Peter Sluglett, a long time member of BRISMES, is President-elect of MESA, the Middle East Studies Association of North America. He taught Middle Eastern history at Durham University between 1974 and 1993 and at the University of Utah since 1994; he is currently Visiting Research Professor at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore. This year he is President-elect; he will be President in 2012-13. He served as a member of the BRISMES Council between 1986 and 1989, and was Review Editor of the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies between 1990 and 1994.
The Egyptian Revolution, One Year On: Causes, Characteristics and Fortunes
A conference at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
Co-sponsored by the John Fell OUP Research Fund, University of Oxford
You are warmly invited to participate in this two day conference, to be held on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 May 2012 at the Department of Politics and International Relations, Oxford University. The popular uprising of 25 January 2011 launched a revolution in Egypt that captured the imagination of observers worldwide, and whose reverberations continue to be felt throughout the Middle East, as well as in the world's major capitals. The year 2012 is seeing many scholarly communities mark the first anniversary of this extraordinary development. This conference aims for Oxford University to be the meeting point, at the juncture of one year on, for a consideration of the causes, characteristics, and fortunes of the January Revolution. The conference stands out for its explicit aim to bring together scholars based inside and outside the Arab world, and for encouraging the participation of scholars on the ground in Egypt.
Registration is now open, and early booking is recommended: http://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/index.php/details/1263-the-egyptian-revolution-one-year-on-causes-characteristics-and-fortunes.html.
Please see the Preliminary Programme here: http://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/materials/events/18-19may2012_draft%20programme.pdf.
Convenor: Reem Abou-El-Fadl, Jarvis Doctorow Junior Research Fellow, St Edmund Hall and Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Islamicintellectualhistory.com
We would like to introduce islamicintellectualhistory.com, an online student-led initiative intended to bridge scholarship in the field Islamic Intellectual History inside and outside of the UK. This site has been launched in view of its first project - a free conference on the "Public Role of Muslim Intellectuals: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges", to be held at St Antony's College, University of Oxford on Monday 30th April 2012.
Programme
10:15-10:45 - Registration with coffee and tea (Hilda Besse Basement)
10:45-11:00 - Introduction and Welcome Note
11:00-13:00
Session 1 - What is the role of Muslim intellectuals?: Contemporary Challenges (Dahrendorf Room)
Tariq Ramadan (University of Oxford)
Muslim Intellectuals: Civic, Political and Intellectual Challenges
Khaled Hroub (University of Cambridge)
Contemporary Arab intellectuals (Islamists, pan-Arab nationalists, leftists and liberals): divergent and convergent discourses.
Ziba Mir-Hosseini (SOAS)
The contributions of feminist scholarship to Islamic legal thought
Sara Silvestri (City University London)
Grassroot acvists, intellectuals, and lobbyists: who speaks for Islam in the EU and does it matter?
13:00-14:30 - Lunch (Hilda Besse Hall)
14:30-16:30
Session 2 - Who is a Muslim Intellectual? Historical and Theoretical considerations (Dahrendorf Room)
Jan-Peter Hartung (SOAS)
What makes a Muslim intellectual? On the pro's and con's of a category?
Hilary Kalmbach (University of Oxford)
To register for this event, please email Dr Mustapha Sheikh This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text2871 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
The Islamic Studies Network &
The Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, SMLC, University of Leeds
invite you to a Symposium on:
Teaching Islamic Studies: Methodological Concerns, Practical Solutions
Saturday 28th April 2012
Michael Sadler Building, Room LG19
There are pressing concerns revolving around Muslim and non-Muslim academics, male and female, teaching Islamic Studies. These relate to problems of objectivity, authority to speak on the subject, the expectations of both Muslim and non-Muslim students of their tutor, taking into account their gender and religious orientation, and no doubt countless other concerns. Some of these concerns are not confined to the teacher-student rapport, but are also shared by the University as a whole, but especially by those who are new to teaching, as many of these issues are left for the individual to negotiate. There are no clear guidelines, advice, support networks, etc., which an academic might draw upon in their attempt to resolve one or more of these problems. It is the aim of this symposium to open a platform for wider discussions on the subject and bring together various actors but mainly students and academic Professors/Lecturers to debate and discuss a subject which for many years they feared or did not dare to question.
