Bulletin Board

Religious Studies Event: The Urdu Shiʿi Practice of Khiṭābat (oratory)

Elizabeth Williams — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 20:07:54 +0000

Religious Studies Event: The Urdu Shiʿi Practice of Khiṭābat (oratory) Elizabeth Williams Thu, 01/22/2026 - 13:07

Join the Department of Religious Studies on February 24th for The Urdu Shiʿi Practice of Khiṭābat (oratory)

January 24th, 5-6pm
Eaton Humanities 135

On any given day in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, tens and hundreds of Urdu-speaking Shiʿa khāṭibs (orators) address audiences that have gathered to listen to them. In this talk, I draw upon twenty months of ethnographic and archival fieldwork in Karachi to argue that khiṭābat (oratory) is best conceptualized as "intellectual practice." By intellectual, I refer to aspects of oratory such as designating topics of oration, presenting clear arguments, and providing citations as evidence for claims. By practice, I refer to aspects of oratory such as the materiality of the ritual space, the technologies that mediate between orators and their audiences, and the relationship between what is said in an oration with where and when the oration is taking place. In attending to khiṭābat as intellectual practice, I push back against dominant scholarly tendencies that divide “popular” practice from “elite” texts, often relegating practice as secondary to doctrine or belief. Attending to khiṭābat as intellectual practice is helpful because it shifts the methodological emphasis from an abstract or a solely discursive domain of ideas to the world in which such ideas are articulated, debated, and circulated. Additionally, rethinking khiṭābat as intellectual practice is also productive because it moves the conversation on Muslim ritual practice beyond mere functionalism (intended towards specific ends, like ideological dissemination or the reification of tradition) or mere phenomenology (reducing khiṭābat to bodily techniques or individual reception).

Mohammad Nabeel Jafri holds a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada) Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Centre for Modern Indian Studies, University of Göttingen. He is a scholar of Islam in modern South Asia, with a focus on Twelver Shiʿi practice in Pakistan. He received his PhD from the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto in 2024. His dissertation, Orating Knowledge: Urdu Shiʿi Khiṭābat in Contemporary Karachi, received the 2024 S. S. Pirzada Dissertation Prize in Pakistan Studies, awarded by the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include ritual practice, semiotics, authority, and language use.

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Mongolia Field School Program - Info session Jan 29

Elizabeth Williams — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:59:27 +0000

Mongolia Field School Program - Info session Jan 29 Elizabeth Williams Thu, 01/22/2026 - 10:59

The American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) is hosting a webinar about upcoming Mongolian Field Schools (MFS).

Join us on Zoom on January 29, 2026, at 8:00 PM ET to hear directly from Mongolia Field School alumni. Alumni will share what they expected before joining the program, what daily life in the field school was like, and how the experience shaped them personally and academically. They’ll also highlight memorable moments, discuss challenges, and offer advice for students preparing to join the Summer 2026 cohort. A live Q&A will follow.

Mongolia Field School (MFS), hosted annually by ACMS, offers an immersive educational trip designed to provide both academic insight and hands-on experience in Mongolian studies and other related fields. Our Field School programs welcome scholars, researchers, students, teachers, and anyone interested in embarking on a journey to explore Mongolia’s natural habitat, biodiversity, cultural heritage, and traditional values.

For the 2026 Mongolia Field School, three courses will be offered:

Modern Nomads: Social and Environmental Change in Mongolia: June 29-July 9, 2026
Lens on Mongolia: Photography, Culture, and Language: July 19-25, 2026
Change and Continuity: Managing Biodiversity in Hustai National Park: July 27-August 9, 2026

We warmly invite members of your department to join us for an informational webinar on January 29 at 8:00 pm ET.

Webinar Registration: Webinar for 2026 MFS.

