2014-2015 Fellowship Announcements at the Center for Palestine Studies, Columbia University

Palestine & Law Fellowship
2014-2015
Call for Applications
Columbia University Inaugural Annual Fellowship in Palestine & Law

Deadline: February 3, 2014

About the Palestine & Law Fellowship

The Center for Palestine Studies at Columbia University seeks applicants for a residential Fellowship in "Palestine & Law" for the 2014-2015 academic year. Interested applicants should propose a course of research and scholarship relating to a range of domestic, regional or international legal issues concerning Palestinians and/or Palestine. Topics may include the legal implications of the Nakba; the Israeli occupation of Palestine; the legal status of the Palestinian state; property issues, from possession to dispossession; the legal status of the refugee; employment of legal means to suppress Palestinian activism, in Israel and elsewhere; and regimes of imprisonment, to name only a few illustrative examples. The Fellowship is designed to both deepen the scholarly understanding of the complex ways in which law and legality are implicated in Palestine, and to provide a supportive environment for scholars of Palestine to conduct research. The Fellow will participate in the rich interdisciplinary environment of the Center for Palestine Studies, Columbia Law School, and Columbia University more generally. Applications are welcome from individuals with a diverse range of backgrounds, traditions, and scholarly interests. Applicants should hold a law degree, Ph.D., or similar qualification.

The level of funding is individually determined based on candidates' needs and the Program's ability to meet them. The Fellow will receive a modest living stipend plus benefits, library access, and office space.

For Application information please visit our website:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/palestine/about/fellowships.html

The Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Award in Palestine Studies:
2014-2015
Call for Applications
Columbia University Fourth Annual Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Palestinian Studies

Deadline: February 15, 2014

2014-2015 Postdoctoral Award

The Center for Palestine Studies at Columbia University's Middle East Institute is pleased to announce and to invite applications for the 2014-2015 Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Award, a post-doctoral fellowship in Palestinian Studies. The one-semester fellowship carries a stipend of $25,000 and the status of post-doctoral research fellow or visiting scholar at Columbia University, as appropriate.

About The Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Award in Palestine Studies

The Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Award is an annual fellowship at Columbia University, which was established in 2010. The award recognizes and seeks to foster innovative and ground-breaking scholarship on issues related to Palestine and Palestinians. The award will support a post-doctoral scholar working on a book project in any field of the humanities or social sciences.

The Fellow will spend one semester at Columbia University, pursuing her or his research and writing, and participating in the intellectual life of the Center for Palestine Studies at the Middle East Institute. In exceptional cases, as when research elsewhere is necessary for the completion of the project, shorter-term residence at Columbia (no less than 8 weeks during term time) can be considered. The Fellow will present a seminar paper in the Middle East Institute's colloquium series and may be invited to speak at other universities in the United States.

This award has been made possible through the generosity of Abdel Mohsin Al-Qattan in honor of his friend, the Palestinian scholar and intellectual, Ibrahim Abu-Lughod (1929-2001). Their close friendship began in the aftermath of the nakbah of 1948 and evolved into a shared commitment to justice for Palestinians to be realized in part through support for excellence in higher education and scholarship. In later years, upon the establishment of the A.M. Qattan Foundation in Palestine, Ibrahim Abu-Lughod helped found the Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development, one of the Foundation's core programs.

Requirements & Eligibility

The international competition is open to all post-doctoral scholars who share the mission of the Center for Palestine Studies to advance the production and circulation of knowledge on Palestinian history, culture, society, and politics through outstanding scholarship. Preference will be given to individuals from underrepresented programs who would benefit most from the academic resources of Columbia University. The Fellow may not hold any other major fellowship or teaching obligations during the award period.