Programme:
10.00-10.15 am: Arrival and Registration
10.15-10.30 am: Welcome and Opening of Symposium
Zahia Smail Salhi
10.30- 11.00am: Teaching Jihad: Identity Politics and University
'Amir Saeed, University of Sunderland
11.00- 11.30am: Confronting the Elephant in the Room, Teaching Islamic Studies from the Critical Insider Perspective.
Mustapha Sheikh, University of Leeds.
11.30- 11.30: Coffee break and networking opportunity
11.30- 12.00: Between Authority and Objectivity, Teaching Women, Islam and Society
Hiam El-Gousy, University of Leeds
12.00- 12.30: Judged by Appearance: Muslimness and Performativity, on Balancing Authority and Objectivity.
Ameena Alrasheed, Peace University, United Nations Mandated University, Costa Rica.
12.30- 13.00: Discussion and Closing Remarks
13.00- 14.00: Lunch
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY AT THE KENYON INSTITUTE
(COUNCIL FOR BRITISH RESEARCH IN THE LEVANT)
BASED IN SHEIKH JARRAH, EAST JERUSALEM
About the Kenyon Institute
The Kenyon Institute (KI) is the Council for British Research in the Levant's research centre in Jerusalem with its origins dating back to 1919. The KI is a hub for local and international researchers from across the arts, humanities and social sciences. It regularly hosts lectures seminars and conferences and enjoys the affiliation of a number of large-scale research projects. It facilities include a library, guest rooms for visitors, research space and archaeological equipment for hire.
Qualifications:
Candidates should hold a postgraduate qualification (e.g. an MA, MSc, MPhil) in a humanities or social science field, or have experience and interest in working on and in Israel/Palestine. Strong writing, research, editing and computer skills are essential. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills who is well organised, attentive to detail, and willing to participate in a variety of tasks as needed. A keen interest in the KI's mission and an awareness of current events in Israel/Palestine are essential. The language used in the KI is English, but research experience or familiarity with Arabic and/or Hebrew would be helpful.
Responsibilities
Internship duties vary but may include the following:
• Assist resident researchers, the Director and the Research Scholar, with research activities. Each intern will be given a main task to undertake as a project during their internship
• Assist in the organisation and coordination of academic lectures and workshops.
• Support media outreach and publicity for KI activities, including updating the website.
• Liaise with partner institutions.
• Assist with general office tasks, including managing contacts and mailing lists and supporting the librarian.
Benefits
Internships are unpaid, however you are provided with bed and breakfast within the KI hostel, a late Ottoman villa in East Jerusalem (a few doors from the British Consulate General).
Period of internship
Three months, although the first one (Spring) is offered on a two-month basis only.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications for particular terms are on the following schedule:
Spring 2012 internships (April, May): applications are accepted until 4 March 2012.
Summer 2012 internships (June, July, August): applications are accepted from March 3 until April 2.
Autumn internships (September, October, November): applications are accepted from April 3 until June 2.
Winter internships (December, January, February): applications are accepted June 3 until August 2.
How to apply
Applicants should email the following information:
A curriculum vitae.
Cover letter outlining areas of interest and how those interests correlate to the KI's activities and priorities.
Two letters of recommendation.
Writing sample.
Please send all application materials to:
Director
Kenyon Institute (Council for British Research in the Levant)
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Please do not contact us by telephone. Because of the volume of applications, only those selected will be notified. Your ability to pay attention to detail will be judged in part by how well you follow the application instructions.
Producing Scholars, Professionals, or New Religious Intellectuals? Reform of Religious Education in Egypt, 1872-1925
Carool Kersten (King's College London)
Free-floating Gamekeepers or Organic Gardeners? Muslim Intellectuals in Indonesia
Mohammad Talib (University of Oxford)
Muslim Intellectuals in Public domain: Some Conceptual Clarifications
16:30-17:00 - Tea/Coffee Break (Hilda Besse Basement)
17:00-18:00
Roundtable (Fellow's Dining Room)
18:00-19:00 - Drinks Reception; Senior Common Room (Hilda Besse Building)
Call for Papers
The Construction(s) of Conflict and Peace
Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies' (EXCEPS)
9-10 July 2012
University of Exeter, Streatham Campus
Conference Convenor: Professor Gareth Stansfield
The manner in which conflicts are framed is intimately linked to conflicts' various stages, including efforts to mitigate and/or abate their violent effects, be it through military intervention, humanitarian aid and/or the creation of new political dispensations. The shared understandings that provide the bases for these frames, however, are the products of various discursive practices within governments, NGOs, academia, journalism and manifold cultural productions and (e.g., literature, visual arts, museums, etc.). These practices are contingent and messy, and often deeply contested.
