Januar 2010 | Februar 2010 | März 2010 | April 2010 | Mai 2010 | Juni 2010 | Juli 2010 | August 2010 | September 2010 | Oktober 2010 | November 2010 | Januar 2011 | April 2011

Conference: "Trading Religions", Bochum, Germany, 25 - 27  January  2010

This conference investigates the process of formation and transformation of eastern and western religions during the time of their emergence. In the dynamics of this process, trade plays an important role. Different cultures and religions are brought into contact along regional and transregional trade routes. In this context, various ideas and religious "commodities" are exchanged - "offered", "negotiated" and "bought". This leads to expansion and densification as well as amalgamation of religions.

"'Trading Religions' aims at opening new pathways for approaching religious dynamics by focusing on four elements or "commodities" of religious interchange: Topology of Religious Space, Religious Symbol Systems, Religious Knowledge, and Religious-Ethical Ways of Life.

Further information: Dr. Volker Rabens, International Consortium for Research in the Humanities, "Dynamics in the History of Religions between Asia and Europe", Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Tel: +49 (0)234-3228513, Email: volker.rabens@rub.de. Programme available here

International Workshop: "Agents of Change in the Euro-Mediterranean Space: Politics and Social Transformation from a Local Perspective", Berlin, 27 - 29 January 2010, Freie Universitaet Berlin

The Center for Middle Eastern and North African Politics is holding this workshop. Speakers include Paul Amar, Asef Bayat (tbc), Malika Bouziane, Myriam Catûsse, Pascal Debruyne, Sharif Elmusa, Sari Hanafi, Cilja Harders, Abdelhakim Al-Husban, Jalal Al-Husseini, Katharina Lenner, Ghada Al-Madbouh, Christopher Parker, Aude Signole, Bassim Twissi

Conference language: English. Registration required. Please include a statement of interest and send your request to  Bouziane@zedat.fu-berlin.de

The workshop, convened under the aegis of RAMSES 2, a Network of Excellence on Mediterranean Studies, looks into the local dynamics of change in the Mediterranean space.

The majority of past and present studies on the Middle Eastern state focuses on the national level of regime elites aiming to identify and analyze the origins and effects of the persistent stability of authoritarian regimes in the MENA region. However, a closer look at the local level reveals moment of stability as well as transformation. The increasing number of strikes, social turmoil and riots in the Mediterranean region like those in the Egyptian provincial town of Mahalla in April 2008 or in the Tunisian phosphate mining area Gafsa in January 2008 are examples for dynamic local movements and reflect the rising dissatisfaction of people at the grassroots.

 In addition, development cooperation projects such as decentralization programmes, which are funded by international donors like the European Union and implemented by the agencies of the central state, often intervene quite massively into local structures, leading to the creation of new governance institutions and the re-spatialisation of governance.

 This in turn changes patterns of inclusion and exclusion of agents on the local level. In spite of such dynamic developments, less attention has been given to the intricate field of local politics and its impact on social and political transformations from 'below'. Against this background, the workshop intends to take a closer look at local politics in the Mediterranean region, aiming to detect current conflicts, (relevant) agents of change as well as local political and social transformations.

The current program as well as detailed location information are available at: http://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/vorderer-orient

Interreligioeses Symposium: "Letzte Dinge -  Eschatologie als Scheideweg / am Scheideweg", Universitaet Muenster, 29.- 30. Januar 2010

Das Projekt D12 („Vergleichende Studie zu Strategien der Pazifizierung religiöser Geltungsansprüche“) im Rahmen des Exzellenzclusters "Religion und Politik" der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, richtet dieses interreligiöse Symposium aus.

Die Referenten und Teilnehmer setzen sich mit der Frage auseinander, inwieweit religionsinterne Dispositionen für das Gewaltförmigwerden religiöser Traditionen verantwortlich sind. Wann bzw. inwiefern tendiert die religiöse Verunsicherungserfahrung infrage gestellter Gewissheit  zur Gewaltförmigkeit?

Gegenstand der Tagung sind Mechanismen in Islam und Christentum, die aus religionsinternen Gründen eine gewaltlose Verarbeitung religiöser Geltungsansprüche der jeweils "Anderen" ermöglichen. Der Themenbereich Eschatologie bietet sich exemplarisch für eine komparative Analyse interner Gewalt- und Pazifizierungspotentiale der beiden Religionen an, da eschatologische Vorstellungen nicht selten als Legitimationsquelle für Gewalt fungieren.

Als Redner werden treten auf Prof. Dr. Thomas Schärtel (Universität Augsburg), Prof. D.r Jürgen Werbick (WWU), Prof. Dr.em. Mohammed Arkoun (Sorbonne, Paris), Ayatollah S.A. Ghaemmaghami (Hamburg), Prof. Dr. Martin Ebner (WWU) sowie Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sven Kalisch (WWU).

Anmeldung  bis zum 18.12. 2009 und weitere Informationen: Centrum für Religiöse Studien, E-Mail: menno.preuschaft@uni-muenster.de

Februar 2010

Workshop: "Tuerkeiforschung in Deutschland - Themen, Forschungsfelder und Perspektiven", Asien-Afrika-Institut der Universitaet Hamburg,  25. - 26. Februar 2010

Durch den Workshop sollen junge wie auch etablierte Türkeiforscher/innen die Gelegenheit bekommen, ihre Projekte und Forschungsthemen vorzustellen, mit anderen darüber zu diskutieren und gemeinsam neue Forschungsfelder zu entwickeln. Daraus können dann beispielsweise auch gemeinsame Projekte erwachsen.

