Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies - NSMES

Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Faculty of Arts is organizing a roundtable on Identity Theories and the Study of Christianity and Islam. Speakers are Katja Kujanpaa, Ilkka Lindstedt, Teemu Pauha.

November 13 at 16:00 pm. The event will be held hybrid.

Venue: F3006 Main Building, University of Helsinki.

In this roundtable, we present some of the results of the Cultural Foundation-funded research project “The transmission of social identities in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” (PI: Jutta Jokiranta). Various identity theories (in particular, those promulgated in the field of social psychology) have proven useful in analyzing historical and contemporary religious texts and phenomena. We discuss the possibilities and challenges in utilizing these theories of identity in various research settings and with different data. The word “identity” is over-used and often loosely defined in the humanities (including religious studies); we argue that more rigorous and better theorized usage is needed.

To attend virtually, please register at the following link:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Roundtable: “Identity theories and the study of Christianity and Islam”. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Speakers: Katja Kujanpaa, Ilkka Lindstedt, Teemu Pauha Venue: F3006 Main Building, University of Helsinki Abstract: In this roundtable, we present some of the results of the Cultural Foundation-funded research project “The transmission of social identities in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” (P...

University of Lund’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies has 5 Postdoctoral Fellowships open. More on the fellowships and how to apply by November 20:

Job Openings: 5 Postdoctoral Fellowships on the Middle East Lund University. Postdoctoral Fellow in Earth Observations of Land Cover and Vegetation Dynamics in the Middle East More than a decade has passed since the war in Syria began in 2011. In the midst of this turmoil, a new venture has emerged in the form of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and...

NSMES together with the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul organize 2024 PhD Summer School in Istanbul:

Exploring Migration, Urban Evolution, and Historical Continuity in a Megalopolis. The summer school takes place on 18-23 August 2024.

More info and how to apply:

Nordic MES Journals Nordic journals for Middle Eastern Studies: Babylon, Nidaba, TIFO, Nordisk Midtaustenbulletin and JAIS.

University of Stockholm is advertising an open position:

PhD student in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. Deadline for applications is October 15, 2023.

For more information visit

PhD Student Positions - Stockholm University PhD Student Positions

Public lecture: The Problem of Animal Suffering in the Brethren of Purity and Abū Bakr al-Rāzī: the Mu‘tazilite Context by Janne Mattila, University of Helsinki.

October 16, 2023, 16:00-18:00 pm, F3006 Main Building, University of Helsinki.

The event is hybrid. For virtual participation, please register at https://helsinki.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5wtf-qtrTovHtPSx8CdR_qhePxjnOpEu0Ft

Abstract: The presentation addresses the ethical problem of animal suffering in the Brethren of Purity (9th-10th cent.) and al-Rāzī (d. 925). I argue that the ethical concern for animals in both philosophers is due to the influence of Mu‘tazilite theology: any suffering (whether human or animal) contradicts the notion of benevolent and omnipotent God; thus, animals are also incorporated within the sphere of divine, and by extension human, justice (since the same concept applies to both). In the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity, this theodicean context is present in the highlighting of animal suffering in the animal fable of Epistle 22 but more explicitly in the discussions of God’s reasons for allowing 1) pain in general in Epistle 30, 2) animal pain and carnivorism in particular in Epistle 40, and 3) slaughter of animals in Epistle 5. Al-Rāzī’s Philosophical Life infers from its fourth ethical principle (God is compassionate and therefore abhors us experiencing pain) that we also should not cause pain to any sentient being, including animals. For both authors, the Muʻtazilite influence is evident in four aspects: 1) grounding of the ethical value of animals in divine justice, 2) the specific problems of carnivore animals and human slaughter of animals, 3) the solution of compensation in the afterlife (through reincarnation for the philosophers), and 4) the ethical terms employed in the arguments (benefit and harm; duty, right, and desert). By means of the two cases, the article makes the larger argument that the Muʻtazila played a pivotal role in introducing animal ethical concerns during the first Islamic centuries: the two most important examples of philosophers that give any prominence to animal ethics are influenced by the Muʻtazila.

