KU Leuven PHD Studentship: Interreligious Dialogue in Morocco (Belgium)

“Studentships“
PhD studentship: Anthropological study on interreligious dialogue in Morocco, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Deadline: 16 October 2026.

The Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology and the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at the KU Leuven are seeking a doctoral researcher to conduct ethnographic research on interreligious dialogue, Jewish-Muslim heritage, and education in Morocco. This PhD project is part of a larger research project entitled “Interreligious Dialogue between Promise and Power: A Comparative Study of Belgium/Flanders and Morocco”. You will be part of an interdisciplinary and comparative research team (2 PhD’s and one postdoc) combining expertise in theology, anthropology, religious studies, and education. The project is a collaboration between the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology of the Faculty of Social Sciences at KU Leuven, under the supervision of Prof. Nadia Fadil and Prof. Marianne Moyeart and the external supervision of Professor Farid El Asri of the Université Internationale de Rabat. As a researcher in this project, you will be affiliated to the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology (DSCA). The DSCA conducts state-of-the art anthropological research on a wide set of themes such as urbanity, super diversity, religion, mobility etc. As a PhD candidate you will also be affiliated to the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, a globally recognised historic center of theological education.

Interreligious dialogue (IRD) is often presented as a means of fostering mutual understanding, tolerance, and social cohesion. This project critically examines how dialogue is shaped by broader relations of power, history, and governance, while questioning the dominant European and Christian assumptions that often underpin contemporary understandings of religious diversity and coexistence. Through qualitative and ethnographic research in Southern Morocco, you will investigate how Jewish-Muslim encounters, religious diversity, and practices of coexistence are experienced and negotiated in schools, heritage sites, and community initiatives. Particular attention will be paid to Islamic ethical traditions, shared Amazigh heritage, and contemporary efforts to promote interreligious dialogue and pluralism. By bringing Moroccan experiences into conversation with parallel research in Flanders, the project aims to develop a more plural and globally informed understanding of dialogue, highlighting how different religious, cultural, and historical traditions shape the ways people engage with religious difference in everyday life You will be part of an interdisciplinary and comparative research team combining expertise in theology, anthropology, religious studies, and education. The project is a collaboration between the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology of the Faculty of Social Sciences at KU Leuven, under the supervision of Prof. Nadia Fadil and Prof. Marianne Moyeart and the external supervision of Professor Farid El Asri of the Université Internationale de Rabat.

CFP ICA 2027: Intercultural Communication Division (Scotland)

ConferencesCall for papers: Intercultural Communication Division, International Communication Association, Glasgow, Scotland, 3-7 June 2027. Deadline: 1 November 2026.

The Intercultural Communication (ICC) Division welcomes research that applies, extends, or develops theory, method, and analysis to explore how communication intersects with culture in local, national, international, and transnational contexts. They are committed to supporting interdisciplinary research that examines culture, identity, history, and geopolitical relations, and especially invite work grounded in non-Western, decolonial, Indigenous, and underrepresented perspectives from across the globe. The division is committed to a range of theoretical and methodological approaches and welcomes proposals using quantitative, qualitative, mixed, and critical approaches.

In line with this year’s conference theme, “Centering the Human: Communication in an Age of Uncertainty,” organizers welcome empirical, theoretical, and methodological contributions that explore how identity, culture, and intergroup communication function as both sites of vulnerability and sources of resilience in times of profound uncertainty. As we navigate an era defined by rapid technological changes, geopolitical instability, and environmental crises, our division seeks to critically examine what it means to “center the human”.

They therefore invite submissions that interrogate how intercultural communication research can center human identity and agency. Submission may address, but are not limited to the following questions at the intersection of the conference theme and intercultural communication:

  • How do algorithmic platforms, AI, and digital media reconfigure cultural identities, indigenous knowledge systems, and localized expressions of agency?

  • In what ways do automated systems reproduce or challenge cultural, historical, colonial, and geopolitical power dynamics?

  • How do diverse cultural communities conceptualize, communicate about, and adapt to climate changes and environmental displacement?

  • What communication strategies foster empathy, solidarity, and collaborative problem-solving between dominant and marginalized communities during crises?

  • How are shifting borders, migration, and diasporic communication redefining belonging and intercultural contact in uncertain times?

European U Institute: Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellowships (Italy)

Postdocs

Max Weber postdoctoral fellowships, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, Italy. Deadline: 16 October 2026.