The conference will investigate these practices from a multidisciplinary perspective, incorporating insights from both practitioners and academics. It seeks to uncover how the interplay of economic incentives, organizational cultures, political and social climates, and personal and collective beliefs lead to the production and privileging of particular types of knowledge vis-à-vis conflict and peace. It also seeks to explore how these processes vary across occupations, disciplines, time and space. For instance, how do donor and NGO priorities affect the production of 'local' knowledge within a conflict site? Are certain stakeholders accorded greater legitimacy vis-à-vis knowledge production? How does access to conflict areas and privileged informants, language and translation, as well as the processes of data collection and representation inform specific conflict interpretations and mitigation efforts? Similarly, if a conflict is located within the 'academic periphery', how do the practices and priorities of the 'core' (e.g., US academia) shape knowledge production? In terms of time, how does knowledge change as conflicts transition towards peace, thus becoming ripe for 'lesson' extraction and exportation?
Beyond governments, NGOs, the media and academia, the conference also seeks to investigate how cultural productions create, affirm and/or challenge knowledge of peace and conflict. Specifically, how is knowledge of conflict and peace encoded through architecture and space planning, the visual arts, literature, museums, etc.? Do the different organizational cultures and intended audiences governing the production of these cultural artefacts create different types of knowledge? How are these types of knowledge incorporated and/or ignored by other knowledge producers within conflicts and peace processes?
The conference committee welcomes abstracts and panel proposals on any aspect of this theme. To submit a proposal for a paper or panel, please send an abstract of a maximum of 500 words to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by 15 January 2012. Successful applicants will be notified by 15 February 2012. As a limited student travel fund will be available, please indicate in your abstract if you wish to be considered for this fund. For further information, please visit the conference website at http://centres.exeter.ac.uk/exceps/events/conference.html
The Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education is pleased to announce its 1st Postgraduate Conference on the Study of Islam and Muslims.
This 2-day conference (24-25 May 2012) is designed to actively engage in a cross-disciplinary exploration of topics related to the Study of Islam and Muslims. By bringing together postgraduate students from UK institutions the conference aims to:
• promote intelligent debate and understanding of contemporary issues and perspectives related to this field of knowledge;
• offer to postgraduates students the opportunity to present and discuss their research in an interdisciplinary, semi-formal, and intellectually stimulating setting;
• stimulate awareness and debate on topics currently at the heart of this research in the UK;
• exchange perspectives and develop new ideas and useful insights;
• network, share experience, and benefit from feedback (from both peers and selected academic experts); and
• discuss issues related to career development and provide methodological sessions useful for a successful PhD completion.
Call for papers
We invite postgraduate students to submit abstracts for oral presentations. Please submit your abstract (around 250-300 words) by 28th February 2012 to Davide Pettinato via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Your email submission must also contain the following information:
1. The title of the presentation;
2. The name(s) of the author(s) and their affiliation(s);
3. A brief author's biography;
4. The author's e-mail address and contact details;
5. The main and secondary areas of the author's research interests.
The duration of each presentation will be 15 minutes and may include audio and visual elements within this timescale. Each presentation will be followed by a 5 minute discussion. Presentations will be grouped thematically. Panels will allow for general discussion at the end of each session. We invite papers that explore any of the areas listed below:
• Core Sources in Islam;
• Islam and Everyday Life;
• Islam and Gender;
• Islam and Globalization;
• Islam and Social/Political Theory;
• Islam and Theoretical/Practical Ethics;
• Islam, Diversity, and Multiculturalism;
• Islam, Media, and Islamophobia;
• Islam, Muslims, and Development;
• Islam, Muslims, and International Relations;
• Islamic Education;
• Islamic Finance and Banking;
• Islamic History;
• Islamic Philosophy and Theology;
• Jerusalem (past, present, and future);
• Methodology in the Study of Islam and Muslims;
• Shari'ah and Contemporary Issues;
• Sufism and Spiritualism.
Notification of abstract acceptance will be communicated by Wednesday 7th March 2012. Selected candidate speakers must submit a full paper by Monday 30th April 2012. Final acceptance of the papers will be communicated by Tuesday 15th May 2012. Areas of research and the mix of institutions and disciplines represented will be taken into account in the evaluation process.
As a postgraduate conference, we hope to provide a precious opportunity for early-stage researchers to develop their writing and presentation skills and to offer a platform for sharing and discussion. We look forward to receiving your proposals.