Bio: Dr. Janne Mattila is a researcher in the project "The Nature and Moral Status of Animals in Antiquity and the Middle Ages" funded by the Kone Foundation. He has specialized in the investigation of the history of Islamic philosophy and philosophical theology during the classical period.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: The Problem of Animal Suffering in the Brethren of Purity and Abū Bakr al-Rāzī: the Mu‘tazilite Context”.. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Speaker: Janne Mattila, University of Helsinki Venue: F3006 Main Building, University of Helsinki and on zoom Abstract: The presentation addresses the ethical problem of animal suffering in the Brethren of Purity (9th-10th cent.) and al-Rāzī (d. 925). I argue that the ethical concern for animals i...

The 22nd Nordic Migration Research (NMR) conference

CALL FOR PANEL PROPOSALS

The politics of mobility and precarity – and the alternatives

14 -16 August 2024, University of Bergen, Norway

The 22nd Nordic Migration Research (NMR) conference focuses on the complex entanglements of mobility and precarity in the context of international migration.

NMR invites migration researchers from all disciplines to submit panel and paper proposals that focus on different aspects and dimensions of the entanglements between mobility and precarity. The panels and papers may address the social, economic, political and legal aspects of the mobility and precarity nexus. They may also address the various scales (macro, meso and micro) and dimensions of the processes, structures, institutions, and actors that generate or mitigate precarity. Panels that discuss the term precarity, its usefulness and alternative analytical approaches and frames for the described dynamics are also welcomed.

More information on the call including keynote speakers, proposed sub-themes and submission guidelines can be found here.

The deadline for submitting panel proposals is 15th November 2023.

We also invite you to forward this call to anyone who might be interested.

For any queries or additional details related to the conference, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

Hybrid event:

The Everyday Politics of Labor of Explaining: Formation of Racialization of Islam by Zeinab Karimi, University of Helsinki

On September 11, 2023, 16:00-18:00 pm, at F3006 Main Building, University of Helsinki and online

Bringing religion into conversation with critical race and citizenship theories, my research investigates how the racialization of Islam shapes the lived citizenship of minorities in the Finnish context. The 26 people participating in this research were asked questions about their everyday lives and the role of religion in their experiences. The study includes people of different religious and nonreligious identifications. I reflect upon my learning from the narratives of the research participants and explain the key concepts that developed from this research: selective secularism and labor of explaining.

To attend virtually, please register at the following link:

https://helsinki.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5UtcOiqqDkuGN2JYIHdOHTla-TSYuAdwXio

Organizer: Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Annual Lecture Series

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: The Everyday Politics of Labor of Explaining: Formation of Racialization of Islam. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Abstract: Bringing religion into conversation with critical race and citizenship theories, my research investigates how the racialization of Islam shapes the lived citizenship of minorities in the Finnish context. The 26 people participating in this research were asked questions about their everyday...

Reminder for call for nominations for the NSMES MA Thesis Award is open until September 15! Supervisors, nominate your students, we want to see the fascinating work they have done!

Check out the full call here 👇

NSMES awards MA-thesis award

The School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science at the University of Leeds is seeking to appoint a one-year, fixed-term Teaching Fellow in Religious Studies and Islam to replace Prof. Seán McLoughlin who will hold a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship during the 2023-24 academic session.

You will have submitted your PhD thesis (or be very close to submitting it) in Religious Studies, Islamic Studies or another demonstrably relevant area and have relevant subject expertise and teaching experience in the areas of the sociology and anthropology of Islam and Muslim religion, culture, politics and society, especially in the UK context, and Religious Studies more broadly.

Full details of the post which is available from 1 August 2023 until 31 July 2024 can be found here: https://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=AHCPR1057

The Closing Date for applications is Friday 30 June 2023.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: Dr Mikel Burley, Deputy Head of School (Theology and Religious Studies) Email:[email protected]

Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Teaching Fellow in Religious Studies and Islam Are you an academic with proven abilities to carry out teaching in the areas of Theology and Religious Studies, with expertise in the sociology or anthropology of Islam? Are you passionate about delivering an exceptional student experience in a...

Happening this Wednesday in Helsinki and on Zoom!

Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (Department of Cultures) is delighted to invite all the students, staff members and others to a hybrid guest lecture by Professor Russell E. Lucas (Michigan State University) on May 31 at 2 pm.

