[Discussion] CALL FOR NOMINATIONS- Teaching Islam in Eurasia, SSRC Summer Institutes

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

From: Anthony Koliha <Koliha@ssrc.org>

Subject: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS- Teaching Islam in Eurasia, SSRC Summer 
Institutes

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS- Teaching Islam in Eurasia, SSRC Summer Institutes

Invitation to Nominate Participants for SSRC Series of Summer Institutes on
"Teaching Islam In Eurasia," Beginning in Kazan, Russia, June 20, 2005.

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Social Science Research Council's Eurasia Program, I 
would like
to invite you to nominate junior faculty from institutes of higher education
throughout the Eurasia region, and particularly from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, Tadjikistan, and Russia's region of Tatarstan, to participate as
fellows in a series of summer institutes on "Teaching Islam in Eurasia." 
  With
funding from the Open Society Institute's Higher Education Support Program
(HESP), the SSRC Eurasia Program plans to organize a series of three summer
institutes, which will explore, through inter-disciplinary perspectives, the
conceptual, methodological and pedagogical challenges in teaching about 
Islam in
Eurasia, as religion, as cultural identity and as socio-political movements.
These institutes (to be held in the summers of 2005, 2006, 2007) and
complementary inter-session activities will address institutional 
development,
curricular resources and student needs. The institutes will not only 
provide a
forum and catalyst for the sharing of expertise among individual 
teachers across
Russia and Central Asia, but they will also further local and international
networking opportunities and the sharing of both research and teaching 
methods
among all participants and their institutions.

The first two-week Summer Institute will be held on June 20-July 3, 2005 
at the
Institute of Oriental Studies at Kazan State University in Kazan, Russia.
Leading faculty from the United States, Europe and Eurasia will 
participate as
lecturers, discussants and mentors; however, all participants will be 
expected
to actively share their knowledge with one another, playing increasingly 
active
roles as the program progresses.

The SSRC is looking for approximately 20 junior faculty members to take part
in this three-year project. Candidates should currently hold teaching 
positions
at institutions of higher education in the Eurasia region, preferably in 
one of
the above-listed countries. We are looking for individuals with diverse
backgrounds and experiences in teaching Islam and/or about Islam. Applicants
should hold an advanced degree (Ph.D.) or equivalent as conforms to the
standards of their home institutions, and they may be from social science or
humanities departments at state or private universities, from departments or
centers of Oriental Studies, or from Islamic institutes or universities. 
Their
institutions should have a current or planned commitment to developing 
courses
or programs focused on Islam in the Eurasian context.

We rely on your help in identifying strong candidates to profit from this
important opportunity. Candidates should not only exhibit strong teaching
and research skills and experience, but they should also possess the promise
and ability to successfully institute future change within their home
institutions as a result of their participation in the summer institutes.
Candidates should be proficient in English (though some exceptions may be
made for individuals on a case by case basis). Most lectures and 
presentations
at the Summer Institute will be presented in English; however written 
versions
of major lectures will be translated into Russian and distributed in 
advance.
Interpreters will also be available to help with translations between 
Russian
and English when necessary.

If you would like to recommend one or more individuals to participate in the
"Teaching Islam in Eurasia" Summer Institutes, please send us a brief e-mail
with the full name, contact information, and institutional affiliation 
of the
individual/s that you are recommending so that we may follow-up with 
them and
encourage them to apply. Due to time constraints, we hope to receive the 
bulk of
the applications by April 28, 2005.

Please feel free to contact the Eurasia Program staff with any questions or
comments you may have regarding this program. We thank you in advance for
your time and attention. You may direct your responses to Anthony Koliha,
assistant director of the Eurasia Program, at koliha@ssrc.org or by phone at
00 1 (212) 377-2700 ext. 459.

Sincerely,
SSRC Eurasia Program Staff




Distrib. by: Central-Eurasia-L - Announcement List for Central Eurasian 
Studies