Registration
Registration is free and includes a social lunch on the first day. To register, please send your reply to the following email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Participants can be students/researchers/scholars in any subject related to the Study of Islam and Muslims.
CALL TO DIRECT A WORKSHOP
3RD ANNUAL GULF RESEARCH MEETING
University of Cambridge, 4th - 7th July 2012
Scholars are invited to apply to direct a workshop focusing on the Politics, Economics, Security and Social Issues of the Gulf region, for the 3r4d Gulf Research Meeting (GRM) to take place in Cambridge.
The Gulf Rsearch Centre Cambridge (GRCC) particularly welcomes workshop proposals in the following domains:
Each workshop applcation shoudl include two workshop direcotrs who should come from different institutions, ideally with at least one director being based in the Gulf region.
For further details regarding the applications and what to include, please visit: http://grm.grc.net
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Middle East in Revolt: The First Anniversary International Conference
17--‐18 March 2012
Carillo Gantner Theatre, University of Melbourne, Australia
This conference is a welcome opportunity to revisit the Arab revolution on its first anniversary.
The fall of the government in Tunisia in January 2011 was soon followed by the departure of President Hosni Mubarak In Egypt. The popular uprising spread rapidly to other Arab states, threatening entrenched regimes and the status quo.
In Libya the uprising turned into a bloody civil war. While many observers have drawn parallels with the crumbling of the Soviet bloc and the eastward spread of democracy to Eastern Europe, the outcome of the Arab uprising is far from clear. This popular uprising has challenged authoritarian rule and highlighted the widespread desire for political accountability and responsible government.
Yet it may be premature to celebrate the 'Arab Spring' as heralding democracy to the region. Democracy in the Middle East remains a difficult and long-term project. This conference is aimed at examining the prospects of democracy in the Middle East by exploring some key factors:
1. What have been the motivating factors for the Arab revolt?
2. How relevant is political Islam to this popular uprising?
3. How does the popular uprising for political accountability relate to sectarian divisions.
4. How has Obama's Mid East policy impacted on the popular push for democracy?
5. What role have the new media played in the spread of the popular uprising?
6. Does the 'Arab street' speak with one voice?
7. Where is the Arab revolution going?
8. Why 2011?
The conference will feature international and regional experts in the field.
Keynote speakers include:
Professor Laura Guazzone, Professor of Contemporary History of the Arab Countries, Italian Institute of Oriental Studies, University of Rome, La Sepienza, Italy
Professor Emma Murphy, Professor in the School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University
Professor George Joffe, Research fellow and Affiliate Lecturer at the Centre for International Studies, University of Cambridge, UK.
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh (Convenor)
Dr Kylie Baxter
Assistant Professor Richard Pennell
Submissions must include: Title for the proposed paper, a 400-word summary of the paper – Biographical details of the presenter. Submissions due 1st October 2011. Please email your submissions to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3010.
http://asiainstitute.unimelb.edu.au/conferences/middle_east_in_revolt
Globalization has demolished barriers and increased economic interdependence. This in turn has positive and negative consequences for national economies. On the positive side, the rate of investments and capital movement among states has increased. On the negative side, the recent global economic crisis, including the US financial crisis and the debt problems of some EU countries, seriously impacted the world economy, especially developing economies.
As a reaction to the global economic crisis, governments, officials of national and international institutions, and academic institutions have engaged in studying and analyzing the various aspects of the crisis in order to understand its causes and consequences and to design strategies for dealing with the impact. They also seek to be better prepared in case such crises occur in the future. In addition, they want to evaluate the impact of the crisis on the economies of the developed and developing countries and study the challenges they faced and the solutions they adopted to deal with the new international economic environment.
The challenges facing the Saudi economy in such an unpredictable international economic environment led King Abdulaziz University – represented by the Faculty of Economic and Administration – to hold a conference titled "Saudi Economy: Challenges and Opportunities." This conference seeks to study the challenges, opportunities, and aspirations related to the Saudi economy. The main topics to be discussed at the conference are:
Leading researchers in related fields of knowledge are cordially invited to submit their papers on any of the above-mentioned topics. Alternatively, they may submit papers on any of the following themes in relation to the Saudi economy:
We also welcome suggestions for additional themes to be incorporated in the final program.