Additional Information: Mongolia Field School

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1/30/26 Deadline - 2026 Special Training Program for Japanese-Language Teachers

Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 23:44:46 +0000

1/30/26 Deadline - 2026 Special Training Program for Japanese-Language Teachers Elizabeth Williams Tue, 01/06/2026 - 16:44

2026 Special Training Program for Japanese-Language Teachers
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, in collaboration with the Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, is excited to announce this special program for the 2026 fiscal year! One of the key priorities in U.S.–Japan relations is strengthening grassroots exchange to help the next generation develop a deeper understanding of Japan. In support of this goal, we will offer two specialized teacher training programs in the summer of 2026 for non-native K–12 Japanese-language teachers in the United States. These programs are designed to enhance participants’ Japanese language proficiency and professional skills. Please see details below:

*
Application Deadline: January 30th, 2026 @5:30PM (PST)
Download Application Documents: https://www.jflalc.org/event-details.php/323/
*

Duration
The 1st Group: June 5, 2026, to June 29, 2026 (25 days) (tentative)
The 2nd Group: June 21, 2026, to July 15, 2026 (25 days) (tentative)

Description
Participants will strengthen their Japanese-language proficiency, an essential skill for teaching, through a variety of language-focused activities. They will also deepen their understanding of linguistic areas such as vocabulary and grammar.

In addition, participants will gain knowledge and firsthand experience of Japanese culture and society through lectures, workshops, and other planned activities. Field trips, visits to local schools, and cultural demonstrations are also included to provide practical content that can be incorporated into their Japanese-language classes.

Venue
Pre-departure Orientation in Los Angeles
Main Training at The Japan Foundation, Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa

Participants
24 Teachers Per Group

Benefits
Single-room accommodations at JFJLI Urawa (shared rooms may be required during field trips).
Meals provided, partly through cash allowances.
Teaching materials and other curriculum-related expenses covered.
Overseas travel insurance with coverage limits (excluding preexisting conditions and dental care).
Round-trip discount economy airfare from the participant’s nearest international airport.
Airport and foreign travel taxes covered.
Set in-kind allowances to support program participation.

Application Procedures
Please email jflainfo'@'jpf.go.jp to inform us of your intention of applying (Please also include the last day of school for you).
Download and complete the application forms.
Email application forms to the contact in step 1.
Results will be announced by the end of March 2026.

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CFP: AIFIS-MSU Conference on Indonesian Studies 2026 "Making Knowledge, Making History: Producing the Indonesian Past, Present and Future"

Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:35:54 +0000

CFP: AIFIS-MSU Conference on Indonesian Studies 2026 "Making Knowledge, Making History: Producing the Indonesian Past, Present and Future" Elizabeth Williams Tue, 01/06/2026 - 14:35

AIFIS-MSU Conference on Indonesian Studies 2026

"Making Knowledge, Making History: Producing the Indonesian Past, Present and Future"

May 26-30, 2026 (Virtual)

The American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS) and Michigan State University (MSU) Asian Studies Center will convene the 6th annual AIFIS-MSU Conference on Indonesian Studies from May 26-30, 2026. Presented in a bilingual and virtual format, the conference is designed to bring together scholars working across geographic and disciplinary frameworks to explore the evolving field of area studies research in Indonesia.

This year’s conference theme, “Making Knowledge, Making History: Producing the Indonesian Past, Present and Future,” invites scholars, students, artists, and practitioners to explore how Indonesia has been imagined, studied, and narrated across time. Knowledge and history are never neutral–they are made, remade, and contested through the shifting dynamics of power, place, and perspective. We seek to open a space for critical reflection on how diverse disciplines of studying Indonesia have been constructed: by whom, for whom, and to what ends. From colonial archives to digital media, from indigenous epistemologies to regional and global scholarship, the production of knowledge about Indonesia reveals enduring tensions between authority and agency, memory and forgetting, locality and universality. How have academic disciplines, state institutions, and communities contributed to the shaping of Indonesia’s intellectual landscapes? How might alternative ways of knowing—oral traditions, government databases, visual cultures, statistical analyses, performative practices, activist archives, or legal discourse—challenge established narratives and foreshadow new futures

We welcome papers and presentations from across disciplines and subjects, including but not limited to:

History, psychology, anthropology, and sociology
Environmental studies, geography, disaster management
Literature, linguistics, language learning, and cultural studies
Business, economic analysis, and legal studies
Education, pedagogy, public health and welfare studies
Labor and migration
Energy, science and technology
Religious studies and philosophy
Art, media, and performance studies
Policy analysis and political science, and regional studies [including ASEAN]
Family, gender and sexuality
Museum, heritage, indigenous, and archival studies

Proposals for panels and presentations engaging with this theme or on any other theme focusing on Indonesia and its place in the world are welcomed. Abstracts are accepted in Indonesian and English.