The Max Weber Programme (MWP) at the European University Institute (EUI) is a unique postdoctoral programme in the historical, humanities and social sciences. It is open to applicants who are within 5 years from the completion of their PhD, from anywhere in the world, regardless of nationality. The Programme is highly selective, with an annual acceptance rate of <2%. A cohort consists typically of around 65 Fellows across the different academic units of the EUI (Economics, History, Law, Political and Social Sciences, the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies or the Florence School of Transnational Governance). Preference is given to applicants who have only just completed their doctorate and have not had a postdoctoral fellowship before. Selected Fellows will benefit from the stimulating combination of a global programme located in the heart of Europe offering a broad menu of multidisciplinary and disciplinary activities.

The Programme awards 1- and 2-year fellowships according to the hosting academic units. Only in exceptional cases, support is extended for a third year (e.g. Fellows in the Department of Economics may be eligible, as well as Fellows selected for the CIVICA exchange (see section on Special Fellowships)).

Voices from the Field #6: Reflections on Feminist-Alternative Media, Peace Communication, and Intercultural Dialogue

Voices from the Field

Reflections on Feminist-Alternative Media, Peace Communication, and Intercultural Dialogue: A conversation with Nazan Haydari.

In the following conversation, Dr. Nazan Haydari, a founding member of the Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Professor of Media at Istanbul Bilgi University, Türkiye, reflects upon the nature and dynamics among feminist-alternative media, peace communication, and intercultural dialogue.

I would encourage colleagues to think beyond just creating individual moments of intercultural dialogue. A successful workshop, exhibition, or meeting may open a conversation, but the more difficult question is what remains when it ends. We need to build structures through which relationships, knowledge, and collaboration can continue. Dialogue should have an afterlife.

Casey Man Kong Lum, Associate Director, CID

Download the entire post as a PDF.

Yale-China: Program Officer (USA)

“Job

Program Officer, Yale-China Association, New Haven, CT, USA. Deadline: open until filled.

The Yale-China Association is growing and seeks to hire a Program Officer to support the Arts and Education Programs, based at headquarters on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Education Programs and the Head of Arts Initiatives, the Program Officer works to support and help implement current and new Yale-China programs mainly in the fields of arts and education in New Haven and in China, as well as support other Yale-China work and initiatives from time-to-time. This is a full-time, in-person position in the New Haven office.

Responsibilities

  • Support recruitment and selection of program participants from China coming to the US and from the US going to China, including orientation and training and program execution, mainly in the Arts and Education programs.

  • Coordinate program participant travel to and from China, including pre-travel orientation, arrangement of local and international booking, visa application, project disbursements, and grant reporting.

  • Serve as “organizational host” and primary point of contact for Artist Fellows from China during their 6-month residency in New Haven, including their acclimation to local housing and daily needs and integration to social and professional networks.

  • Write and prepare program reports, briefs, presentations, and papers.

  • Prepare financial materials and documentation for budgets, grants and reports, and submit payment vouchers for disbursement.

  • Create, maintain, and update programs-related content for Yale-China’s social media, website, and promotional materials.

  • Organize meetings/events/conferences with Yale-China partners in New Haven, throughout the US, and in China, and make travel plans and logistical arrangements related to such events.

  • Support other program areas and Yale-China activities as needed.

U Nottingham Ningbo: Applied Linguistics and ELT (China)

“JobAssistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and ELT, University of Nottingham in Ningbo, China. Deadline:  9 October 2026.

The School of Education and English is now looking for an ambitious, talented, and experienced academic with a passion for teaching and a well-developed research profile to join its team of scholars in the field of Applied Linguistics, with special emphasis on quantitative analysis and language acquisition. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to teaching, curriculum development and supervision within the undergraduate English and Applied Linguistics programme as well as the following PGT programmes: MA in Applied Linguistics and MA TESOL. There will also be opportunities to provide supervision for growing numbers of PhD and EdD students. The successful candidate will be expected to take a lead role in collaborative research projects, as well as conducting original research of their own that results in presentations and publications of a high international standing in relevant and recognised areas of applied linguistics and ELT.

NYU Abu Dhabi: Humanities Research Fellowship for the Study of the Arab World (UAE)

FellowshipsHumanities Research Fellowship for the Study of the Arab World, NYU Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Deadline: 13 October 2026.

The Humanities Research Fellowship for the Study of the Arab World invites applications from established scholars for its Research Writing Residency, to be held at NYU Abu Dhabi from January 11-29, 2027.

The three-week residency will bring together an international cohort of up to ten scholars to advance an existing research project toward completion. They welcome projects in all areas of the Humanities related to the study of the Arab world, its rich literature and history, its cultural and artistic heritage, and its manifold connections with other cultures. Scholars may work on any type of academic writing, including a research article, book manuscript, chapter, or essay.

The residency is designed for scholars who are already well advanced in a research project and are in the writing, revision, or final stages of completing it. It is not intended for developing or beginning a new research project.

They welcome applications from mid-career and senior academics who are at least five years post-PhD, MFA, or an equivalent terminal degree and have an established record of independent research. Applicants should normally hold an academic position at the level of Associate Professor or equivalent, or above.