For Application information please visit our website:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/palestine/about/fellowships.html

Intercultural Competence Conference

2014 International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence:

Preparing and Supporting K–16 Language Teachers to Teach for Intercultural Competence in and beyond the Classroom
January 23-26, 2014, in Tucson, AZ

Keynote Presentation

• Joan Kelly Hall (Pennsylvania State University), How Current Understandings of Language and Culture (should) Inform L2 Pedagogy

Plenary Presentations

• Carl Blyth (University of Texas at Austin), Preparing Language Teachers to Teach for Intercultural Competence: The Promise of Cultural Linguistics
  
• Maria Carreira (California State University, Long Beach), Heritage Language Teaching: Bridging the Gap between “what is” and “what should be”
  
• Toni Theisen (ACTFL President, Loveland High School), Activating Communication by Integrating

Conference Description

With greater awareness of the importance of intercultural competence in enabling learners to communicate effectively in an increasingly interconnected world, and with global travel and instant international communications available to a growing number of people, one of the primary goals of language teaching is to promote the acquisition of intercultural competence in the classroom and beyond. In order for teachers to become intercultural mediators (Zarate, Gohard-Radenkovic, Lussier, & Penz, 2003) and facilitators of intercultural competence in the classroom, it is critical for them to understand the concept of intercultural competence, the process involved in its development, and the ways and means of assessing and evaluating it. However, this cannot be accomplished without a major paradigm shift in the professionalization of language teachers. Today's language teachers must be equipped with the tools and strategies to effectively and efficiently foster the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of intercultural competence, as outlined by scholars in the field, in order to support all students and prepare them to become interculturally competent global citizens.

Organized by the Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy (CERCLL) at the University of Arizona, the fourth international conference on the development and assessment of intercultural competence aims to bring researchers and practitioners across languages, levels, and settings to discuss and share research, theory, and best practices; to foster meaningful professional dialogue; and to enhance teacher effectiveness in teaching for intercultural competence in and beyond the classroom in order to support all students' development of intercultural competence. The conference is attended by faculty, administrators and students at post-secondary institutions, as well as K-12 teachers and individuals from a wide range of other non-traditional educational contexts who are interested in language teaching/learning and cultural competence.

Information about the conference including abstracts and bios for the keynote and plenary speakers, full details about the workshop offerings, a list of paper and poster presentations, and other details are on the conference website:http://cercll.arizona.edu/development/conferences/2014_icc

Please contact CERCLL with questions: coh-cercll@email.arizona.edu, 520-626-8071.

QFI Teacher Fellowships

Qatar Foundation International (QFI) is pleased to announce that the 2014-2015 application process for our Teacher Fellowships is now open! The deadline for applications is Friday, January 31, 2014.

As part of its overall mission to expand and improve the teaching of K-12 Arabic in the United States, QFI is pleased to offer Teacher Fellowships (maximum award: $25,000) for tuition and fees for current or prospective K-12 teachers pursuing certification. The program is intended to support:

1. Teacher candidates who are pursuing certification in Foreign Language Education in World or Foreign Languages to teach Arabic;
2. Teachers who already are certified in another discipline and are seeking an endorsement to teach Arabic; or
3. Teachers seeking U.S. certification to teach Arabic through any other recognized means.

The goal of QFI’s Teacher Fellows program is to develop a strong cohort of highly trained teachers who will be future leaders in the field of K-12 Arabic education. QFI strongly believes that the skill, talent, and commitment of the teacher are key components for the success of any language program and supporting teachers is at the heart of this effort.

Please read the Teacher Fellowship Announcement (will download as PDF) to learn more about eligibility and how to apply for this grant. If you decide to apply, please download the Teacher Fellowship Application Form.
How to apply: Individuals seeking grants must apply through QFI's Grants Management Portal. Upload your application and all required documents through the Grants Management Portal.
The deadline for submission is Friday,January 31, 2014.

MENA Internship Opportunity

America’s Unofficial Ambassadors 2014 Summer Service Programs

Volunteer with the America’s Unofficial Ambassadors 2014 Summer Service Internship programs! Make a difference, represent America, earn academic credit, and gain hands-on professional experience in Indonesia, Morocco, Tajikistan, or Zanzibar.