Trotz der wachsenden Bedeutung der Türkei, dem EU-Beitrittsprozess des Landes und der großen türkeistämmigen Bevölkerungsgruppe in Deutschland findet nur an wenigen Einrichtungen eine meist punktuelle wissenschaftliche Beschäftigung mit der Türkei statt. Gleichwohl gibt es eine steigende Zahl, vor allem von jungen Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern ganz
unterschiedlicher Disziplinen, die sich mit türkeibezogenen Fragestellungen beschäftigen. Aus der Einsicht in die Notwendigkeit einer gegenwartsbezogenen Türkeiforschung sind in jüngster Zeit zwei Initiativen entstanden, das TürkeiEuropaZentrum Hamburg und das Netzwerk Türkei. Während das TürkeiEuropaZentrum Hamburg eine interdisziplinäre wissenschaftliche
Einrichtung am Asien-Afrika-Institut der Universität Hamburg ist, in dem verschiedene Forschungseinrichtungen kooperieren, verbindet das Netzwerk Türkei vorwiegend junge Nachwuchsforscher mit Interesse an der Türkei.

Die Veranstaltung wird den Türkeiforschern an zwei Tagen die Möglichkeit geben, sich ausgiebig über ihre Forschungsinteressen gegenseitig auszutauschen. Zum Auftakt stellen sich beide Initiativen vor. Danach folgen Workshops zu verschiedenen Themenbereichen, die entsprechend der Interessengebiete der angemeldeten Forscher/innen gruppiert werden.  Einleitend sollten die Gruppenteilnehmer/innen durch ein kurzes Referat ihr jeweiliges Projekt oder Forschungsthema vorstellen, Impulse für die Diskussion um Forschungsfelder können aber auch durch vorformulierte Kick-off-Referate gegeben werden.

Anmeldeschluss  29. Januar 2010.

Koordinations-Team: Prof. Dr. Raoul Motika (raoul.motika@uni-hamburg.de); Charlotte Joppien (charlottejoppien@hotmail.com), Hamburg; Martina Warning (martina.warning@gmail.com), Berlin; Christoph Mielke (christoph_mielke@hotmail.com), Berlin.

 Mehr Informationen und Anmeldeformular unter http://www.netzwerk-tuerkei.org/

Tagung "Imamausbildung in Deutschland", Osnabrueck, 25.-  27. Februar 2010

Der Lehrstuhl für Islamische Religionspädagogik und das Zentrum für Interkulturelle Islamstudien (ZIIS) richten die Tagung mit Unterstützung des Bundesministeriums des Innern und des Niedersächsischen Innenministeriums  aus.

Die Anmeldung erbitten wir schriftlich - per Post, per E-Mail oder per Fax -  bis zum 11. Februar 2010. Unter dem Vorbehalt ausreichender Plätze ist eine Anmeldung selbstverständlich auch während der Tagung vor Ort möglich.

Die Einzelheiten zum Programm, zur Anmeldung und ggf. zur Unterkunft entnehmen Sie bitte http://www.irp.uos.de/ (Infokasten oben rechts auf der Seite)

Für Rückmeldungen stehen wir Ihnen unter der E-Mail-Adresse amehrman@uos.de gern zur Verfügung.

Workshop: “Türkeiforschung in Deutschland – Themen, Forschungsfelder und Perspektiven”,  25. und 26. Februar 2010,  Asien-Afrika-Institut der Universität Hamburg

Durch den Workshop sollen junge wie auch etablierte Türkeiforscher/innen die Gelegenheit bekommen, ihre Projekte und Forschungsthemen vorzustellen, mit anderen darüber zu diskutieren und gemeinsam neue Forschungsfelder zu entwickeln. Daraus können dann beispielsweise auch gemeinsame Projekte erwachsen.

Trotz der wachsenden Bedeutung der Türkei, dem EU-Beitrittsprozess des Landes und der großen türkeistämmigen Bevölkerungsgruppe in Deutschland findet nur an wenigen Einrichtungen eine meist punktuelle wissenschaftliche Beschäftigung mit der Türkei statt. Gleichwohl gibt es eine steigende Zahl, vorallem von jungen Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern ganz unterschiedlicher Disziplinen, die sich mit türkeibezogenen Fragestellungen beschäftigen.

Aus der Einsicht in die Notwendigkeit einer gegenwartsbezogenen Türkeiforschung sind in jüngster Zeit zwei Initiativen entstanden, das TürkeiEuropaZentrum Hamburg und das Netzwerk Türkei. Während das TürkeiEuropaZentrum Hamburg eine interdisziplinäre wissenschaftliche Einrichtung am Asien-Afrika-Institut der Universität Hamburg ist, in dem verschiedene Forschungseinrichtungen kooperieren, verbindet das Netzwerk Türkei vorwiegend junge Nachwuchsforscher mit Interesse an der Türkei.

Die Veranstaltung wird den Türkeiforschern an zwei Tagen die Möglichkeit geben, sich ausgiebig über ihre Forschungsinteressen gegenseitig auszutauschen. Zum Auftakt stellen sich beide Initiativen vor. Danach folgen Workshops zu verschiedenen Themenbereichen, die entsprechend der Interessengebiete der angemeldeten Forscher/innen gruppiert werden, so etwa Kultur (Kunstszene, Architektur, Musik, Literatur…), Staat-Gesellschaft (Zivilgesellschaft, Minderheiten, Frauen, Klassenfrage, Militär-Wehrdienst-Komplex, Status von Homosexuellen und Transgender-Personen…), gesellschaftlicher Wandel, Religion (Verhältnis von Staat und Religion, Bruderschaften, Religion und Wirtschaft, Aleviten, neue Formen der Religiosität….), internationale Fragen (Türkei-Deutschland-EU-Nahost...), Wirtschaft (Außenwirtschaft, Finanzwirtschaft, Globalisierungsphänomene, Regionalentwicklung...).

