Graduate Section Events
Upcoming Events
Navigating Postdoctoral Funding and Applications in Middle East Studies
Date: 29 May 2025 | Time: 14.00 to 15.30 BST | Location: Zoom
Navigating Postdoctoral Funding and Applications in Middle East Studies is a virtual panel hosted by the BRISMES Graduate Section, bringing together five scholars from across the UK to share their experiences applying for postdoctoral positions and funding opportunities. With speakers from a range of disciplinary backgrounds and institutions, the panel will offer practical guidance and reflections for graduate students and early career researchers interested in pursuing postdoctoral pathways in Middle East Studies. The event will include short presentations followed by an open Q&A.
Speakers:
- Aya Nassar (Durham University)
- Chihab El Khachab (University of Oxford)
- Balsam Mustafa (Cardiff University)
- Mete Uysal (University of Exeter)
- Kaouter Ghilani (University of Cambridge)
Chairs:
- Motasem Abuzaid (University of Oxford)
- Yara Zebian (University of Sussex)
Past Events
Conducting Field Research in the Middle East
Date: 25 January 2023
This was the third in a series of joint BRISMES-CBRL mentoring events for members. Targeting postgraduate students and early career researchers, these on-line events offer practical advice and support from specialists, equipping the next generation of Middle East scholars with the insights needed to get ahead in their research and careers. This event will focussed on the subject of “Conducting Field Research in the Middle East” and featured a diverse line-up of academics from different disciplinary backgrounds who also utilize different methodological research techniques in their work.
BRISMES-Balfour Project Event: Peace Advocacy Fellowship Presentation and Q&A
Date: 7 September 2022
This event, organised by BRISMES and the Balfour Project, was an opportunity for postgraduate students and final year undergraduate students, who were interested applying for the Balfour Project Peace Advocacy Fellowship, to meet the team, learn about the fellowship, and ask questions about it! To find out more about the content and expectations for the 2022/23 Fellowship programme, please read the Balfour Project Call for Fellows. The Fellowship is open to final year undergraduate and postgraduate students based in the UK who are committed to the Balfour Project Approach. As a fellow, you will be given the opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the work of the Balfour Project by campaigning for peace on the basis of the charity’s approach within your academic institution and more generally.
BRISMES-CBRL mentoring event: Getting Published in an Academic Journal
Date: 6 April 2022
This was the second in a series of joint BRISMES-CBRL mentoring events. Targeting postgraduate students and early career researchers, these on-line events offer practical advice and support from specialists, equipping the next generation of Middle East scholars with the insights needed to get ahead in their research and careers. This event featured a line-up of academic journal editors from diverse disciplinary backgrounds providing insight and feedback on the process of getting published in today’s competitive academic environment.
Doctoral Journeys (Hybrid Event)
Date: 17 March 2022
This hybrid event organised by the Middle East and North Africa Centre at Sussex (MENACS) and co-sponsored by the BRISMES Graduate Section featured three Sussex doctoral finalists talking about their experiences as international doctoral researchers at Sussex.
BRISMES–CBRL mentoring event: Applying for Funding and Securing a Post-doc
Date: 13 October 2021
This was the first in a series of co-organised annual mentoring events for members of BRISMES and the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL). October’s mentoring event focussed on the topic of applying for funding and securing a post-doctoral fellowship. This event brought together five speakers from a range of disciplines and institutions currently engaged in the review of academic funding opportunities for scholars of the Middle East (including post-docs), or with experience of successfully securing such funding.
Publishing in Leading MENA-Focused Journals in the UK and the USA
The Middle East and North Africa Centre at Sussex (MENACS) hosted this joint talk by the Editors of two prominent MENA-focused peer-reviewed journals in the UK and the USA: Dr Lloyd Ridgeon, Reader in Islamic Studies (Glasgow) and Editor of the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies and Dr Andrew Arsan, Reader in Arab and Mediterranean History (Cambridge) and one of the Editors of Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studies. The Editors shared information about the history, aims and scopes of their journals, compared peer-reviewed publishing in the UK and the USA, provided tips on submitting manuscripts and took questions from the audience.
The event was organised by Dr Feras Alkabani, Lecturer in Arabic and Comparative Literature and Co-Director of MENACS (Sussex).
Thinking about publishing your first academic article or book?
This event brought together a number of academics from disciplines including the humanities, politics and international studies, and specialists from the academic publishing sector to discuss the process behind publishing your first academic journal article or book. The event offered an opportunity for students interested in pursuing an academic or related career in Middle East Studies to engage with established scholars and publishing specialists, learn from their advice and experiences, and find out about the differences between journal publication and preparing your first book manuscript.
Securing a post-doc position after your PhD: Demystifying the application process
This event brought together three academics who have successfully secured post-doctoral positions (with Leverhulme; British Academy and Cambridge JRF) and an academic mentor who has supported a successful application. The event offered an opportunity for students and ECRs interested in pursuing an academic career to find out about the various post-doc tracks that are available and to learn from the experiences of our panellists.
Useful resources shared during the event:
BRISMES Student Mentoring Event
Our first online event offered an opportunity for students interested in pursuing an academic or related non-academic career in Middle East studies to engage with scholars, learn from their experiences, and exchange dialogue on issues of interest. Mentors covered a range of themes including integration into the academic community; development of teaching and scholarship; creative collaboration; leadership and activism; and writing and publishing.
Database of Expertise
The Database of Expertise in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies provides a publicly available list of MENA experts with their research and areas of expertise.
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