Professor Lucas’s presentation is titled “Competing Conceptions of Public Opinion in the Arab Gulf States”.

Venue: Päärakennus (University Main Building), U4080, and ZOOM:
https://helsinki.zoom.us/j/63773090409?pwd=MzJpd1N1MURhellzMzV4VzZlOWUwQT09
637 7309 0409
Passcode 336257
Time: 31.5. at 2 pm

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

The Centre for Theology and Religious Studies and the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University are seeking to make a joint appointment for an assistant senior lecturer in Islamic Studies (focus on Islam in the contemporary Middle East). It is a four-year fixed term position that will be turned into a permanent position after a successful performance review towards the end of the fourth year of appointment.

The deadline is 17 August. For more information, see:

Assistant Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies The Centre for Theology and Religious Studies (CTR) and The Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) are looking for an ambitious scholar in Islamic Studies and Middle Eastern Studies at the

The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies – Master's Thesis Award – Call for Submissions

The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies announces the annual MA thesis award for the best MA thesis on a topic related to the Middle East or Islam submitted at a Nordic educational institution. All students submitting their thesis between 16 August 2022 and 15 August 2023 are eligible for the award. The thesis must be nominated by the supervisor, and will be read by a three-member committee.

Read the full call for submissions on

NSMES awards MA-thesis award

Attention anyone writing a book manuscript:

Need time to finalize a book manuscript? Research stints for researchers coming from abroad are now available to apply for until 31 August, 2023.

https://polininstitutet.fi/stints-for-polin-monographs-deadline-31-august-2023/?fbclid=IwAR2T8V9Qf8BV09fGqOzn2CPp_kvLMFi5cgBXtoyBGnBrF1IUnBMuOvT63jM

Stints for Polin Monographs, deadline 31 August 2023 - Inez och Julius Polin Stints for Polin Monographs   Need time to finalize a book manuscript? Research stint at the Polin Institute for theological research within Åbo Akademi University, Finland   The Polin Institute...

The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies - NSMES board met in Helsinki last week. Stay up to date of our events by following us here or on Twitter () or visit nsmes.org!

It was a pleasure to engage with students at last week’s MA workshop at the University of Helsinki! Students had brilliant research ideas and questions about research. In addition to workshop discussions, Jacob Høigilt gave an interesting keynote on conducting interdisciplinary research as an area scholar.

Hopefully we will see you soon again!

Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Unit at the university of Helsinki organizes a lecture, titled Epistemology of the Ornamental Experience in Islam by Dr. Valerie Gonzalez from School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. It will take place on April 24 from 18:00 to 20:00 pm.

It will be held as a hybrid event (in Metsätalo, sali 12; Unioninkatu 40, and on zoom) . For those joining us online, please register at the following link. More information about the lecture and the bio of the guest speaker is also found in the link.

E-Lomake - Epistemology of the Ornamental Experience in Islam; Sign up for the zoom link via this form Date and time: April 24, 2023, 18:00-20:00Place: (hybrid) Zoom and at the University of Helsinki: Metsätalo, sali 12; Unioninkatu 40, Helsinki.

Call for papers: Economic Change and the Future of the Middle East. Conference at Aarhus University, 27-29 September 2023.

Change Future The study of Middle East economics is neglected, perhaps because the study of the Middle East region is based in the humanities (area studies and anthropology), where economics is little emphasized. This conference aims to challenge this neglect, and hopes to break new ground for future research ini...

Middle East Studies at the University of Helsinki has an open position, DL for applications is March 27.

University Lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies University Lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies

The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern studies organizes an MA Workshop in Helsinki on April 21, 2023. The workshop is open to MA students at all Nordic institutions and it is free of charge (except for an optional dinner at the end of the day). It is held in English. Register to the workshop via this link by April 1, 2023.

https://forms.gle/B7hN5rQvKD16Xiff7

The workshop consists of thematic sessions in which researchers on the Middle East and Islam will discuss practical questions related to research. Participants also have the possibilty to network with researchers and other MA students and to hear about PhD possibilities in the Nordic countries.

Feel free to share this invitation with MA students!

NSMES MA workshop 2023 The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies organizes an MA Student Workshop at the University of Helsinki, on Friday 21 April 2023. The workshop consists of thematic workshops in which researchers on the Middle East and Islam will present their research and discuss practical questions related to....

The Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural and Religious Studies at the University of Bergen invites applicants for a PhD position in the history of the Islamic Indian Ocean World, commencing August 1st, 2023, or as agreed. This position is for a fixed-term period of four years. The successful applicant will join the research group Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the Department. The deadline is 11.04.23. Further details at

PhD position in History of the Islamic Indian Ocean World (241547) | University of Bergen Job title: PhD position in History of the Islamic Indian Ocean World (241547), Employer: University of Bergen, Deadline: Tuesday, April 11, 2023

PhD student in the History of religions specialization in Islamic studies at Stockholm. The appointment is for a doctoral position in the history of religions with a specialization in Islamic studies. Closing date: 15/04/2023.

PhD Student Positions - Stockholm University PhD Student Positions

The second MA-Thesis Award of the Society is awarded to Maiken Omnes Frydenlund (University of Oslo) for the thesis “Meddling with my Dough-Baking Hands! Protest Language and Stigma in Contemporary Turkey”. Congratulations!

The thesis explores Turkish women's protest language through examples from the Feminist Night Walk and pictures of slogans posted on social media. It argues that Turkish women use humor and irony, and reappropriate stigmatizing language to raise awareness about women's rights issues in contemporary Turkey. We found the thesis to be interesting, and analytically and theoretically strong, as well as an original contribution to the field. We were impressed by Frydenlunds deep understandings of the language, social and political context and her ability to combine these in your analysis. The committee has consisted of Charlotte Lysa, University of Oslo (chair), Laura Wickström, Åbo Akademi University and Oliver Scharbrodt, Lund University.

NSMES awards MA-thesis award

Two fully funded PhD positions in Religious Studies with a focus on Islam in the West have been opened at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The two positions are part of a research school on the study of Islam that has been funded by the Swedish Research Council. The funding covers four years, and the candidates are expected to be part of both the research environment at the University of Gothenburg and the Research School on the Study of Islam.

Two doctoral positions in Religious Studies with a focus on the study of Islam December 2022, the Swedish Research Council granted funds to a doctoral school in Islamic studies.

DL for panels and papers for the next DAVO Congress at the University of Vienna on 21-13 September 2023 is 28 February 2023.

Please register via the Website of the “Turkologentag 2023” at

Turkologentag, 21-23 September 2023 Turkologentag, 21-23 September 2023

The earthquake on February 6 has devastated many parts of Turkey and Syria. Below is a list of organizations through which you can support local actors helping those in need.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IHZTEjnbA5PG90ZPwVw2bPqabVl2lLbKUtU84t_dS7Y/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR3kC2z7JJo_705-YWagomBxzeFShK4QKWctVs9RqY5aLi6HoAjw_2Rf4Hk

Organisations responding to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria that people can donate to A list of organisations and individuals people can donate to raising funds or collecting goods, to help people meaningfully and practically respond to the humanitarian crisis in Türkiye and Syria, caused by large earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria early on the morning of 6 February 2023.

A new graduate school in Islamic studies will start next autumn, with over 10 placed in different universities. Application periods will start this spring. The application period to Uppsala University has already started, the deadline is February 15th. See below for more information.

New graduate school in Islamic studies – collaboration between seven higher education institutions The Swedish Research Council gives SEK 24.8 million to a new graduate school in Islamic studies. The investment is a collaboration between several higher education institutions and will make room for 12 doctoral students.

New graduate school in Islamic studies: a collaboration between seven Swedish higher education institutions. Starts in 2023, with 12 doctoral students. See

New graduate school in Islamic studies – collaboration between seven higher education institutions The Swedish Research Council gives SEK 24.8 million to a new graduate school in Islamic studies. The investment is a collaboration between several higher education institutions and will make room for 12 doctoral students.

We are sorry to announce the death of Heikki Palva, the first chairman of the board of the Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies (NSMES). Heikki Palva was professor emeritus of Arabic at the University of Helsinki, and died on November 26, 2022 at the age of 87 years. Professor Palva was born in Porvoo in Finland, studied at the University of Helsinki both at the faculty of Theology and the faculty of Humanities, took a PhD in Arabic in 1966, and then worked as assistant in exegetics and as a teacher of Arabic, Hebrew and Greek. At the age of 35 he became Professor of Arabic at the University of Gothenburg where he taught 1970-1982, and then Professor of Arabic at the University of Helsinki, 1982-1998. He was chair of the NSMES 1989-1992.