Einleitend sollten die Gruppenteilnehmer/innen durch ein kurzes Referat ihr jeweiliges Projekt oder Forschungsthema vorstellen, Impulse für die Diskussion um Forschungsfelder können aber auch durch vorformulierte Kick-off-Referate gegeben werden. Für jede Gruppe wird im Vorfeld ein/e Moderator/in festgelegt (Meldungen sind willkommen!).

Der Workshop ist eine Kooperation des TürkeiEuropaZentrums Hamburg und dem Netzwerk Türkei. Mehr Informationen unter www.aai.uni-hamburg.de/tuerkeieuropa/ und www.netzwerk-tuerkei.org

Projektteam: Für das TürkeiEuropaZentrum Hamburg Prof. Dr. Raoul Motika (raoul.motika@uni-hamburg.de). Für das Netzwerk Türkei Charlotte Joppien (charlottejoppien@hotmail.com), Hamburg. Martina Warning (martina.warning@gmail.com), Berlin, Christoph Mielke (christoph_mielke@hotmail.com), Berlin

März 2010

Conference "Tourisme méditerranée et crise mondiale", Tunis, CERES, 9-11 March 2010

Mediterranean tourism is now confronted with the effects of global crisis, which occurred suddenly. The risk of losing tourism revenues and to suffer a serious increase in unemployment
is a real threat to many countries of the Mediterranean basin. In social terms, tourism has also paradoxical effects. With vectors of synergies and symbioses of social change, it nevertheless may have perverse effects when it generates exposure to the other or when it is instrumentalized to consolidate conservatism.

These are questions that researchers (economists, geographers, sociologists, and anthropologists) are invited to treat:

1. Mediterranean tourism: state of art (people and finance flows; predominate spaces and touristic homes ; emerging touristic spaces).

2. Tourism in the Mediterranean basin: dynamics and vulnerability.

3. Old and new tourism products: risks and sustainable development.

4. The actors in tourism: economic imperatives and social demands.

5. Tourism and local societies between progress and effects.

6. Tourism and information and communications technologies.

Please visit CERES website (http://www.ceres.rnrt.tn) for further details. Deadline for proposals: 30 October 2009

Interdisciplinary Conference: "Rethinking the Middle East? Values, Interests, and Security Concerns in Western Policies toward Iraq and the Wider Region, 1918-2010",  British Academy, London, 17-19 March 2010

Sponsored by British Academy, British Institute for the Study of Iraq, European Studies Research Institute/University of Salford (Greater Manchester)

Twice within the last one hundred years, Western powers have tried to significantly alter the configuration of the Middle Eastern political order. In analyzing the interactions of regional and outside powers, this comparative and interdisciplinary conference will bring together political practitioners and historians, political scientists, and international relations scholars.

Reflecting the overall conference theme, the programme follows a two-pronged approach. Firstly, the conference organisers are looking for papers from political scientists and historians that deal with the foreign policies of important external powers (nation-states as well as inter- and transnational organisations) towards the Middle East, and Iraq in particular, as well as the constructions and narratives accompanying/justifying specific policies.

Secondly, in order to avoid a narrow Western perspective which would treat Middle Eastern actors only as objects of the policies of Western powers, the conference will examine the policies of influential domestic Iraqi political actors and other regional powers, whose international role has been affected by the political developments in Iraq.

The deadline for submitting a 200 word abstract to Dr Lars Berger at l.berger@salford.ac.uk is 30 October. Acceptance of papers will be communicated by 13 November.

A limited number of bursaries covering travel, accommodation and conference costs are available for PhD students presenting a paper. Those wishing to apply for this bursary should add one page in which they state why they are in need of financial assistance. They would also need to describe the broader research context from which their PhD originates and how attending the conference might benefit their project.

For further information see http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=170755

Colloque : “Après le post-colonial : décoloniser la géographie”, Rouen, 18 et 19 mars 2010
 
Colloque organisé par le Laboratoire de géographie politique et culturelle AILLEURS à l’Université de Rouen. Date limite, lundi 1er mars 2010. Pour plus d’informations cf. l’annonce: http://calenda.revues.org/nouvelle15385.html

11th Session of the Mediterranean Research Meeting,  near Florence,  24-27 March 2010

The Mediterranean Programme of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute of Florence (Italy) has just issued a Call for Workshops for the eleventh session of the Mediterranean Research Meeting, that will take place near Florence on 24-27 March 2010 .

The deadline for applications to be received is 1 March 2009.

Details are available on the Mediterranean Research Meeting web page http://www.eui.eu/RSCAS/Research/Mediterranean/mrm2010/

Mai 2010

Islam Graduate Research School: "Islam and Muslims in a Plural World: the Local and the Global in the Middle East, Europe and North America",  Damascus 3-14 May 2010

Organized by:
- The Danish Institute in Damascus (www.damaskus.dk)
- Centre for European Islamic Thought, University of Copenhagen (http://www.teol.ku.dk/english/dept/ceit_eng/ )
- The New Islamic Public Sphere Programme, University of Copenhagen (http://islamicpublicsphere.hum.ku.dk/)
- Department of Near and Middle East Civilizations, University of Toronto (http://www.utoronto.ca/nmc/)

Applications are invited from graduate students working on their Masters or PhDs for up to 24 places on a research ‘master class’. The research school will be staffed by four senior academics, one from each of the organizing institutions. Each participant will submit a research paper in advance, which will normally be a draft chapter from their thesis/dissertation, plus an overall outline of the research project identifying the topic, main research questions, theoretical and methodological issues and a tentative chapter outline.

