The Byzness, 8th February 2026
Oxford University Byzantine Society
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THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 8th February 2026
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
Dear all,
Time is flying by this Hilary Term. Despite the somewhat dreary weather, I hope everyone is having a lovely and productive term so far.
There are just 20 days until the OUBS 28th International Graduate Conference, Decline and Flourish. We could not be more excited to meet all our speakers and attendees in Oxford at St. Peter’s College and online on February 28th and March 1st.
In more disappointing news, the University of Calgary has announced it will get rid of its Classics and Medieval Studies programmes this year. The Humanities is facing an onslaught of stories like this one, and the OUBS yet again expresses solidarity with impacted students and colleagues, as well as dismay on their behalf.
There is an open call for letters of support and further explanation of the issue issued by the Classical Association of Canada, found here: https://www.cac-scec.ca/2026/01/support-calgary-classics/
Please also sign the petition started by faculty at the University: https://www.change.org/Save_Classics_at_UCalgary.
Over this term, the OUBS will be documenting some of our more exciting endeavours on our social media channels. If you don’t follow us yet, you can find us at the following handles:
Instagram: @ox_byz
Bluesky: @oxunibyzantinesoc.bsky.social
X/Twitter: @oxbyz (if you do follow us on X, we are transitioning over to Bluesky, so please do follow us there in the first instance)
All my very best,
Madeleine.
For those wishing to submit an event, call for papers, job or scholarship opportunity to the Byzness please send details to the committee at byzantin...@gmail.com indicating the relevant list for The Byzness our external to Oxford and year-round newsletter or The Byzantine Lists our Oxford-centered events and circulated only in term-time. Please keep listing brief and include all relevant information in the body of the notice. Outside of exceptional circumstances, we only share events once.
Call for Applications: Vienna Byzantine Greek Summer School (July 13–24)
The Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at the University of Vienna is pleased to accept applications for its second Byzantine Greek Summer School, to be held in person in Vienna 13–24 July 2026, this year as an official univie: summer school. Following up on the success of last year's program, the course will consist of three hours of intensive language instruction in two 90-minute sessions every morning combined with thematic seminars, visits to relevant cultural institutions in Vienna, and professional development sessions in the afternoons.
Morning sessions will be led by John Kee (Harvard University) and Cosimo Paravano (University of Vienna). Leaders of afternoon seminars and tours are tentatively confirmed to include Cristian-Nicolae Gaşpar (Central European University), Krystina Kubina (University of Vienna), Markéta Kulhánková (Czech Academy of Sciences), Johannes Preiser-Kapeller (Austrian Academy of Sciences), Claudia Rapp (University of Vienna/Austrian Academy of Sciences), Alexander Riehle (Harvard University), Giulia Rossetto (University of Vienna), and Nikos Zagklas (University of Vienna). All seminars are scheduled to take place in person.
We welcome applications from BA, MA, and PhD students with interests in any field that benefits from advanced reading skills in Late Antique and Medieval Greek. Applicants are expected to have a minimum of three semesters of university-level Ancient Greek or equivalent; sessions will assume familiarity with the morphology, syntax, and common vocabulary of the classical language. The course will be conducted in English. This year, we are pleased to be able to offer 5 ECTS points for successful completion of the course.
Applications are due by 22 March 2026, with applicants to be informed of the decision by 10 April. The course requires an enrollment fee of 250 €. Participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
We are delighted to be able to offer a limited number of scholarships covering travel and accommodation via reimbursement, as well as waiver of the enrollment fee. Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of both merit and financial need. Students should indicate in their cover letter whether they wish to be considered for a scholarship, as well as whether they have access to funding from their home institution.
How to apply
Applicants should send the following materials to summerscho...@univie.ac.at by 22 March 2026:
- (1)a cover letter in English outlining academic background and interests, including previous experience with Greek and reasons for applying to the course, as well as whether they have access to funding from their university and/or wish to be considered for a scholarship;
- (2)an academic CV in English, including name of one academic reference;
- (3)scans of academic transcripts (in original language).