This summer, America’s Unofficial Ambassadors will offer service internship programs in the Muslim World that provide unique opportunities for students to develop their professional skills; study a foreign language; refine their career interests; and earn academic credit. Unofficial ambassadors intern with schools and community-based organizations that are serving vital human development needs at the grassroots level. In the process, they form the type of people-to-people partnerships that are the future of international relations, and specifically America’s relationship with the Muslim World. You will enter the vanguard of a new generation of citizen diplomats by serving as an unofficial ambassador and then bringing the experience home through blog posts and community presentations.

Serving as an Unofficial Ambassador

In addition to volunteering full-time for six weeks, our unofficial ambassadors study the local language and learn about the culture and history of their host countries. Importantly, they share their experiences through regular blogs and when they return home, they give presentations in their communities to build mutual understanding between America and the Muslim World at the grassroots level. Summer 2014 volunteer opportunities include:

• Teaching English and basic computer skills to grade school and high school students
• Designing websites and supporting NGOs with their social media and outreach
• Producing video documentaries on human rights, education and environmental initiatives
• Researching and writing proposals and reports for NGOs

About AUA

America’s Unofficial Ambassadors is a citizen diplomacy initiative, which builds mutual understanding and enhances people-to-people partnerships between America and the Muslim World. We do this by placing Americans in volunteer positions in the Muslim World and helping them share their experiences upon their return. For more information about this program please visit www.unofficialambassadors.org or contact StefanC@creativelearning.org.

16th Annual CIBER Business Language Conference

The Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBERs) would like to announce the Call for Proposal for the 16th Annual CIBER Business Language Conference. The conference will take place on April 24-26, 2014 at the Canyons Resort, Park City, Utah. The theme for the conference is “Embracing a New Era for Business, Language, and Culture” and the conference’s goal is to link the needs indicated by U.S. businesses and the professions’ with the skills of language administration, instructors, and researchers at all levels (k-12, college and university, etc.) in the commonly taught languages, as well as those languages for which the current needs are critically lacking or are in a developing stage.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION deadline is February 1, 2014. For details on how to submit the proposals, please visit https://marriottschool.byu.edu/event/ciberblc/paper. Please, make sure you follow the guidelines for the proposal submission.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION deadline is April 1, 2014. To register and learn more about the conference please visit http://marriottschool.byu.edu/event/ciberblc. The website will be updated regularly.

Call For Applications: 2014 University of Toronto Connaught Summer Institute of Muslim Studies

Connaught Summer Institute on Islamic Studies, 2014
University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The University of Toronto's 2014 Connaught Summer Institute on Islamic Studies invites applications from pre-dissertation PhD students for the second innovative, intensive 8-day seminar on Islamic studies and research design. Using the City of Toronto as the backdrop to our inquiry, the 2014 Connaught Summer Institute on Islamic Studies will address the implication of competing publics for the study of Islam. “Islam” does not exist in a vacuum. A context always accompanies the use of the labels “Islam”, “Islamic”, or “Muslim” in the academy, government, civil society and elsewhere. Accounting for that context and recognizing its effect and implications for advanced research in Islamic studies are the aims of the 2014 Summer Institute.

For example, Canada’s political landscape gives shape to the discourse of Islam across the country. If we use the metaphor of a “container” to flesh out what we mean by “public”, we can understand that Canada’s history and current socio-political climate give shape to the "container" within which debates (academic and otherwise) on Islam occur. Shifting the container—i.e. shifting the public—arguably shifts the imagined possibilities for any study of Islam. As an example, the discourse on gender and sexuality in Canada makes possible certain research questions in Islamic studies at the university (e.g. the implication of gay marriage on the creation of religious spaces for LGBT Muslims) that might not even be possible or imaginable in places like Somalia, Malaysia, and Pakistan.

The focus on publics is designed to help graduate fellows grapple with how their research projects also are embedded in a public, to account for the effect of that public on their research, without at the same time seeking some illusory possibility of achieving a research standpoint outside of all such publics.