The research submitted should fall within the theme indicated by the heading and may come from any relevant discipline. This includes fields of research such as migration and Muslim communities in Europe and North America, Islam and pluralism (religious, legal, social, political) in the Middle East, contemporary developments in Islamic thinking about pluralisms whether theoretical or locally contextualized, the routes and mechanisms by which experiences and ideas connect localities mutually and globally, especially via electronic media. These suggestions are not exclusive, and applicants will need to indicate how their topics may contribute to the project theme.

The programme will take place over two weeks and will consist of four elements:
- Four parallel workshops on sub-themes, each led by a staff member, bringing together up to six participants. Each participant will have a half-day (3-hour) session to present and discuss their pre-submitted papers.
- Four plenary sessions at which each of the staff members will present current research-in-progress for open discussion.
- A series of discussion meetings with significant and interesting local researchers and personalities of relevance to the field.
- Excursions to sites and institutions of interest within and outside Damascus.

The programme will be staffed by Prof. Todd Lawson, Toronto; Dr Hans Christian Korsholm Nielsen, Damascus; Prof. Jørgen S. Nielsen, Copenhagen; Prof. Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen, Copenhagen

Further information at ls@teol.ku.dk. Deadline for abstracts and papers at the latest on 1 April 2010.

25th Annual Middle East History and Theory Conference, Université de Chicago, 14-15 mai 2010
 
Les résumés de 250 mots doivent être envoyés au plus tard le 15 février à l’organisateur de la conférence mehat2010@gmail.com
Pour informations cf. http://www.imes.ed.ac.uk/

International Conference: "Yemen from the Threshold: Identity, Regionalism and Globalization", Sana'a, Yemen, 17-19 May 2010

The Society of Arab & Islamic Studies (University of Exeter-UK) along with the Sheba Center for Strategic Studies, the University of Sana'a and the Center for Gulf Studies (University of Exeter-UK) announce this conference.   Further information at www.yemen-2010.com (updates to follow soon).

Papers may be presented in Arabic or English (working languages).  Abstracts must be submitted before 1 March 2010, each must not exceed 300 words, submit your abstract in English through yemen2010.submission@gmail.com. We encourage pre-organized panels on related themes (contact conference coordinator).

Eighth Iranian Studies Biennial Conference, University of California in Los Angeles, 28-30 May 2010

The ISIS 2010 Conference organizers look forward to your proposals. As the 01 May 2009 deadline approaches, our new and improved ISIS website will facilitate the submission of your panel proposals and paper abstracts.

To access the forms, you must have an active Membership Account for 2009. If you are a new or returning member, please go to the sign-up page at <http://iranianstudies.com/> to become a member and receive your username/password.

Questions about the Conference submission process should be addressed to Marta Simidchieva at 2010program@iranian-studies.com.

International Conference. "The Contemporary Oriental City from a Linguistic and Literary Perspective", Krakow, Poland, 20-22 May 2009

Held by the Department of Interdisciplinary Eurasiatic Research of the Institute of Oriental Philology Jagiellonian University.

The proposed overarching theme of the conference is to serve for broad discussion within the scope of existing knowledge on the varied aspects of the Oriental city as well as searching for theoretical research instruments to serve its description.

The Organizers propose a wide range of topics, including:
- The linguistic dimension of the Oriental city
- Genres of depiction of the Oriental city
- The Oriental city from the perspective of ethnology and cultural anthropology
- The Oriental city and spirituality
- The physical space of the Oriental city
- The Oriental city from a diachronic perspective
- The Oriental city from a socio-political perspective
- The Oriental city in a comparative frame
- Coexistence of the Oriental and Western elements

Language: English. Deadline for proposals 1 May 2008. Further information orientalcity@wp.pl

International Summer Camp in Palestine, 23 May - 8 June 2010

We are pleased to invite you to our international voluntary workcamp "United for Empowerment".. This project  has been designed to give you the opportunity to meet with other people from around the world to share ideas, enhance practical skills, foster relationships, and give assistance to the children and youth of the Palestinian community.

The international summer camp will bring together people from around the world who are interested in helping create a better world. We are targeting people who are interested in youth development, the right to education, and humanitarian issues. Palestine is a challenging but highly rewarding environment to work in. We strongly encourage highly motivated and serious men and women to apply.

For more information please visit: http://youth.zajel.org/summer_camps/camp2010.htm; For the info paper and application form please contact us at: youthexchange@najah.edu or zajel.camp@gmail.com

Juli 2010

Workshop "The Impact of Migration on Gulf Development and Stability" during  Gulf Research Meeting 2010, Cambridge University, UK, 7-10 July 2010

This workshop is organised by Philippe Fargues and Nasra Shah. Deadline for papers 15 December 2009.

Further information on the workshop and Migration in the Gulf at http://grcevent.net/cambridge/pdf/workshop12_proposal.pdf

 Information on the Gulf Research Meeting 2010 at http://grcevent.net/cambridge/index.php

Deuxième Colloque international de l´Association internationale des sociologues de langue française: "Professions et métiers dans le monde méditerranéen", Casablanca, 8 et 9 juillet 2010

Organisé en coopération avec L'École Hassania des Travaux Publics de Casablanca. Date limite d'envoi des propositions de communications : 30 novembre 2009

Elles doivent comporter le titre de la communication, un résumé de la communication (de 20 lignes maximum plus la bibliographie), le nom de l'auteur, son statut académique, son adresse mail et l'adresse postale de son organisme d'appartenance. Elles sont à adresser par fichier électronique sous format rtf ou .doc en précisant en objet « CR 32, Casablanca, 2010 » à l'adresse suivante : grazia.scarfo@gmail.com

Pour tout renseignement: Grazia Scarfo` Ghellab, grazia.scarfo@gmail.com, tél. (212) 537 63 81 39 ; (212) 663 36 89 49

Panel: "The Political Economy of New Tourism Mobilities in the MENA Region", Third Word Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES) - Barcelona, 19-24 July 2010

Abstract: The journal Mobilities states that contemporary "mobilities encompasse both the large-scale movements of people, objects, capital, and information across the world, as well as more local processes of daily transportation, movement through public space, and the travel of material things within everyday life. Recent developments in transportation and communications infrastructures, along with new social and cultural practices of mobility have elicited a number of new research initiatives for understanding the connections between these diverse mobilities."