- (4)In addition,(4) one letter of reference from an academic advisor and/or university teacher of Greek should be sent separately by the referee directly to summerscho...@univie.ac.at by the same date. (This letter should ideally be written in English; students for whom that language requirement is not feasible should reach out to the organizers at the email address above.)
GIS Basics for Byzantinists Workshop Series
Opportunity for Graduate Students and ECRs: GIS Basics for Byzantinists Workshop Series
The Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture and the Byzantine Studies Association of North America are pleased to offer a GIS basics workshop series for graduate students and early career researchers in collaboration with Becky Seifried of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
GIS Basics for Byzantinists Workshop Series | Becky Seifried (University of Massachusetts Amherst) | Zoom | March 13 and March 20, 2026
The GIS Basics for Byzantinists workshop series will provide an introduction to the core concepts of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through participatory sessions geared towards map creation and design. Using QGIS, a free and open-source GIS desktop software package, participants will learn how to create new research data and then transform it into an effective digital or static final map. The sessions are independent, but attending both is recommended to get the most out of the series. Participants are invited to use their own research project or idea as a basis for exploring the tool. Demo data will also be provided if needed. This workshop series is intended for those who have very little or no experience with GIS.
Each workshop is limited to 15 participants. Students enrolled in graduate programs in North America and early career researchers working in North America will be given priority. Registration is first come, first served.
Registration closes March 4, 2026.
Who is eligible?
Graduate students and early career researchers (PhD received after March 2018) in the field of Byzantine studies. Students enrolled in graduate programs in North America and early career researchers working in North America will be given priority.
All participants must be BSANA members
To read a full description of the series and register your interest, please visit
https://maryjahariscenter.org/events/gis-basics-for-byzantinists.
Apply to join the BSANA Graduate Student Committee!
Deadline: 28 February, 2026
The Graduate Student Committee of the Byzantine Studies Association of North America (BSANA) is currently accepting nominations and self-nominations for vacancies on the Committee for the 2026-2028 term. The Graduate Student Committee (GSC) comprises eight to twelve members, appointed for a two-year term on a rotating basis. There are up to eight openings to be filled this round, for the positions of:
BSC Conference Officer (1)
Communications Officer (1)
Long-term Digital Projects Officer (1-2)
Secretary (2)
Treasurer (1)
Engagement Opportunities (non-BSC events) Officer (1)
Nominations are open to all graduate students, worldwide, who are members of BSANA and have at least two years remaining in their program of study.
The GSC represents and promotes the participation of graduate students within BSANA and the broader academic community. The GSC is dedicated to building a community that reflects diversity in race, gender, geographic distribution, public/private institutions, and MA/PhD membership. We seek to represent students in all related fields of Byzantine Studies in North America and aim to increase graduate attendance at the BSC through student-oriented events, including a guaranteed session.
Our responsibilities include organizing a graduate session and social events annually at the BSC, as well as presenting an annual report at the BSC member’s meeting. We also seek to bring graduate students together virtually through speaker sessions, professional development events, and social hours. GSC members are asked to attend the Committee's annual business meeting at BSANA (either in person or virtually) during their term, to collaborate on various long-term projects within the Committee, to contribute to deliberations on paper abstracts in advance of the annual BSC, and to communicate regularly with the group via email and online meetings. Ideal applicants are expected to work well both independently and collaboratively, as part of a team. Previous experience with organizing conference panels and social events is not required, but is appreciated.
Interested applicants should submit the following by February 28, 2026:
A brief CV (2 pages maximum), to be uploaded as part of the Nomination Form
New members will be selected by returning Committee members virtually in March. If you have any questions, please contact us at bsana...@gmail.com.
