The board of the Foundation of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East awarded two research residency grants, three travel grants, three grants for Arabic Language Courses, and the Aimo T. Nikolainen grant for ecumenical research (funded by the Ordo Sancti Constantini Magni of Finland) at its meeting on March 25, 2025.
The decision was difficult, as we received a total of 50 excellent grant applications. We thank all applicants! In total, grants amounting to €20,520 were awarded to nine researchers or students.
The travel grants will support research on skateboarding and youth culture in Morocco, residence permit and visa practices in Lebanon, and the imaging of charred papyri from Petra. The research residency grants will enable visits to Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar to deepen understanding of the Hanbali school of Islamic law, and to Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Turkey to study waste management and maintenance practices in Early Neolithic Central Anatolia. The Aimo T. Nikolainen grant was awarded for doctoral research examining relations between the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and Protestant churches in the GDR during the Cold War.
Warm congratulations to all grant recipients!