In the last ten years new trends and dynamics of tourism mobilities in the MENA region have been noticed: the boom of intra-regional tourisms, the dramatic increase in intra-regional FDI in tourism services, neo-liberal urban restructuring of tourism places and spaces, the establishment of various new intraregional transportation infrastructure and so on. While numerous trends have been driven by decisions taken at the political level, others express growing profit-oriented investments strategies. For example the Libyan investments in Tunisia and Egypt are seen as result of the new political orientation of the country.

Beyond investments, the visa-issuing policies and the establishment of new transportation infrastructures reflect new strategies of tourism regulatory frameworks that need to be examined. For example, on the one hand, Iranians cannot travel to Egypt and Jordan due to visa restrictions, but they are more than welcome in the UAE, Syria and Iraq. Turkey and Lebanon have established a no-visa regime for visitors from GCC countries and Jordan.

Furthermore, new developments in communications have also elicited new intraregional connections between both migrants and tourists within and outside the MENA region. Such connections are, of course, emphatically gendered as well as structured by different ethnic backgrounds and shared heritages. These heritages bring to the fore the material nature of many tourism mobilities in terms of the movement of everyday things that become important to sustain the political economy of tourism.

This panel, thus, aims to discuss from a political economy perspective the various new tourism mobilities in the MENA region and seeks submissions that take up the above dimensions in order to explore the diverse economic, communicational, material and migrational experiences of tourism mobilities.

For participation please send a short abstract of 300 words per email to the organizers:
- Dr. Ala Al-Hamarneh - University of Mainz- Germany, a.al-hamarneh@geo.uni-mainz.de
- Professor Kevin Hannam - University of Sunderland- UK, Kevin.hannam@sunderland.ac.uk
- Professor Marcus Stephenson - Middlesex University Dubai - UAE, m.stephenson@mdx.ac

Symposium  "Re-conceptualising Gender in the Middle East", during 3rd World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES), Barcelona, Spain, 19-24 July 2010

The issue of gender identities in the Middle East is once again being instrumentalized as part of global and Middle Eastern geo-political struggles. From US rhetoric claiming to support Middle East women's 'empowerment' to the rise of Islamist movements and their particular emphasis on gender propriety, imagery of women and definitions of gender relations are demarcating the battle lines in the so-called war against terror.

Against this backdrop, it becomes urgent for academics to challenge this polarization in the conceptualisation of gender identities and gender relations within the Middle East and to draw attention to the multiplicity and historicity of gender in the region. This multi-disciplinary symposium will outline transformations in gender identities and relations within a diversity of spheres from political discourses to popular culture and in a variety of Middle Eastern geographic locations, including diasporic spaces, over different historical periods.

The emphasis will be on examining the concrete political, economic and social processes that give rise to changing conceptualisations of gender in the Middle East, understanding gender not only in terms of women/femininities but also in terms of men/masculinities and in recognising the intersectionality of gender identities.

Symposium papers will form the basis for a published edited volume/special journal issue. Send an abstract of your proposed paper of 300-400 words and a one-page CV/resume, by email, to: Dr Nicola Pratt, Lecturer in Comparative Politics and International Relations, University of East Anglia, Norwich England (n.pratt@uea.ac.uk and nicolachristine@yahoo.com thereafter. CFP deadline for this symposium: September 1, 2009.  For information, visit: http://www.wocmes.org/wocmes/.

10ème Conférence internationale sur l'histoire urbaine: "Les Communautés migratrices et l'espace urbain dans les ports méditerranéens, XVIIe-XIXe siècle", Gand/Belgique, 1er- 4 septembre 2010

Les propositions de papier doivent être soumises sur : www.eauh2010.ugent.be/registration entre les 1er octobre et 1er décembre 2009.

International Summer University Course "Shi'ism in the Contemporary World", Tehran, September 10-30, 2010

Imam Sadiq University (ISU) is a Tehran-based private university with a focus on human sciences. Offering a wide range of undergraduate and post-graduate courses on politics, economics, management, culture and communication, law, and Islamic theology, the ISU is ranked amongst the first-grade universities in Iran in the field of human sciences, due to its very professional and experienced faculty and elite students. The ISU is also distinguished for its unique characteristic of combining classical university programs with traditional religious studies. To maintain this goal, the ISU uses the most modern teaching methods and equipment, and more importantly, has a select faculty of graduates from top Western and Iranian universities and Islamic clerical academies.

 Located in the capital of the most populous Shi'ite country in the world, the ISU is the ideal place to explore the Shi'ite and Iranian cultures. Given the increasing need and interest among academics, scholars, and policy analysts from all over the world to learn about the content of Shi'ite beliefs, the ISU summer course provides the best opportunity for those who have a thirst to obtain first-hand and accurate knowledge about Shi'ism in general, and on the evolution of Shi'ite thought and practice in the modern world, in particular. The objective of the course is to provide the theoretical foundations for the understanding of Shi'ism in the contemporary context and promotion of Shi'ite studies in academic areas. Scholars, researchers, and students of international relations, political science, Middle East studies, geopolitics, history, social sciences, theology and religious studies, philosophy, and law are particularly encouraged to participate. The language of the course is English. All nationalities and scholars at all levels will be welcome.