2. CALL FOR PAPERS
Call for papers (deadline 1 March 2026) XV LECTIO International Conference, 2-4 December 2026, Leuven: Classical Authors from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period
Key notes speakers: Sophia Xenophontos (Academy of Athens) & Jan Ziolkowski (Harvard University)
This conference will explore how classical texts were transmitted from Late Antiquity to the early modern period through manuscripts, printed editions, translations, quotations, and adaptations across different cultures and traditions. We will examine the roles of copyists, patrons, and intellectual networks, as well as the religious, cultural, and ideological factors shaping the preservation and transformation of ancient literature.
Proposals can be submitted online (before 1 March).
The full call available is from https://www.kuleuven.be/lectio/events/lectio-xv-international-conference-transmission-of-classical-authors.
CfP The Domestic Dimension of Religious Conflict in the Ancient Mediterranean, Durham 12-14 August
The Domestic Dimension of Religious Conflict in the Ancient Mediterranean
Call for Papers – International Conference
University of Durham, 12-14 August 2026
Organiser: Dr Karl Dahm (University of Durham)
Confirmed Keynote Speakers: Prof Kate Cooper & Prof Virginia Burrus
Proposals for papers are sought for a conference on 12-14 August 2026 in Durham exploring the negotiation of religious conflict in the domestic contexts of family and household across the Mediterranean world from Hellenism to Late Antiquity.
Households and families were the essential building blocks of ancient Mediterranean societies. Across different socio-economic strata, they reflected a communities’ constitutive norms and provided individuals with a sense of personal belonging. Their centrality to daily life meant that households periodically became the focal point of religious conflicts playing out across the wider community – with varying consequences for family cohesion. The breakdown of family bonds over internal differences and the uniting of family members against external pressures define the broad spectrum of domestic responses to clashes of religious belief systems. From the familial resistance of the Jewish Maccabees to the defiance of filial piety by Christian martyrs to the legal repercussions against ‘heretical’ households, the domestic dimension of ancient religious conflicts has long attracted the attention of modern scholars. However, it is commonly studied in disciplinary isolation and limited to its specific historical context rather than explored as a diachronic and intercultural phenomenon connecting the experiences of religious conflict across time and space.
This conference aims to investigate the domestic dimension of religious conflicts in the Ancient Mediterranean for continuities and cross-fertilisations as well as for fissures and idiosyncrasies. Its scope is emphatically interdisciplinary, welcoming papers on relevant topics in the history, literature, and archaeology of the Greco-Roman world, including adjacent writing cultures (e.g. Hebrew, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian or Arabic), between the fourth century BCE and the seventh century CE. Papers might address, for example:
the evolution of tropes like that of filial resistance or paternal disciplining across literary genres and cultures;
the rhetoric and efficacy of legislation curtailing intermarriage or the domestic expression of deviant religious practices;
the interplay between the household as a locus of collective imagination and the venue of real religious confrontation;
the role of family structures in ensuring conformity with or resistance against dominant religious norms;
the material framework of domestic worship in a religiously hostile environment.
Applications from all scholars, especially early career scholars, are welcome. Abstracts of 300 words should be sent to karl....@durham.ac.uk by 15 February 2026.
NB: There is no conference registration fee. Through the generous support of the Leverhulme Trust, a limited number of stipends covering accommodation fees is available. Please, let us know if you need financial support.
CfP: International Conference "Entangled Christianities 2: Networks, Monuments, and Materialities of Medieval Christianity"
The organizers of Entangled Christianities 2 invite scholars to submit paper proposals for the second edition of this interdisciplinary conference, dedicated to exploring the complex, interconnected histories of Christianity with a special focus on the Byzantine and Medieval world—its monuments, material culture, liturgical landscapes, and cross-cultural entanglements.
Conference Theme
Entangled Christianities 2 examines Christianity not as a series of isolated traditions, but as a constellation of dynamic interactions across time, space, and culture. This year's theme emphasizes Byzantine and Medieval Christian monuments, their historical trajectories, and their role within the wider history of Christianity.