Babylon is looking for articles and reviews written in the Nordic languages, call for papers is February 1, 2023.

More info at 👇

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=666997894851171&id=100046229005389

Babylon søker bidrag til 2023! Vi tar i mot både artikler, bok- eller filmanmeldelser om samtidens . Bidragene kan sendes inn på norsk, svensk eller dansk.
Frister 2023:
Artikler: 1. februar (vår) og 1. august (høst)
Anmeldelser: 1. mars (vår) og 15. september (høst).

Bidrag kan sendes til [email protected] 📬

Below is information regarding the World Congress of Middle Eastern Studies in 2025.
------------------------------
Dear Colleagues,
You are kindly invited to consider the possibility of hosting the “Sixth World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES-6)” at your academic institution in 2025.
Please find attached the detailed information about the application to host the most important international event in the field of studies on the MENA region and the Muslim world.
If your institute or university is interested in hosting the next World Congress, please send me your application by email to [email protected] until 31 January 2023.
Best regards,
Guenter Meyer

CfP to the 4th Conference of the Nordic Network of Theology and Practice

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/4th-conference-nordic-network-theology-and-practice/call-papers?fbclid=IwAR0-EpoJr6DWz6NKtl4JgmMesr_AS9P7H2I30Q8gjZZ0otthOvvG8Uk8vU0

Call for papers | The 4th Conference of the Nordic Network for Theology and Practice | University of Helsinki The 4th conference of the Nordic Network for Theology and Practice, 8-10 March 2023, Helsinki, Finland

You can still apply for the annual NSMES MA thesis award until October 15! The call is open to everyone who have submitted their thesis between 16 August 2021 and 15 August 2022.

NSMES awards MA-thesis award

It is the second day of the NSMES conference in Reykjavik. The (old) Board would like to thank all the participants! Use the hashtag in the social media!

Post from P**y Adore Eckerström: "My name is Pasqualina Eckerström. I am a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki. I am compiling a list of young researchers, PhD candidates and Post Docs who specialise in gender equality/justice and feminist studies in Islam. The list will not be made public. The young researchers can be located everywhere. Please comment below if you are researching any of these topics or contact me via private message. Thank you!"

DEADLINE APPOACHING: Master's Thesis Award for the best MA thesis on a topic related to the Middle East submitted at a Nordic educational institution. All students submitting their thesis between 16 August 2021 and 15 August 2022 are eligible for the award. Deadline for submissions is 15 September 2022.
Read the full call for submissions on https://nsmes.org/awards

NSMES awards MA-thesis award

PhD position in the history of religions at Stockholm University with open specialization (including Islam). See https://www.su.se/english/about-the-university/work-at-su/available-jobs/phd-student-positions-1.507588

PhD Student Positions - Stockholm University PhD Student Positions

The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies – Master's Thesis Award – Call for Submissions

The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies announces the annual MA thesis award for the best MA thesis on a topic related to the Middle East submitted at a Nordic educational institution. All students submitting their thesis between 16 August 2021 and 15 August 2022 are eligible for the award. The thesis must be nominated by the supervisor, and will be read by a three-member committee.

Read the full call for submissions on https://nsmes.org/awards

Institutum Judaicum Aboense Guest Lecture
Wednesday, June the 8th, at 18.00
"Interfaith Relations and Sustainable Development: Global and Local Challenges"
Rabbi Yonatan Neril

Associate Professor in the history of the Middle East and Muslim Africa, University of Bergen, Norway

The research expertise of the applicant may lie within all or parts of the Middle East and Muslim Africa. Both modern and pre-modern history is relevant. The successful applicant must be able to teach and supervise students at all levels in the history of the Middle East, from the rise of Islam to the present day. Among recent research focuses in the department are Islamic organization and Islamic law, textual traditions and ritual practice.

Application deadline is 12 June 2022. Information: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/226232/associate-professor-in-the-history-of-the-middle-east-and-muslim-africa