Themes of the course will include "Shi'ism and contemporary methods of ijtehad," "Shi'ite approaches to Qur'an and Hadith," "modern geopolitics of the Shi'a," "Shi'ite political theory and thought," "Shi'ite social and cultural history," and "Shi'ism versus globalization" (i.e. Shi'ite understandings of modern international relations, modern economy, and modern law). Lectures will be given by a select group of experts and professors of the field in the total of 72 hours (course-works will be offered during 12 days/ 6 hours a day).

The ISU summer course participants will also have the privilege of visiting several Iranian cities (including Qom and Isfahan) on a one-week tour organized by the program. The ISU will also provide all summer course participants with proper accommodations in Tehran and during the expeditions. All costs will be included in the tuitions fee. A certificate of participation will be awarded by ISU upon completion of the course.

If you are interested, or if you have any questions and queries regarding this summer course, please contact Dr. Mahdi Ahouie, the course coordinator, at mahdiahouie@yahoo.com or summercourse@isu.ac.ir

You will then receive the application form and other information through email. The deadline for sending applications is March 1st, 2010. The ISU encourages intending applicants to apply early.

International Conference: “The Turks and Islam”, Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN, USA, 11 Sept. 2010
 
The Indiana University Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies Chair will host this multidisciplinary international conference which will explore the many aspects of the Turkic-speaking peoples' interactions with Islam throughout the centuries. Scholars, independent researchers, and advanced graduate students of all disciplines are encouraged to send paper proposals (approximately 200
words) along with brief CVs to Professor Kemal Silay (tsp@indiana.edu). All papers presented at the conference will be considered for publication in an edited volume. Deadline for proposals: May 1, 2010.

Fifth International Conference on the Peoples of the Red Sea Region Red Sea V: "Navigated spaces, connected places", Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, 16-19 Sept. 2010

The MARES Project at the Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies (IAIS), University of Exeter, is delighted to host the tenth anniversary conference of the Red Sea Project series, founded by the Society for Arabian Studies. The conference will be held in the beautiful surroundings of the IAIS and city of Exeter, and will coincide with a Dhow Exhibition to be held at the Institute.

Interested scholars are invited to submit abstracts of up to 500 words to the Organising Committee on the archaeology, anthropology, ethnography, history and language of the peoples of the Red Sea region from the earliest times to the present day. The organisers particularly encourage papers addressing movement, navigation and land/seascape on the Red Sea, including:
* Maritime networks, seafaring, navigation and ports.
* Boatbuilding traditions and technologies.
* Trade and material contact across the sea.
* Sacred space and pilgrimage.
* Identity among maritime communities.

Please send all abstracts and proposals to redseav@exeter.ac.uk before 1 March 2010. The organising committee comprises Prof Dionisius Agius, Dr John Cooper, Dr Chiara Zazzaro, Julian Jansen van Rensburg, Lucy Semaan and Ms Beata Faracik. For further information: http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/mares/conferences.htm

International and Interdisciplinary Conference: "Health, Culture and the Human Body: Epidemiology, Ethics and History of Medicine, Perspectives from Central Europe and Turkey", Mainz, Germany, 17-19 September 2010

The face of medicine is rapidly evolving: New developments in medicine, preventive and therapeutic interventions are raising novel ethical questions in societies undergoing fast demographic change at home while participating in global interactions through travel and migration. Throughout history, the perception of health and illness and the ethical assessment of medical practices have often been different between diverse value-cultures. This may affect the responses to well-established themes in medicine, such as the control of infectious diseases, attitudes towards a person’s death, or culturally specific approaches to dealing with the integrity of the human body. Consequently, these ethical considerations have given rise to complex ethical debates resulting in different legal regulations of these developments in different countries.

The international conference will focus on selected cases from Turkey, Germany, and other countries. These countries have been closely connected by substantial migration processes for some fifty years. Historically, these countries were linked by medical sciences and clinical practice. These interactions will be analysed jointly from historical, epidemiological, and ethical perspectives, paving the way for the implementation of an interdisciplinary "medicine studies" approach in the field of intercultural and migration medicine.

The chosen thematic areas are: 􀂃 infectious diseases (e.g., plague, leprosy, cholera, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS) 􀂃 the end of life (e.g., patient autonomy vs. family autonomy, advance directives, active and passive euthanasia, palliative care) 􀂃 dealing with the human body (e.g., anatomical research, organ donation, biomaterial in international studies) 􀂃 migration and medicine.

Abstracts (max. 250 words) of proposed conference papers need to be submitted by 31 January 2010, to the attention of Ilhan Ilkilic MD PhD, E-Mail: ilkilic@uni-mainz.de

Organising institutions: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Medical Centre (Germany) and Istanbul University (Turkey).

Further information www.healthandculture2010.de

31st German Oriental Studies Congress and 17th International Congress of the German Middle East Studies Association (DAVO), Marburg, 20-24 September 2010

On behalf of the board of the Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft (DMG, German Oriental Studies Society), we kindly invite you to the 31st German Oriental Studies Congress. The Congress is convened regularly every three years. The event will take place in Marburg, September 20-24, 2010, after a 60-year break since the last Congress in this town. The decision to hold the most important congress of German Oriental Studies in Marburg has been prompted by the recent establishment of the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies. Now we are happy to welcome you back to this nice romantic town.

The 17th International Congress of the German Middle East Studies Association (DAVO) will be held within the frame of the German Oriental Studies Congress. 19 sections with several related fields will be represented. We expect up to 1000 participants who will have the opportunity to present their research to a wide academic public. Our Motto "Mirroring - Projection - Reflexion" emphasizes the necessity to challenge continuously contents and methods of Oriental studies.

Deadline for the registration at a reduced fee: 1 April 2010.

Deadline for the registration of papers and panels: 1 July 2010.