We welcome contributions that investigate how Byzantine and Medieval Christian sites—churches, monasteries, shrines, urban religious complexes, and landscapes of devotion—functioned as nodes of interaction, political negotiation, theological expression, and artistic exchange. The conference aims to highlight the ways these monuments illuminate broader questions of connectivity, conflict, coexistence, memory, and identity within Christian history.
Possible Topics Include (but are not limited to):
Monuments & Material Culture
Architectural and artistic analyses of Byzantine/medieval churches and monastic complexes
Iconographic programs, wall paintings, mosaics, and sculptural traditions
Patronage, workshop mobility, and artistic networks
Entanglements Across Borders
Interactions between Byzantine Christian traditions and Latin, Syriac, Armenian, Coptic, Georgian, or Islamic cultures
Pilgrimage routes, relic circulation, and sacred landscapes
Cross-cultural transmission of architectural forms, liturgical practices, or devotional objects
History & Theology
Developments in Byzantine/Medieval Christian doctrine and liturgy as reflected in monumental settings
Political theology and imperial ideology in built form
Church councils, ecclesiastical authority, and their architectural expressions
Memory, Transformation & Heritage
The afterlives of Byzantine and Medieval monuments in the Ottoman, post-Ottoman, and modern periods
Processes of conversion, reuse, destruction, and preservation
Heritage politics, restoration methodologies, and digital reconstruction
Who May Apply
The conference is open to scholars at all career stages, including established researchers, early-career academics, and advanced graduate students. Contributions from the fields of history, art history, archaeology, theology, architecture, heritage studies, and related disciplines are encouraged. The conference fee is 400 EUROS (including conference registration, three nights' accommodation, meals, and excursions).
Submission Guidelines
Please submit:
Title of the paper
Abstract (300–350 words)
Short bio (150 words)
Affiliation and contact information
Important Dates
Deadline for abstract submission: May 1st 2026
Notification of acceptance: July 1st 2026
Conference dates: 11-13 November 2026
Location: Orthodox Academy of Crete, Kolymvari, Chania, Greece
Submission & Contact
Please send proposals and inquiries to: zts...@oac.gr (Zoe Tsiami)
Sincerely,
The Organizing Committee:
John J. Gallagher (Orthodox Academy of Crete)
Peter Konieczny (Medievalists.net)
Elias Petrou (University of Illinois)
Hagith Sivan (University of Kansas)
Zoe Tsiami (University of Thessaly/Orthodox Academy of Crete)
Call for Submissions I.S. Med: Interdisciplinary Studies on the Mediterranean (Mimesis International)
Deadline for abstract submissions: March 15, 2026 Notification of acceptance: April 5, 2026
Deadline for complete article: August 16, 2026 Tentative publication date: December 6, 2026
The founding co-editors of the new journal I.S. Med: Interdisciplinary Studies on the Mediterranean, Drs. Giovanna Summerfield and Rosario Pollicino are seeking submissions on all topics related to the Mediterranean from interdisciplinary perspectives (humanities, social sciences, international law, media studies, art, and other fields of research). Any historical period of reference is welcome though we strongly encourage presenters to focus on the early modern to contemporary times. Particular attention will be given to proposals regarding folklore and cultural memories about and in the Mediterranean. Submissions must be in English, of 6,000 to 8,000 words (word counts includes bibliography), 5 keywords, and a 150-word bio. Express interest by submitting a 400-word abstract by March 15, 2026. Contributors need to adhere to the Chicago style format, https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html.
Authors whose native language is other than English are responsible for hiring a professional translator and/or editor. Authors should have their article translated/reviewed into English by an academic native English-speaker. Submitted articles are sent to peer-reviewers, only if they reflect the editorial guidelines and if their English version/translation is free of syntax, grammar or spelling errors.
Manuscripts and editorial communications should be sent via email and/or attachment (MSWord) to the Editors, sum...@auburn.edu andPOLL...@mailbox.sc.edu. Attachments should be marked with the last name of the contributor, followed by the name/subject of the paper. Contributors are asked to provide a cover page with their name, complete affiliation address, phone number(s), and email. I.S. Med is a peer-reviewed journal. All research articles submitted to the journal are double-blind refereed to ensure academic integrity. Strict anonymity regarding authors and referees is paramount. The editorial staff will remove the cover sheet from the manuscript before sending it for evaluation.
