Newsletter No. 1, October 2006 Available online at www.ex.ac.uk/iais 1. Forthcoming events 7. Visiting research fellows 2. Institute news 8 Library staff 3. Programme news & new modules 9. Recent PhD graduates 4. Teaching staff 10. PhD candidates 5. Emeritus & visiting professors 11. New publications by Institute members 6. Honorary research fellows 12. Book & film reviews 1. FORTHCOMING EVENTS Wednesday Lunchtime Seminars, 12:00–2:00pm, Lecture Theatre 1 The lunchtime Postgraduate Research Seminar is open to everyone. Attendance is compulsory for MPhil/PhD students in their first year. All other MPhil/PhD and MA students are encouraged to attend. Professor Rob Gleave, Director of Postgraduate Studies, is the Seminar Convener. 12:00–12:50pm 1:10–2:00pm Oct. 4 Introductory Session ‘Objectification of “Mental Networks”: The Production of Text and the Role of Patronage in a Persianate Context’ by Dr Jan­Peter Hartung (Universität Erfurt) Oct. 11 Training Session ‘The Palestinian­Jordanian Identity: a Socioeconomic Perspective’ by Luisa Gandolfo (PhD candidate, IAIS, Exeter) Oct. 18 ‘Tawfiq al­Hakam and the West’ by Professor Rasheed El­Enany (IAIS, Exeter) Oct. 25 Training Session ‘Boundary Disputes on the Arabian Peninsula’ by Andrew Brown (PhD candidate, IAIS, Exeter) Nov. 1 ‘Transnational Merchants in the 19 th Century Gulf: The Case of the Safar Family’ by Dr James Onley (IAIS, Exeter) Nov. 15 ‘Said al­Shartuni’s Contribution to the ‘The Leadership of Gamal Abd­al­Nasir and Abd­al­ Arabic Linguistic and Literary Heritage’ Karim Qassim’ by Anne Alexander (PhD candidate, by Abdulrazzak Patel (PhD candidate, IAIS, Exeter) IAIS, Exeter) Nov. 22 ‘Neo­Liberalism in an Oil Economy: The Case of Iraq Under Occupation’ by Dr Kamil Mahdi (IAIS, Exeter) Nov. 29 Training Session ‘A Study of Shamsuddin’s Notion of the Perfect Human Being (Insan al­Kamil)’ by Rushdan Jailani (PhD candidate, IAIS, Exeter) Dec. 6 ‘The Encyclopaedia of Islam: Its History and Its Use’ by Professor Edmund Bosworth (IAIS, Exeter) Jan. 10 Training Session ‘The Role of Galata and Western Bankers in the Ottoman Empire’s Financial and Socio­Economic Situation’ by Ersoy Kocyigit (PhD candidate, IAIS, Exeter) Jan. 17 ‘The Implications of Elections for Federalism in Iraq: Toward a Five­Region Model’ by Dr Gareth Stansfield (IAIS, Exeter) Wednesday Evening Seminars, 5:15– 6:30pm, Lecture Theatre 1 Dr Mohamed­Salah Omri ([email protected]) will be running two seminar series this year. They are: • The Institute Outside Speaker Series (invited guest speakers to include academics and writers) and • The Institute Research Seminar Series (a forum for research­active members of the Institute to present their work­in­progress for discussion and feedback). Coffee and tea will be served in the Common Room before each seminar from 4:30pm. We have seven confirmed speakers for Semester 1 thus far: IAIS Newsletter, No. 1 (October 2006) 1 Oct. 11 Professor Tim Niblock ‘Saudi Arabia: A Developmental State’ Research Seminar Series IAIS, Exeter Oct. 18 Professor Rob Gleave ‘An Early Shii Legal Text: The Masail Research Seminar Series IAIS, Exeter Ali b. Jafar’ Nov. 8 Dr Walter Armbrust ‘Dis­locating Cairo: New Conventions Outside Speaker Series University of Oxford in Egyptian Visual Culture’ Nov. 15 Martin Bell, OBE ‘Reflections of a War Zone Thug’ Outside Speaker Series Former BBC foreign affairs correspondent, former politician, Ambassador for UNICEF Nov. 22 Alaa al­Hathloul Reading and conversation Outside Speaker Series Emerging Saudi writer Nov. 30 Professor Juan Cole ‘The Latest Crisis in Iraq’ Outside Speaker Series Past President of MESA University of Michigan Dec. 6 Prof. Edmund Bostworth ‘The Turks in Islamic History’ Outside Speaker Series Visiting Professor, IAIS Fellow, British Academy Nov. 2 (Thursday), 6:00pm You are invited to the official opening of Paradise Lost: Nubia before the 1964 Exodus, an exhibition by Professor Herman Bell. Venue: the Street (the Institute’s exhibition area). Closing date: 9 February 2007. Nov. 25 (Saturday), 1:30–5:30pm Palestine Day, featuring workshops, charity sales, and music at the Institute. Keynote Speaker: Khaled Hroub, al­ Jazeera presenter and author of Hamas: A Beginners Guide (2006). Contact Dr Mohamed­Salah Omri ( [email protected]) for details. Thursday Staff Meetings, 1:00–3:00pm, Seminar Room 2 Oct. 5 Research Committee Jan. 11 Research Committee Apr. 26 Research Committee Oct. 12 Teaching Committee Jan. 18 Teaching Committee May 3 Teaching Committee Oct. 26 All staff Feb. 1 All staff May 17 All staff Nov. 2 Research Committee Feb. 15 Research Committee May 31 Research Committee Nov. 16 Teaching Committee Feb. 22 Teaching Committee June 7 Teaching Committee Nov. 30 All staff Mar. 8 All staff June 21 All staff 2. INSTITUTE NEWS Additions to the Institute building The Institute begins the academic year with a new East wing added to its