The congress is organized by the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies of the Philipps-Universität Marburg. The organizational team consists of Leslie Tramontini, Stefan Weninger and Christoph Werner

Registration and further information http://www.dot2010.de/

The registration is done by first setting up a user account. This allows you to register for a lecture or panel even at a later time; it also facilitates updating your personal data any time you like. We kindly ask you for early registration to facilitate planning the program. Please consider the scaled participation fees.

Panel: "Der Mehrwert des Literarischen",  Deutscher Orientalistentag/DAVO-Kongress, 20.-24. September 2010

Literatur ist gerade auch im Nahen und Mittleren Osten einer der wichtigsten Orte kulturellen Gedächtnisses und kreativer Verarbeitung zeitgenössischer Realitäten. Ihr Studium eröffnet Einblicke in der Forschung anders kaum zugängliche Bereiche der Erinnerung und des Erlebens, bietet Zugänge zu den Gefühlswelten von Menschen in ihren lebensweltlichen Zusammenhängen und ermöglicht so ein vertieftes Verständnis von – durchaus auch handlungsbestimmenden – Denkstrukturen, Ansichten, Emotionen.

Dennoch ist der Nahe und Mittlere Osten weithin nach wie vor “an exclusively sociological area where humanities never happen” (V.Holbrook), werden literaturwissenschaftliche Befunde im Vergleich zu den ‘harten’ Fakten der Politologen, Soziologen oder Historiker kaum ernstgenommen, und sowohl universitär als auch außerakademisch führen nah-/mittelöstliche Literaturwissenschaften ein Schattendasein. Akzeptiert werden sie allenfalls als Zulieferer oder Ergänzer.

In einer derart marginalisierten Position ist es nicht nur wichtig, die Autonomie der Literaturwissenschaften und deren Eigenwert zu unterstreichen, sondern diese auch explizit als Vorteil und ‘Mehrwert’ zu den anderen Wissenschaften in Bezug zu setzen. Ebendies macht sich das Panel zur Aufgabe. Es liefert nicht nur saubere literaturwissenschaftliche Analysen, sondern stellt diese darüber hinaus den Ergebnissen  ‘harter’ (soziologischer, politologischer, ...) Forschung gegenüber. Durchaus auch in universitätspolitischer Absicht fragt es vergleichend, was genau es ist, das man über das Lesen von Literatur besser versteht als auf anderen Wegen, wo man etwas gewinnt, in welche Bereiche sich ungleich besser vordringen lässt, usw.

Willkommen sind außerdem Beiträge, die der Marginalisierung der Literaturwissenschaften wissenschaftshistorisch nachgehen, ebenso wie solche, die Zukunftsmodelle entwerfen.

Kontakt: Prof. Stephan Guth, IKOS, Oslo, stephan.guth@ikos.uio.no

Panel: "Kriegs- und Krisenökonomien: Wirtschaftliche und soziale Auswirkungen politischer Konflikte in der MENA Region", 17. DAVO Kongress / 31. Deutscher Orientalistentag, Marburg, 20. - 24. September 2010

Beiträge werden gesucht für Panel des DAVO-Arbeitskreises "Wirtschaft im Vorderen Orient". Meldungen an die Organisatoren Christian Steiner (c.steiner@geo.uni-mainz.de), Steffen Wippel (steffen.wippel@rz.hu-berlin.de), Anja Zorob (azorob@zedat.fu-berlin.de)

Der Nahe und Mittlere Osten und Nordafrika ist wie kaum eine andere Region auf der Welt in ihrer post-kolonialen Geschichte gekennzeichnet durch zahlreiche Kriege, Krisen und Konflikte. Diese reichen weit über den scheinbar unlösbaren Konflikt zwischen Palästinensern und Israelis hinaus. Dazu zählt das von Krieg und Kriegswirtschaft geplagte Afghanistan ebenso wie der durch den Einmarsch der alliierten Truppen beinahe vollständig zerstörte und innergesellschaftlich zerrüttete Irak oder aber die Tragödie von Darfur und der seit Jahrzehnten andauernde Konflikt um die Westsahara, um nur einige der bekanntesten Schauplätze zu nennen.

Zu welchen wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen führt ein jahrelanger Bürgerkrieg wie in Algerien? Was bedeutet eine teils über Jahrzehnte aufrecht erhaltene Kriegs- oder Gewaltökonomie in Afghanistan oder Somalia für das langfristige Entwicklungspotential eines Landes und vor allem das Leben der Menschen dort? Wie verkraften an den Irak angrenzende Staaten die durch Krieg und Besatzung verursachten Flüchtlingsströme - oder wie profitieren sie möglicherweise direkt oder indirekt davon? Wie gestaltet sich die Unterstützung des Wiederaufbaus zum Beispiel im Libanon, wer beteiligt sich daran und wie effizient werden Hilfen eingesetzt? Wie verhält es sich mit der viel beschworenen "arabischen Solidarität", wenn es um einen Schuldenerlass für die betreffenden Länder oder um die Beteiligung an der Finanzierung ihres Wiederaufbaus geht? Und schließlich wie funktioniert wirtschaftliches und soziales Leben unter Bedingungen der Besatzung oder der internationalen Administration, welche Wechselwirkungen bestehen mit fragiler Staatlichkeit oder gar Staatsversagen? Solche und ähnliche Fragen sollen in diesem Panel aus disziplinär unterschiedlicher Perspektive mit Fokus auf die wirtschaftlichen und sozio-ökonomischen Wirkungen inner- und zwischenstaatlicher Konflikte untersucht und diskutiert werden.

Eighth International Days of Studies Jean Monnet: "Health systems in transition: the current and future regulations in the European Union and its Mediterranean Neighborhood", Hammamet, Tunisia, 23-24 September 2010

Active structure of the intercultural dialogue in the Mediterranean area1, the Jean Monnet Chair in Comparative Regional Integration (University Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV) organizes with the partnership of the University of Sfax, in Hammamet (Tunisia) this multi-field conference.

