@cam.ac.uk.

Questions may be addressed informally to the Deputy Director, Dr Shana Cohen at sc736@cam.ac.uk.

Deadline for the submission of applications is 20 February 2015.

Scholars from the University of Haifa

The Center for Judaic Studies & Contemporary Jewish Life and the Doris and Simon Konover Chair of Judaic Studies and the Office of Global Affairs at the University of Connecticut will be co-sponsoring a series of public lectures, research seminars, classroom visits, and community events during the week of September 2 through September 7, introducing the research and studies of Dr. Efraim Lev and Dr. Moshe Lavee, co-directors of the University of Haifa’s Interdisciplinary Center for the Broader Application of Genizah Research, a research institute that is investigating way to use newly available digital technologies to foster wider and more diverse study of the extraordinary historical archives of the Cairo Genizah.  Read the  2014 UHaifa Project Press Release

Lefebvre on H-Diplo and Israel-Palestine

Prof. Jeffrey Lefebvre’s invited contribution to the H-Diplo roundtable discussion of Louise Woodroofe’s book, Buried in the Sands of the Ogaden: The United States, the Horn of Africa, and the Demise of Détente, was published online in H-Diplo Roundtable Review, volume XV, No. 29, April 7, 2014.

Also, on April 15, 2014, Prof. Lefebvre gave a presentation for the Stamford faculty colloquium series, “The Israel-Palestinian Conflict: The End of the Two-State Solution?”