building, bringing a complement of ten additional offices. Although the original building of the Institute is only five years old, such has been the pace of growth in staff, programmes and student numbers, that a substantial extension became necessary all too soon. The Institute is grateful to His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan al­Qasimi for the generous donation which made this extension possible. Additions to the Arabic and Islamic Collection at the Old Library Some of you may know that the Old Library acquired over 1,000 Arabic and Persian books from the University of Bristol last year in connection with Rob Gleave’s appointment as Professor of Arabic Studies. Most of these books relate to Islamic studies, particularly Shiite theology and law. This year, the Old Library acquired an additional 2,000 or so volumes, mostly in Persian. The majority are on Iranian history from the Safavid period to the present day. There are also a few CDs and DVDs in the collection, together with newspapers from the 19 th and 20 th centuries. The collection was purchased from a retiring Professor of Persian at Oxford University. Paul Auchterlonie (Librarian for Middle East Studies) and Rob Gleave went up to Oxford to collect the books with a van in August. There were so many books that they had to make a second trip! The collection will be catalogued over the next couple of years. In the meantime, if you would like to make use of the collection, please contact Paul or Rob. Their email addresses can be found on the IAIS staff webpage. IAIS Newsletter, No. 1 (October 2006) 2 Arab World Documentation Unit (AWDU) AWDU is the Institute’s reference­only library. Its collections cover the Arab world plus Iran. The bulk of its holdings relate to the Gulf Arab States and Yemen. Its collections cover all aspects of life, except literature and religion. Researchers can find a wide range of materials from governmental and non­governmental organizations, opposition groups, and international and regional organizations. AWDU’s Arab World Video Collection is the largest in the UK, while its Gulf Collection is one of the largest in the world. Visit the Gulf Collection webpage for more information: http://www.huss.ex.ac.uk/iais/research/gulf­collection.htm or contact the AWDU Librarian, Ahmed Abu­Zayed ([email protected]). Recruitment of new staff The Institute is in the process of appointing to the Sharjah Chair of Islamic Studies vacated by the departure of Professor James Winston Morris to Boston College in the USA this summer. Recruitment is also underway for a new post at Associate Professor level in Arabic. New students This year also sees the Institute’s first intake of its enhanced quota of 27 FTEs (full time students or equivalent), a substantial rise from the previous quota of only 17 FTEs. The new quota, fully met with a batch of bright new students, came in recognition of the increasing demand in undergraduate applications for Institute programmes. Travel and research grants for students Citizens of the European Union are eligible to receive an annual £1,000 travel grant for fieldwork or language study in the Arab world. For details and application forms, see the ‘Funding and Scholarships’ section of the IAIS website. Research students are also eligible for an annual £200 conference and research grant. Contact the Director of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Rob Gleave ([email protected]), for details. 3. PROGRAMME NEWS & NEW MODULES Applied Translation in Middle Eastern Languages (Arabic) MA This new MA offers students the opportunity to develop the high­level translation and project management skills they need to become practicing translators. It will enable them to acquire direct experience of a wide array of translation tools used in the profession today. It also provides a route to doctoral research into applied or theoretical aspects of translation studies. For details, see the ‘Postgraduate Study’ section of the IAIS webpage or contact Ms Anissa Daoudi ([email protected]). Gulf Studies James Onley took over as programme director at the start of the 2005–06 academic year. He widened the programme to include Iran, designed a new programme pamphlet and webpage reflecting this: www.huss.ex.ac.uk/iais/research/gulf.htm. He also designed a Gulf Collection webpage highlighting the AWDU’s Gulf material (click on the ‘Gulf Collection’ link on the Gulf Studies webpage). Lindy Ayubi (the Institute’s long­standing Conference Coordinator) and James organized a two­day conference entitled ‘The Global Gulf’ (5–6 July) at the Institute, which focused on the Gulf’s historical and contemporary connections with the wider world. The conference was attended by HH Dr Shaikh Sultan al­Qasimi, the Vice­Chancellor, and a hundred other people from around twenty countries. See the conference programme on the Gulf Studies webpage for details.