For further information contact Bernard Yvars, Chair Jean Monnet, University Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV, http://IntegEco.u-bordeaux4.fr , yvars@u-bordeaux4.fr

Eighth Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies Conference on  "Middle Eastern Connectivities",  Bergen, 24-26 September 2010

The conference  is organised by The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (NSM). NSM organises a Nordic and international conferences every three years. The conferences are open to all scholars in Middle Eastern studies in the humanities and social sciences.

With this conference is intended a focus on the relationship between the peoples and groups within the Middle East and the outside world. The conference will emphasize translocal relations and its effects on social, cultural, educational, religious and other transformations. Furthermore, the conference will highlight issues of trans-regional relations and exchanges to and from
the Middle East and Africa, Asia and Europe both historically and in the present. The conference aims to explore the cultural, political, religious and social changes resulting from these connectivities.

Four keynote speakers confirmed: Professor Judith Tucker (Georgetown University), Professor Jørgen Nielsen (University of Copenhagen), Professor Sabry Hafez (University of Qatar),
Professor Zachary Lockman (New York University).

Deadline for submission of abstracts to bergen2010@smi.uib.no: 15 January 2010. Deadline for registration: 1 March 2010.

Further information: www.uib.no/smi/en/activities/conference-middle-eastern-connectivities

Symposium: "The Risale-i Nur: Knowledge, Faith, Morality and the Future of Humanity", Istanbul, 3-5 October 2010

The Symposium is organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Science and Culture. The Risale-i Nur collection is a six-thousand-page commentary on the Quran written by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi in accordance with the mentality of the age.

Abstracts for the papers should be submitted to the Symposium Secretariat no later than 28 February 2010. For further information see http://www.nursistudies.com/ (English) or contact symp2010@iikv.org.

2e Colloque international : « Alter et ego » : de la conscience de l'altérité à la construction d'une identité dans la littérature arabe contemporaine", Université Nancy 2, 29-30 octobre 2010

Les propositions de communications doivent comporter : titre de la communication, résumé de 15 à 20 lignes, 3 mots clés et les données permettant l'identification de l'auteur. Elles doivent être envoyer avant le 15 janvier à Laurence Denooz, laurence.denooz@univ-nancy2.fr et Xavier Luffin, xluffin@ulb.ac.be

Panel: “Foreign Muslim Students and/or Scholars in the Middle East from the 17th to 19th Centuries”, MESA Conference, San Diego, November 18-21, 2010

The panel could address topics revolving around the pilgrimage, extended study at religious institutions, collection of textual resources, or others topics.

The broad issues that the organizer would like the panel to address are:

1) Why they traveled and how it affected them (socially, personally, commercially,  intellectually, etc.)? 

2) How were they treated/viewed by their host neighbors and colleagues?

3) What outcome did this journey produce for them upon their return to their home country?

If you are interested in presenting a paper please contact Kristian Petersen, Near & Middle Eastern Studies Program, University of Washington, kristian-petersen20@mac.com

The final panel submission is due on 15 February 2010

Januar 2011

International Conference: "Tropics of Travel. 4. Homes", Université de Liège, Belgium, 13-15 January 2011

Project Leaders: Frédéric Bauden (Université de Liège), Aboubakr Chraïbi (INALCO, Paris), Antonella Ghersetti (Università Ca' Foscari, Venezia), Wen-Chin Ouyang (SOAS, London)

The Conference is part of a wider project that takes the form of four international symposia.
The final part of the Project looks at the ways in which travel may revise notions of self, community and home, and inscribe into the journey of homecoming significance of ontological and epistemological dimensions.

.       In what ways do tourism and relatively long sojourn 'abroad' produce divergent articulations of subject and community?
.       Is it possible to speak of 'migration' as we know it today in the pre-modern context?  How would modern knowledge gained in studies of massive populations movements refine our understanding of travel and homecoming in pre-modern eras?
.       Is the shape of home necessarily drawn by homesickness and nostalgia?
.       What role does alienation abroad play in the imaginings of home?
.       What meaning do the differing experiences of travel and residence abroad inscribe on the journey of homecoming, therefore, home?  What becomes of home?  Is return possible?  What are the possible trajectories of homecoming?
.       How is travel remembered, thought of and reinterpreted? Are there dreams or nightmares about travel?  Or are there simply memories?  How do these various forms of remembering shape travel writing?
.       When does 'home' become 'exile'?
.       How does 'travel' mediate between alternative visions of community?
.       What role does travelling material culture play in individual, communal and cultural transformations?
.       Is it possible to speak of 'cosmopolitan' culture and economy in the pre-modern world?  What impact does that have on notions of travel and definitions of home?

Those who wish to participate are kindly requested to send an abstract of no more than 500 words or one A4 page (double-spaced) to Frédéric Bauden (f.bauden@ulg.ac.be) before the end of March 2010.

The official languages of the conference will be English and French.  However, papers written in another European language will be accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the Conference.

April 2011

12th  Mediterranean Research Meeting, near Florence (Italy), 6 - 9 April 2011.

The Mediterranean Programme of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute (Italy) has issued a Call to Direct a Workshop for this Mediterranean Research Meeting.

Applications must be submitted electronically by 1 March 2010.

All relevant details are available on the Mediterranean Research Meeting web page 

DAVO-Sekretariat: Zentrum für Forschung zur Arabischen Welt (ZEFAW)
Geographisches Institut | Universität Mainz | 55099 Mainz
Tel.: 06131 / 39-22701 oder -23446 | Fax.: 06131 / 39-24736
mail: davo@geo.uni-mainz.de | web: http://davo.uni-mainz.de