To submit paper abstracts, please use the following link: http://fsnec.kcorp.net/?q=node/575
Abstract Submission Deadline is: 31-10-2011
For more information please visit the conference’s website: http://www.feafsnec.net
Europe Association of Israel Studies - 1st Multidisciplinary Conference on Israel Studies
ISRAEL AND EUROPE: MAPPING THE PAST AND SHAPING THE FUTURE
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich
Monday 10 September - Wednesday 12 September 2012
CALL FOR PAPERS
This conference will be the first full academic conference organised by the European Association of Israel Studies.
It will build on our successful launch conference in September 2011 at SOAS, University of London, which was attended by representatives of many European countries, from Siberia to Iberia.
The aim of the conference is to bring together scholars from a variety of disciplines who are engaged in research in any aspect of Israel studies.
It will continue to build on areas previously investigated in the academic literature and also open up new fields of intellectual enquiry.
The organisers welcome all proposals including suggestions for panels which are pertinent to Israel Studies.
The EAIS will offer a limited number of travel and accommodation stipends for the Munich conference for graduate students and junior faculty.
Please send an abstract of 200-250 words together with biographical background of about 50-100 words by Monday 2 April 2012 to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Please check our website for further details: www.soas.ac.uk/eais/conference2012
The Cambridge Middle East History Group
The primary aim of this new research group is to bring together people who work on Middle East history at the University of Cambridge and to forge links both nationally and internationally with other scholars of Middle East history. The group will be based on three pillars:
1) Seminar: the research seminar will take place every two to three weeks in Pembroke College, Cambridge, with each session consisting of an invited speaker presenting a 30-40 minute paper, followed by an open discussion. While the group is based in Cambridge, the intention is to interact with as wide a range of expertise as possible. Speakers will therefore be invited not only from within Cambridge University, but also from around the UK and internationally. The inaugural seminar took place on 3rd February 2011, in which three speakers gave differing perspectives on how the history of the Middle East can be reconceptualised in ways that transgress the boundaries of regional studies. The speakers for this session were: Dr Kate Fleet, Dr Tim Harper and Dr Amira Bennison.
2) Webpage: The group's work will be disseminated to a much wider audience through a website (a sub-page of the History Faculty) that will feature recordings of the seminars, abstracts and the papers themselves. The webpage will be designed to 'bundle' the expertise on Middle East history at Cambridge and provide a forum for research.
3) Annual Conference: the group seeks to organise an annual conference or colloquium, bringing scholars together from across the country and abroad. The conference will each year have a particular theme.
Scholars interested in presenting their work to the Group should send proposals to the three conveners whose email addresses are given below.
Call for papers
Workshop
St Antony's College, University of Oxford
30 November 2012
Convened by Professor Edmund Herzig and Dr Stephanie Cronin
Supported by the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute
Russian Orientalism to Soviet Iranology:
The Persian-speaking world and its history through Russian eyes
The Soviet Union possessed a long tradition of Iranian Studies, a tradition which it inherited from imperial Russia but transformed to suit its sense of its own historical mission. This tradition had its origins within the framework of Russian Orientalism as this developed during the nineteenth century age of imperial expansion. After 1921, under the auspices of the new Soviet regime, Iranology grew into an extensive and well-organized field, producing large quantities of books and articles every year. Despite the reputation acquired by individual Russian scholars of Iran such as Vladimir Minorsky, this tradition of scholarship remains largely unknown in the West. Little has been translated and Russian is not conventionally seen as a language necessary for scholars of Iran.
This workshop proposes a re-examination of this tradition, taking, as its disciplinary focus, Russian/Soviet historical research on Iran and the Persian-speaking world. It has three objectives. It seeks to acquaint a wider audience in western Europe and the US with the work of Russian/Soviet scholars of the history of Iran and the Persian-speaking world; to initiate a discussion of possible new directions in historical research on this region opened up by the wider availability of Russian source materials, and to begin to integrate an analysis of Russian/Soviet Iranian Studies into the critique of Russian Orientalism, derived from Edward Said, which has emerged since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Please submit title and abstracts of not more than 250 words of proposed papers to Stephanie Cronin This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Deadline for submissions 30 March 2011.
Administrative Office
Telephone: 0191 33 45179
Graduate Conference 2012
Change and Continuity in the Arab World This year's graduate conference will be held on 11th June at the London School of Economics. Please click here for further information.
BRISMES Annual Conference 2012
Our 2012 Annual Conference took place at the London School of Economics between 26th and 28th March 2012. For the programme, including the podcast of the plenary session by RT Hon William Hague, MP, see Conference.