Al-Qasimi PhD Studentship in Arab and Islamic Studies/Islamic Studies/Middle East Politics/Ethno-Political Studies/Kurdish Studies/Palestine Studies and Digital Archive of the Middle East (DAME) Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies - PhD Studentship

Al-Qasimi PhD Studentship in Arab and Islamic Studies, Islamic Studies, Middle East Politics, Ethno-Political Studies, Kurdish Studies or Palestine Studies. Ref: 4431

The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies is delighted to be seeking applications for four PhD studentships for excellent doctoral students whose area of specialisation fits and complements the research interests of our academics. We are looking for PhD proposals in humanities and social sciences with reference to the Middle East and the Islamicate world. This can cover Anthropology, Archaeology, Gender Studies, History, Islamic Studies, International Relations, Literature, Political Science and other relevant fields.

The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies (IAIS) at Exeter is the leading centre of excellence for research in Middle East, Arab and Islamic Studies in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1999 to consolidate existing strengths in the study of the Greater Middle East, the Muslim-majority world, and Islam.

The Institute has the strongest REF2014 results of any Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies department in the UK submitted to the Area Studies Panel, and they establish Exeter as the leader in the field in terms of research quality, impact and environment.

Duration and Value of Award.

UK or International tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate of £16,062 per year (2022/23 rate) plus stipend top-up of £2,500 to help with visa fees and health surcharge costs, where applicable.

How to apply

For full details including the eligibility criteria, and how to apply please visit the following webpage https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/award/?id=4431

Deadline for Applications: 4th May 2022, 11:59pm GMT.

Interviews will be held on Microsoft Teams in late-May 2022

Digital Archive of the Middle East (DAME), Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies - PhD Studentships Ref: 4432

The Institute of Arab and Islamic are delighted to be looking for PhD proposals for three PhD studentships, one each in Archaeology, Gulf Studies, and Kurdish Studies focusing on archival material from the Middle East and North Africa in the University of Exeter Digital Archive of the Middle East project.

The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies (IAIS) at the University of Exeter and the Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS) at Tsinghua University, are collaborating on a research project with the aim of creating a Digital Archive of the Middle East (DAME). This is being achieved through the digitisation of portions of major, largely unstudied, and uncatalogued archives of documentation from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region held in Special Collections and the Arab World Documentation Unit (AWDU) at the University of Exeter.

The University of Exeter holds globally important archival collections pertaining to the MENA region. These holdings reflect the institution’s role in the development of a whole series of subfields in Area Studies and the pioneering role the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies has played in establishing the world’s first research centres in, for instance, Gulf Studies, Kurdish Studies, and Islamic Archaeology.

Priority will be given to proposals that engage critically with digital tools and methods, using digitisation not merely as a means of realizing research objectives but exploring how digitization can transform and extend how those objectives are understood. Applicants for the PhD studentships would be expected to show an understanding of digital research as an essential part of their theoretical framework and methodology and not just a technical tool, and to propose research projects that draw on the specific strengths of Exeter’s collections. A high degree of interdisciplinary collaboration would also be anticipated.

Duration and Value of Award.

UK and international tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate of £16,062 per year (2022/23 rate)

How to apply

For full details including the eligibility criteria, and how to apply please visit the following webpage https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/award/?id=4432

Deadline for Applications: 4th May 2022, 11:59pm GMT.

Interviews will be held on Microsoft Teams in late-May 2022