Intensive Course on Sayyids/Sharifs: The Kinsfolk of the Prophet in Muslim Societies
Princeton, March 15-19, 2010
Over the last few years, the Near Eastern Studies Department at Princeton University has organized a series of short, intensive courses on topics not normally taught on campus: Arabic manuscripts, Islamic coins, Arabic papyri, Middle Iranian philology, and Arabic dialectology. In each case, an internationally recognized expert has been brought in to teach the course over a period of five weekdays during the midterm break of the Spring semester.
This coming spring we plan to offer such a course on the kinsfolk of the Prophet in Muslim societies. The course will take place during the mid-term break at Princeton, starting on Monday March 15, and ending on Friday, March 19, 2010. The instructor will be Professor Kazuo Morimoto of the University of Tokyo. The main focus of his research has been on Sayyid/Sharif lineages in medieval Iran, but the course will range much more widely over Muslim societies, past and present. It will combine a broad introduction to the field with concrete experience working over texts relating to particular times and places.
Students taking the course need to have a reading knowledge of one major Islamic language.
The course is primarily intended for graduate students at Princeton and other universities, in the United states and elsewhere, but advanced undergraduates and junior academics are not precluded from applying. Unfortunately, in order to maintain the character of these courses we have to limit the number of places. However, as in past years, we hope to be able to extend some assistance to students from out of town with respect to the expenses of travel and accommodation.
To apply, email me (mcook@princeton.edu). Give the following, starting each item on a separate line:
(1) your name
(2) your institution (university and department)
(3) your current status (e.g. third-year graduate student)
(4) a brief sketch of your interests
(5) your actual or anticipated dissertation topic
(6) the name of your adviser
(7) the languages you are able to read
(8) your reasons for wanting to take the course
(9) your preferred phone number
(10) your preferred street address
(11) your citizenship
The deadline for applying is October 31st. We will let you know whether you have a place by December 1st.
If you know of others who might be interested in the course, feel free to forward this message to them.
Michael Cook
Previous courses:
(5) 2009 (March 16-20):
Topic: Arabic dialectology
Instructor: Professor Dr Otto Jastrow (Tallinn)
(4) 2008 (March 17-21):
Topic: Middle Iranian philology
Instructor: Professor Nicholas Sims-Williams (SOAS, University of
London)
(3) 2007 (March 19-23):
Topic: Arabic papyri
Instructor: Professor Geoffrey Khan (Cambridge)
(2) 2006 (March 20-24):
Topic: Islamic coins
Instructor: Dr Lutz Ilisch (Tübingen)
(1) 2004 (October 25-29):
Topic: Arabic manuscripts
Instructor: Dr Adam Gacek (McGill)