The fellowship will cover scholars’ travel to and from Abu Dhabi, accommodation, and meals for the duration of the residency.

CFP ISA 2027: World Congress of Sociology (Korea)

ConferencesCall for papers: World Congress of Sociology, International Sociological Association, Gwangju, Korea, 4-10 July 2027. Deadline: 14 October 2026.

Theme: Global Sociology in Turbulent Times

These are times when, once again, we feel that all that is solid melts into air.

In a rising number of countries, state leaders are promoting distrust in science, and attacks on the social sciences are multiplying. Fake news circulates more widely and with greater impact than research-based analysis. An unprecedented concentration of wealth allows a small number of billionaires to control both mass media and social media. Scientific evidence is being denied in order to dismiss systemic environmental and societal emergencies. National or personal interests and logics of power prevail over the rule of law, international law and human rights, fuelling violence, war and settler colonialism. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the nature of knowledge and intellectual work, introducing tools that may serve both surveillance capitalism and emancipatory projects. On every continent, academic freedom is under threat.

In a world shaped by persistent turbulence and rapid transformations, how can sociology produce knowledge that goes beyond immediate reactions and contributes to a deeper understanding of ongoing changes? The XXI ISA World Congress of Sociology will bring together a global community of researchers driven by the shared conviction that sociology has a crucial role to play in making sense of these turbulent times, by uncovering the social roots of crises and transformations, analysing how inequalities are produced and contested, examining how institutions, democracy and society are reshaped, and understanding how actors, from grassroots movements to global elites, navigate and transform our world.

Global Sociology as an Approach, a Project and a Dialogue

These turbulent times are defined by profound paradoxes. Daily news immerses us in a dystopian reality. Information has never been more accessible, yet misinformation, conspiracies, distrust and surveillance are on the rise. Technological developments, including AI, create unprecedented opportunities, yet also further concentrate power and wealth. Climate change is increasingly tangible in everyday life, yet strategically downplayed or blatantly denied by powerful actors. Deepening global interconnectedness affects all realms of social life and society, yet nationalist visions and racism are gaining strength, fueling fragmentation, conflict, and war.

In this context, one of the core missions of sociology is to analyze this expanding interdependence at the global scale. The planet has become our shared survival unit. The global is more than an abstract analytical scale; it is a condition of shared vulnerability and shared responsibility. The interconnection of ecological, democratic, economic, and geopolitical crises calls for a global sociology capable of engaging with this complexity, moving away from reductionist narratives.

CFP: Transnational Africanisms in Communication

“Publication

Call for book chapters: Transnational Africanisms in Communication: Diasporic Epistemologies and Afrocentric Ways of Knowing Across the Black Diaspora. Deadline: Chapter proposal by 1 November 2026.

Book to be edited by:
Nickesia S. Gordon (Rochester Institute of Technology) and Kehbuma Langmia (Howard University)

Afrocentric communication theory gave the discipline a durable vocabulary for African ways of knowing. Molefi Kete Asante’s concept of nommo, the generative, world-making force of the spoken word, and Ama Mazama’s articulation of the Afrocentric paradigm established that communication could be theorized from an African center rather than measured against a Western monolith. This handbook seeks to build directly on that foundation.

As such, the editors aim to extend the Afrocentric project outward, that is, to follow African epistemologies as they traveled into Lusophone (Portuguese), Hispanophone, and Francophone worlds and into the often-overlooked African diaspora of the Indian Ocean.

European U Institute: Jean Monnet Fellowships (Italy)

FellowshipsJean Monnet fellowships, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, Italy. Deadline: 23 October 2026.

The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies offers one-year Jean Monnet Fellowships to scholars who have obtained their doctorate more than five years prior to the start of the fellowship, i.e., 1 September 2027 for the academic year 2027-28. The Fellowship programme is open to post-docs, tenure-track academics and those wishing to spend their sabbatical at the Centre. The Centre offers up to 20 fellowships a year and invite you to become part of a lively and creative academic community!

Jean Monnet Fellows are selected on the basis of a research proposal and of their CV. The research proposal should fit well with one of the Centre’s main research themes, programmes and projects. More information about the Centre’s research programmes and projects can be found on the Research section.

Jean Monnet Fellows are based at the Robert Schuman Centre and associated with one of the Centre’s projects and programmes. They are expected to actively participate in the academic life of the Centre and contribute to the activities of the project or programme they are associated with. They can take part in the activities of the EUI postdoctoral programme and are encouraged to collaborate with researchers, other postdocs and EUI academic staff.

Those prospective applicants who would like to work with academics based in the Schuman Centre but who obtained their doctorate less than five years ago should consider applying to the Max Weber Programme.