About the summer school
This Summer Institute for college and university teachers will explore Islam as an evolving system of thought and practice in South and Southeast Asia, including its impacts on social dynamics, the arts and politics. Striking a balance between the needs for both breadth and depth in engaging traditions that are culturally and historically distant, the Institute has been designed for educators from community colleges, liberal arts colleges and universities who are interested in exploring Islam’s origins in the Middle East, the history of its spread throughout South and Southeast Asia, and its place in contemporary Asia. With a stress on deep and context-rich engagement with key traditions, practices and primary texts (in translation), the four-week, multidisciplinary program will enable participants to develop curricular materials applicable across a wide range of humanities disciplines, including religion, philosophy, history, art history and literature. Applicants accepted into the program will receive a $3,300 stipend to help defray the costs of participation.
At a structural level, the program is organized geographically, historically and thematically. Beginning with Islam’s origins on the Arabian peninsula in the early 7th century and its early developments in the Middle East, the first two weeks of the program will examine the early evolution and spread of Islam into South and Southeast Asia from the especially the 9th to 14th centuries. Building on these geographic and historical foundations, the program will then explore key issues in the transmission and evolution of Islamic thought, practice and culture in Asia. The final week will be organized around “case studies” of Islamic encounters with global modernity. Throughout, the aim will be to generate a richly interactive intellectual environment, carefully combining lectures and discussions led by some of the best teacher-scholars in the field with weekly film screenings, museum visits, small group discussions, and individual curriculum development meetings with the Institute Directors.
Who Should Apply
To apply for the Islam in Asia Institute, you must meet the NEH eligibility criteria. In addition to full time faculty at American 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, the program is also open to non-tenure-track/adjunct faculty members.
In keeping with the ASDP mission of enhancing undergraduate Asian studies, we especially welcome applications from faculty who demonstrate a personal commitment to teaching excellence and whose institutions are committed to expanding and enhancing engagement with Asian content throughout the humanities and social sciences.
Because the program is designed to offer a broad introduction to Islam while also providing a context for more in-depth exploration of specific regional traditions and historical dynamics in South and Southeast Asia, no prior training in Islamic or Asian studies is expected. We also do not expect training in Asian languages. A guiding principle of the selection process will be to include people from a wide range of disciplines to become co-creators of a truly diverse community of inquiry. This will likely include people with substantial graduate Asian area studies training, but also people with no such training. We also anticipate including both people with academic and/or personal commitments to the study of Islam, but also people completely new to studying and teaching about Islam. In the end, we are looking for a group of people who will enthusiastically explore how to turn differences into opportunities for mutual contribution.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
These projects are designed primarily for teachers of American undergraduate students. Qualified independent scholars and those employed by museums, libraries, historical societies, and other organizations may be eligible to compete provided they can effectively advance the teaching and research goals of the seminar or institute.
Applicants must be United States citizens, residents of U.S. jurisdictions, or foreign nationals who have been residing in the United States or its territories for at least the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Foreign nationals teaching abroad at non-U.S. chartered institutions are not eligible to apply.
Please note: At least three seminar spaces and at least five institute spaces are reserved for non-tenure-track/adjunct faculty members.
An applicant need not have an advanced degree in order to qualify. Adjunct and part-time lecturers are eligible to apply. Individuals may not apply to an NEH Summer Seminar or Institute whose director is affiliated with the same institution or is a family member. Individuals must not apply to seminars directed by scholars with whom they have studied. Institute selection committees are advised that only under the most compelling and exceptional circumstances may an individual participate in an institute with a director or a lead faculty member who has guided that individual’s research or in whose previous institute or seminar he or she has participated.
To be considered eligible, applicants must submit a complete application. This includes an NEH cover sheet and the additional materials requested on the individual seminar or institute website.
NEH Stipend
Participants will receive a total stipend of $3,300 to help meet costs associated with attending the Institute, including travel, housing, meals, and required Institute texts. A stipend check will be disbursed on the first day of the Institute. Participants accepted into the program are expected to attend all sessions, arriving on June 11, 2017.
The Application Process. If you decide to apply for admission to the Institute, please use the guidelines and cover sheet provided by the NEH which is available below. NEH no longer requires reference letters, but does request that you provide contact information for two references. The postmark submission deadline is March 1, 2017.
Applicants will be notified about the status of their applications on March 31, 2017.
In addition to the NEH coversheet, you must submit an application package to ASDP for review by the Institute selection committee. This package should include your CV and an essay (up to 1,500 words) in which you provide us with relevant information about your personal and academic background; your reasons for applying to this particular program; how you anticipate participation in the Institute to impact your teaching, research, and/or writing projects; a summary of how you anticipate you might contribution to the Institute community; and a statement about how you expect your participation in the program to further the development of Asian studies at your school.
Three sets of applications, including hard copy of the NEH coversheet, your CV and essay, should be mailed to the following address:
East-West Center
Asian Studies Development Program
Attn: Audrey Minei, ASDP Secretary
East West Center, JAB 2134
1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96848-1601
Steps to Submitting Your Application Electronically
We must receive your application by March 1, 2017, 11:59pm HST.
Have the following documents ready (we ask that you add your name to the document file names in this way: MILLER John Cover Sheet.pdf; SMITH Jane Application Essay.pdf):
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NEH Cover Sheet
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Application essay
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CV
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References contact information
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Click on the secure upload link above
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Click on “Choose Files”
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Select documents on your computer to upload. You may upload one document at a time or you may choose multiple documents by pressing and holding the Ctrl button
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Click “open” to upload selected documents
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Check to see that all the documents are uploaded. Enter your first and last names,
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Upon a successful submission, you will receive an email notification.
For more information click "Further official information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.asdp-islaminasia.org