Centering attention on competing publics is particularly appropriate in this historical moment in Islamic studies, given the crises and conflicts around the world that invoke in some way or another questions about Islam. The military ousting of Mohammad Morsi in Egypt raises fundamental questions about how that particular public imagines “Islam” and the “Islamic”, and what that imagined reality implies for the study of Islam in Egyptian institutions of higher education. Alternatively, Quebec’s recent effort to regulate whether government officials can wear religious symbols reflects a different public in which Islam and the Muslim subject are imagined in light of a distinct history and nationalist movement, and with potential implications for the study of Islam in universities in that province and in Canada more broadly. Indonesia is yet a different public, in which a federal government that represents a majority Muslim population must contend with a religiously diverse nation, vigilante and, in some cases, governmental persecution of Muslim minorities (i.e. the Ahmadi Muslim Community), and an autonomous region, Aceh, that seeks to implement a more extensive and rigorous form of Sharia than the federal government would permit within its jurisdiction. What this context implies for the study of Islam (and the possibility of what Islam can be and mean) in Indonesian institutions is, by virtue of the public context, going to be different than other examples.


Toronto is home to a wide range of communities, all of which co-exist in an expansive, but nonetheless defined geographic space. Among those communities is a vibrant, diverse, and at times even fractious, Muslim population. Home to Sunnis, Ismaili Shi’a, Twelver Shi’a, and Ahmadis, Toronto hosts immigrants from South Asia, the Arab World, West India, China, and Africa. In addition, the city is home to an active LGBT Muslim community. Toronto provides a field for inquiry that will provoke fundamental discussions among the participants about research subjectsin Islamic studies and the researcher’s relationship to those subjects.

The Institute utilizes a distinct pedagogy to reorient the researcher’s subjectivity. The pedagogy involves: site visits to different Muslim communities in the Greater Toronto Area; formal classroom engagement on research method and design; and structured small-group discussions about epistemic questions that, once clarified, help to create the conditions for more effective and innovative research. Attention to how knowledge is embedded, reasoned, and affective will enhance reflections upon research subjects in Islamic and Muslim studies. In particular, the Institute will help participants reflect upon the research endeavor as being indelibly marked by claims of difference, inclusion, exclusion and belonging.

To foster an intensive research seminar, the number of fellows in each year’s Summer Institute is small, diverse, and reflects a diverse range of perspectives and interests. As such, the application process is an open, international competitive process. Successful applicants will have their travel and accommodation costs fully covered. Applicants must be pre-dissertation graduate students enrolled in a PhD (or equivalent) academic program, and focused on the study of Islam. Applicants from all fields of Islamic studies are encouraged to apply. Pending final approval of funding, applicants will be notified of final selection process within two weeks of the application deadline.

Application deadline: January 7, 2014 15, 2013

For Application materials, please visit: www.csiis.ca.

Woolf Institute Visiting Fellowship 2015

The Woolf Institute, which specializes in the study of relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims from a multidisciplinary perspective, invites applications for its annual visiting fellowship.

The Fellowship is tenable for a two to three month period that overlaps one of the Cambridge terms 2015:

Lent term: 13 January–13 March 2015
Easter term: 21 April–12 June 2015

The successful candidate will be expected to be involved in a project of academic research, public education or of the arts in an area relevant to the Institute’s work. The Fellow will be asked to present their work at a symposium on the subject of their project proposal.

There is no stipend attached to the Fellowships, but Fellows will be entitled to free accommodation in Cambridge and round-trip travel from their country to Cambridge. They will also have access to the Woolf Institute and Cambridge University libraries.

The Fellowship is available for a postdoctoral scholar of any academic rank, a policymaker or analyst in a relevant area of work, or an artist (writer, painter, photographer, etc.) and will most likely be asked to participate in some of the Institute's teaching or practice-based activities. Further information about the Institute can be found at: http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk.

A letter of application, CV, the names of two referees who may be approached, a project proposal (1,500 words max.), and a sample of work should be sent to:

Electors of the Visiting Fellowship, Woolf Institute, Wesley House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BJ, UK or e-mailed to Tina Steiner at mailto:bs411@cam.ac.uk.

Questions may be addressed informally to the Deputy Director, Dr Shana Cohen at sc736@cam.ac.uk.

Deadline for the submission of applications is 24 January 2014.