Abstract Submission Portal

Deadline for Submission of Paper Presentations:

February 8, 2026 - 11:59pm ET

Deadline for Organized Panel, Roundtable and Book Talks:

March 22, 2026 - 11:59pm ET

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Applications for SEASSI 2026 are now open!

Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 20:53:22 +0000

Applications for SEASSI 2026 are now open! Elizabeth Williams Tue, 11/04/2025 - 13:53

June 15–August 7, 2026

Live online and in-person options

Study one of nine Southeast Asian languages in a proficiency-driven program hosted by UW–Madison. Earn 8 credits in just 8 weeks while building real-world communication skills through small classes, cultural activities, and professional development.

Funding opportunities:

SEAFLI (Southeast Asian Flagship Languages Initiative): Fully funded Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese programs that continue abroad in Fall 2026. Tuition, housing, meals, airfare, and more are covered through the Boren Awards.

SEAP Undergraduate Scholarship: Cornell’s Southeast Asia Program offers a scholarship to support one undergraduate student studying a Southeast Asian language through SEASSI.

Learn more and apply: https://seassi.wisc.edu

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Event - South Asian Forum on the Acquisition and Processing of Language (SAFAL) 2025

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:48:54 +0000

Event - South Asian Forum on the Acquisition and Processing of Language (SAFAL) 2025 Elizabeth Williams Mon, 11/03/2025 - 13:48

Dates: 17-19 November 2025

· Venue: Boulder CO (as well as virtual participation via Zoom)

· Website: /conference/safal2025/

· Registration: Register for free to attend in person or receive a link to participate virtually: /conference/safal2025/registration-safal-conference

We invite you to participate in the 'South Asian Forum on the Acquisition and Processing of Language (SAFAL) 2025'. The conference will bring together researchers investigating South Asian languages to exchange ideas in different domains of psycholinguistic inquiry including language acquisition, language processing, multilingualism, and literacy development.

The meeting will be held in hybrid modality to allow for broad participation by students and researchers. Participants can attend remotely or in person at the �鶹��Ѱ�� (USA) between 17-19 November 2025. Please register for the conference if you wish to attend, there are no registration fees.

The conference includes six keynote lectures by prominent researchers on the topics of first language acquisition and processing, multilingualism, and literacy. In addition, two tutorial presentations on the documentation of child language in diverse communities and demystifying the publication process will be delivered by leading experts in the field.

The titles and abstracts of invited and submitted presentation as well as the schedule of talks can be found on the SAFAL conference website: /conference/safal2025/program-and-list-abstracts

Conference organizers:
Sudha Arunachalam, New York University
Albert Kim, �鶹��Ѱ��
Bhuvana Narasimhan, �鶹��Ѱ��

If you have any questions, please contact the conference organizers at safal.boulder.2025@gmail.com

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation as well as support from the Institute of Cognitive Science and the Linguistics Department at the �鶹��Ѱ��.

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10/29 Webinar on Fully Funded Language Study for Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 20:12:40 +0000

10/29 Webinar on Fully Funded Language Study for Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese Elizabeth Williams Mon, 10/27/2025 - 14:12

Upcoming Webinar

An upcoming webinar that may be of interest to students considering intensive language study in Southeast Asia is taking place this coming Wednesday! See below for more details:

The Southeast Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (SEAFLI) is a fully funded program of the Boren Awards sponsored by the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO). These programs are open to undergraduate Boren Scholars and graduate Boren Fellows and offer intensive language training in Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian.

SEAFLI programs include:

· Language and Cultural immersion programs during the summer (domestic) and fall (overseas) that award academic credit from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

· Coursework tailored to all levels, including beginners

· Opportunities to achieve rapid proficiency gains in languages highly sought-after in the federal workforce

· Optional spring funding for self-designed language study and research or internships

Webinar Details:

Introduction to the Regional Flagship Language Initiatives (AFLI & SEAFLI)

Date: Wednesday, October 29

Time: 1:00-2:00 PM Central Time

Register here to attend the Webinar

This webinar, hosted by IIE, will provide students with detailed information about these intensive language programs and the application process.

Please feel free to share this information with interested parties.

SEASSI Applications Open Soon

The application cycle for Summer 2026 will open in the coming weeks!