NOTE: Articles submitted should be entirely original and unpublished, should not be simultaneously under consideration by another publisher, should not have been published previously even in part by any other publication, and should not appear in blogs or other online sites. Proposals of English translations or edited versions of previously published works will not be considered.
For information on the journal, consult https://mimesisinternational.com/category/i-s-med/
CALL FOR PAPERS SPATIAL HISTORY WORKSHOP: SPACES AND IDENTITY
Space is not a neutral stage upon which history unfolds, a passive background for historical narratives, but an active agent that shapes and is shaped by people, thoughts, and events. Can spatial analysis offer fresh perspectives on current historiographies.
This workshop will bring together postgraduates who employ spatial approaches in their research across regions and time periods. To foster an interdisciplinary exchange, we welcome submissions from students throughout the humanities. We seek to create a supportive environment where postgraduates can share their research, receive feedback, and converse with leading scholars. The workshop will feature a keynote lecture by leading spatial historian Prof. Beat Kümin (University of Warwick) entitled ‘Social Sites: Reflections on Early Modern Approaches’.
We adopt the broadest possible definition of ‘space’. Space can be interpreted as natural landscapes, such as seas, mountains, and forests, as well as human-made environments, ranging from cathedrals and courts to village pubs and mills. We are particularly interested in projects that explore the intersection of space and identity, and related implications and themes.
The workshop will take place on 22nd May at the University of Oxford. Each participant will have 10-15 minutes to present their paper, followed by a brief discussion.
If you are interested in presenting, please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words by 15th March to spatialmet...@torch.ox.ac.uk.
https://ohh.web.ox.ac.uk/event/spatial-history-workshop-spaces-and-identity-0
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Job announcement: Joint Classics-Religious Studies VAP position at Hamilton College
The Classics and Religious Studies Departments at Hamilton College invite applications for a one-year visiting position in religions of Late Antiquity at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginning July 1, 2026. We seek candidates to teach Greek and/or Latin at all levels, New Testament (in translation), and related courses. The successful candidate will be housed in the department most suitable to their training and expertise. They will teach five courses per year: two courses in each department, and one course cross-listed between the two departments. We are seeking candidates who can demonstrate their experience in teaching or working with diverse student populations Your cover letter should address the ways in which you would enhance the educational experience of students and further the College’s educational goals.
Candidates with ABD will be considered, although candidates with a PhD are preferred. The expected 9-month base salary range for this position is $77,900 to $80,400. Please submit the following materials via interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/180329:
1) Cover letter. Among other topics, this document must address your preparation to teach Greek and/or Latin at all levels, your training in Religious Studies, and how you foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in your teaching, scholarship, and/or service.
2) Curriculum Vitae
3) Sample syllabus for “The New Testament” (RELST/CLASC 157W), a writing-intensive course.
4) Description (no more than one paragraph) of one course you envision teaching at Hamilton that is suitable for cross-listing in both department.
5) Names and contact information for three references. (Although we will not contact references until a later stage of the search process, please ensure that your references are prepared to submit a letter on your behalf.)
Questions regarding the search may be directed to Prof. Anne Feltovich, Search Committee Chair, at afel...@hamilton.edu. Our review of applications will begin on February 23, 2026.
Hamilton College is a residential liberal arts college located in central New York. The College has built its reputation on the teaching excellence and leading scholarship of its faculty, and on the academic distinction and intellectual curiosity of its approximately 2000 students who take advantage of Hamilton’s open curriculum (https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/open-curriculum). Accomplished faculty, highly capable and motivated students, and a student-faculty ratio of 9:1 provide an educational experience that emphasizes academic excellence, intellectual and cultural diversity, and respect for differences in the development of students as engaged members of their communities. Hamilton’s commitment to diversity is embodied in its need-blind admission policy for US Citizens and Permanent Residents; furthermore, Hamilton College meets the full demonstrated financial need for all admitted and enrolled students during their four years on campus. Please visit the college website for more information (www.hamilton.edu).
