Speaker registration is now open for the workshop in Beirut “The Changing and Enduring Face of the Ancient Near East: The Impact of Migration and Imperialism through the Ages”

Are you a selected speaker in the workshop? Please register to the workshop through the form below. The registration is open until the 23^rd of May. (Note! This is not a registration for the general audience. Registration period for the general audience is from 15.6.-31.7.).

The workshop is held on the 24-25^th of August in Beirut, Lebanese National Library. The programme is followed by a day-long excursion to the Bekaa valley on the 26^th of August.

This event is jointly organized by the Finnish Institute in the Middle East (FIME) and the University of Helsinki’s Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires (ANEE). 

Costs

The workshop is free of charge for the selected speakers and audience. 

A modest fee for the excursion to the Bekaa valley will be requested from those who wish to participate.

Attendees are kindly asked to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses, but FIME will be happy to provide advice and assistance in finding accommodation. 

Coffee breaks and lunch will be offered at the venue. Dinner is not included. 

A walking tour of Beirut, as well as two museum visits will be arranged on August 24 & 25. The latter include the National Museum of Beirut and the American University of Beirut Archaeological Museum. Transportation to and from the museums as well as entrance fees for registered participants will be covered by the workshop organizers.

Should you have additional questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact the organizers at sandra.nassereldine@fime.fi.

You can see the ended Call for Papers as well as more information about the workshop and practicalities here.

The TelepART-Science Middle East is now open for applications! 

The Finnish Institute in the Middle East TelepART-Science funding programme helps early career researchers to travel and present their work internationally. It is a low-threshold micro-funding format aimed for Finland-based researchers travelling to the Middle East and North Africa.  

TelepART funding is open for applications throughout the year and decisions are made within two weeks of a successfully submitted application. TelepART-funding can be applied for travel, accommodation, and conference/participation fees. The minimum amount that can be applied for is 100€ and the maximum amount is 1000€. 

Run by the Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes, the TelepART platform hopes to generate more research exchange opportunities between Finland and other countries. 

TelepART funding promotes international movement of researchers in all fields of science. Grants will only be considered in cases where the applicant will have an active role, e.g., as a speaker with an accepted paper. Applicants must be able to demonstrate the relevance and value of the event for their ongoing research and career development.  

The application will be evaluated by academic merit, significance of the funding for the applicant’s professional activities, the amount of funding applied for and the budget balance as well as the impact of the project on the quality and quantity of academic exchange between Finland and the specified country. In order to be eligible for the grant, both the researcher and the event organiser must have a preliminary commitment to the visit. 

More information about the TelepART Science Mobility Support here. 

Apply for the TelepART Science here. 

Thank you for supporting and enabling the TelepART project: Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Wihuri Foundation and the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. 

You can find TelepART events in social media with the hashtag #telepart. 

Dima Smaira aloitti FIMEn residenssitutkijana

Dr Dima Smaira on aloittanut työskentelyn Suomen Lähi-idän instituutin kevään 2022 residenssitutkijana. Kolmen kuukauden mittainen residenssi tarjoaa tutkijoille tilaisuuden keskittyä omaan tutkimukseensa osana instituutin työyhteisöä Beirutissa. Tämän lisäksi residenssitutkijat järjestävät oman tutkimuksensa aihepiiriin liittyvän aktiviteetin paikalliselle ja kansainväliselle akateemiselle yleisölle.

Residenssitutkijaohjelma herätti paljon mielenkiintoa Libanonin akateemisessa yhteisössä, ja ohjelmaan saapui suuri määrä korkeatasoisia hakemuksia useilta eri tutkimusaloilta. Olemme kiitollisia kaikille hakijoille tilaisuudesta tutustua heidän tutkimusprojekteihinsa.

Paljon onnea Dima ja lämpimästi tervetuloa instituuttiin!

Dima Smaira työskentelee tuntiopettajana Beirutin amerikkalaisen yliopiston (AUB) politiikan ja julkishallinnon laitoksella sekä itsenäisenä tutkijana. Hän on ollut post doc-tutkijana Durhamin yliopiston maantieteen laitoksella sekä vierailevana tutkijana Lontoon King’s Collegessa. Dima on kiinnostunut tilallisesta ja arkisesta käänteestä kansainvälisten suhteiden sekä rauhan- ja konfliktitutkimuksessa. Hän käyttää tutkimuksessaan sekä perinteisiä laadullisia että osallistavia etnografisia menetelmiä, mukaan lukien digitaalista tarinankerrontaa ja kartoitusta. Hänen tutkimuksensa keskittyy nuorisoon ja kansalaisuuteen syvästi jakautuneissa yhteiskunnissa, sekä arkiseen rauhaan ja turvallisuuteen Libanonissa, erityisesti Beirutin eteläisissä lähiöissä (Dahiyeh). Dima on myös jäsen Khaddit Beirutissa (Beirut Shake-up), reformi- ja toipumishankkeessa, joka käynnistettiin Beirutin sataman räjähdyksen jälkeen vuonna 2020 (https://khadditbeirut.com/).

Call for Applications – FIME Launches New Resident Scholar Programme for Lebanon-based Academics

Photo: Taavi Sundell

The Finnish Institute in the Middle East in Beirut, Lebanon, is excited to announce the launching of its Resident Scholar -programme. The application period for two three-month positions as a resident scholar for the 2021 autumn semester is now open. The deadline for the applications is 30.04.2021.

FINNISH INSTITUTE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The Finnish Institute in the Middle East (FIME) is an academic institute located in Badaro, Beirut. FIME is one of the four Finnish academic institutes located outside of Finland. As well as conducting academic research, FIMEs activities include supporting and facilitating Middle East studies in Finnish universities, organising education in co-operation with universities in Finland and the Middle East, and advancing academic and cultural co-operation between Finland and the countries of the Middle East. For us, Middle East studies cover a wide range of topics from archeology to contemporary politics in a geographic region which includes the Arabic-speaking countries of the North Africa as well as Turkey and the Persian Gulf.

RESIDENT SCHOLAR

During your three months as a full-time resident scholar, you can pursue your own academic research without any administrative duties as a full member of our small collegial work community in Badaro, Beirut. The term runs from September until the end of November. You will have your own workspace as well as access to other resources FIME provides for its staff. These include our small library, technical equipment and seminar room. In case the corona pandemic continues to pose restrictions, you might conduct your work remotely.

As well as conducting your own research, you will also execute an activity aimed at the academic and/or general audience. This can take the form of organizing a small academic or cultural event in Lebanon or online or, for example, popularizing your own research in writing or in podcast-form through FIMEs platforms.

WHO CAN APPLY

You are a Lebanon-based scholar fluent in English, hold a PhD in a relevant field of study, and have a solid track record of conducting academic research on the Middle East. While the position is not limited to junior scholars, we are especially interested in applications from scholars who have received their PhD within the last five years (30.04.2016 or later).

COMPENSATION

As a resident scholar, you will receive a monthly salary of 3 000 USD.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your application containing the following documents in English to director@fime.fi:

— Academic curriculum vitae (max 4 pages)

— Official graduate transcripts

— Description of the research project and its outputs to be worked on as a resident scholar (max 5 pages), including the relevance of this position for its successful execution

— Proposal for a small activity aimed at local academic and/or general audience (max 1 page)

— Two reference letters

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed online 17.-19.5.

See the Resident Scholar 2021 – FAQ page for answers to most frequently asked questions.

For further inquiries concerning the position and the application process, please contact: institute@fime.fi

Published 31.3.2021.