Stay in the loop by following us on social media:

Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Email questions to:
seassi@lpo.wisc.edu

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Deadline for submissions to CfP for ASCJ 2026 is approaching

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 20:11:45 +0000

Deadline for submissions to CfP for ASCJ 2026 is approaching Elizabeth Williams Mon, 10/27/2025 - 14:11

Asian Studies Conference Japan (ASCJ)

JULY 4-5, 2026

Sophia University

The Executive Committee of the Asian Studies Conference Japan (ASCJ) invites proposals for panels, roundtables, and individual papers for the 2026 ASCJ Conference. The conference will be held at Sophia University on Saturday and Sunday, 4–5 July 2026.

As in past years, all presentations must be delivered in English. Proposals may be submitted online from 1 September and 31 October 2025. Results will be announced by late December 2025.

Starting this year, the Executive Committee is implementing changes to the online panel and roundtable proposal entry forms and to the conference's session format guidelines. Prospective organizers should carefully review the details on the “Proposal Submission Form” page (https://ascjapan.org/conference/call-for-papers/) before finalizing their proposals.

The forms and further information are available at:

https://ascjapan.org/conference/.

Submission Categories:

1. The ASCJ Executive Committee has added a new “Discipline” entry field to the Panel and Individual Paper forms to facilitate processing of submissions for internal review. The Executive Committee realizes that some proposals may be multi-disciplinary in nature. Therefore, while organizers are asked to indicate only one “Discipline,” this will not influence the evaluation of your proposal.

The disciplines are: “Religion and Intellectual History”; “Literature”; “Art, Culture, and Media”; “History”; “Politics and Economics; Other”; and “Sociology and Anthropology.”

Panels (max. 5 participants): 1 chair; 3–4 presenters; (and preferably) 1 discussant. Each abstract has a maximum of 250 words (both the session abstract and each paper abstract). The chair may also serve as a presenter or discussant.

Roundtables (max. 5 participants): 1 chair; 3 to 5 discussants. Roundtable proposal applications should include an abstract of a maximum of 350 words that includes each discussant’s position on the topic being discussed. (While one role per participant is strongly preferred, the chair may also serve as a roundtable speaker if necessary; in such a case, there must be at least 4 roundtable speakers.)

Individual Papers: paper title, an abstract no longer than 250 words, and the name(s) of the presenters. While any person may submit a proposal for an Individual Paper presentation, a strong preference is given to those submitted by advanced graduate students or those who have completed their PhDs within the last two to three years.

2. The ASCJ Executive Committee will adopt “two appearances/one paper rule” as follows:

a. A participant may serve as chair of up to two organized panels or roundtables.

b. A participant may serve as a discussant on up to two organized panels or roundtables.

c. A participant may chair one session and be a discussant in another.

d. Each participant may present in only one organized panel or individual paper session.

The Executive Committee asks the organizer of each panel or roundtable proposal to inform their prospective participants of these conditions prior to submitting their proposal. Participants are expected to limit their panel or roundtable commitments to meet these conditions.

3. Each session will have a new time limit of 90 minutes. (Previous conferences allowed 120 minutes.) Panel and roundtable organizers must consider this time frame when finalizing the number of participants for their submission.

Since 2014, the ASCJ has awarded the Linda Grove Graduate Paper Prize. For details on this competition, please see the “Conference” section of the ASCJ website. To be considered for this prize, a student must be enrolled in a degree program at a Japanese university and be accepted as a presenter at the ASCJ 2026 Conference. The deadline for submission of the completed paper is 15 June 2026. The winner will be announced at the time of the keynote lecture.

The Executive Committee looks forward to seeing you in Tokyo in 2026.

Submit a Paper Proposal

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International Education Week: StudyColorado Photo Contest 2025

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:29:19 +0000

International Education Week: StudyColorado Photo Contest 2025 Elizabeth Williams Mon, 10/27/2025 - 11:29

Please email your photo or video to: erin.mcdonnell@dhe.state.co.us by November 12.
Please include your first name, institution, field of study and home country with the photo or video

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AIIS Research Fellowship Competition

Elizabeth Williams — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:47:16 +0000

AIIS Research Fellowship Competition Elizabeth Williams Thu, 10/23/2025 - 08:47

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