Hamilton College is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an accessible, supportive environment and an educational experience that recognizes a wide array of experiences, backgrounds and viewpoints as integral components of academic excellence.
Call for applications: LECTIO visiting fellowship (deadline 6 March 2026)
The LECTIO Visiting Fellows Program allows international scholars working within LECTIO's areas of expertise to come to Leuven for a research stay of 4–6 weeks. Visiting Fellows are embedded in a faculty or a research unit of their academic host, encounter colleagues from LECTIO, discuss their project and often set up new collaborations. They also give a lecture or a seminar for the LECTIO community. LECTIO covers accommodation for the duration of stay and travel costs of up to €500, and takes care of the practical arrangements. (Please note that applicants need to hold a PhD at the time of applying and that the fellowship is non-stipendiary.)
Scholars who wish to work on Byzantine literature or text transmission in Leuven or Turnhout are encouraged to reach out to LECTIO member reinhart....@kuleuven.be and to consider applying either for
the regular LECTIO visiting fellowship,
or the LECTIO & Brepols Publishers fellowship,
or the LECTIO & Special Collections Visiting Fellowship.
The latter option is especially suited for scholars who wish to work on Francis Thomson’s card index of Byzantine literature in Slavonic translation in the framework of an ongoing research project (https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/grieks/thomson).
Proposals can be submitted online (before 6 March).
Details and the full call are available from https://www.kuleuven.be/lectio/visiting-fellowship-program/lectio-visiting-fellows-program
British School at Athens: Byzantine Archaeology and History Course
Byzantine Archaeology, History and History of Art of Greece is an intensive postgraduate course offering advanced, field based training in the archaeology, history of art, and material culture of Byzantine Greece. The course takes place from 24 June to 5 July 2026 and is taught in English.
Based at the British School at Athens, the programme combines lectures and seminars with extensive on-site teaching in museums, archaeological sites, and historic landscapes. Participants engage directly with monuments, objects, and archival sources, gaining first-hand experience of current approaches to Byzantine archaeology and art history. Field trips include guided study of Byzantine Athens, with visits to the Byzantine and Christian Museum, as well as excursions to key monuments and regions such as the monasteries of Dafni, Hosios Loukas, and Skripou at Orchomenos, Ancient Corinth and its museum collections, Acrocorinth, Sparta, Mystras, and northern centres including Thessaloniki and the Archaeological Museum of Thebes. Students will also have privileged access to the British School at Athens Archive and the Byzantine Research Fund collection, an exceptional resource of architectural drawings, photographs, and notebooks documenting Byzantine monuments across the Mediterranean from the late nineteenth to the mid twentieth century.
The course is limited to a maximum of 12 postgraduate students. We welcome applications from world-wide postgraduate students in archaeology, liberal arts, classics and history. Selection criteria will include (but not be limited to) a demonstrated interest and need for the course and the candidates’ present and future research projects.
Teaching is led by the course director Dr Rossana Valente (University of Rome Tre), and Dr Flavia Vanni (Newcastle University), alongside invited specialists. Assessment consists of on-site oral presentation, allowing participants to discuss monuments, material culture, or themes directly encountered during the course in relation to their own research interests. A certificate of participation is awarded upon successful completion of the course.
The course fee is £1200, and will include BSA one-month membership, housing where self-catering facilities are available, breakfast, meals as specified in the program, all accommodation and travel within Greece required for the course, museum and site fees, one-year museum pass, one-month 24h access to the BSA library. Not included are: international airfare to and from Greece and meals not included in the program. Incidental expenses are the participant’s responsibility.
Thanks to the generous support of the A.G. Leventis Foundation, the BSA can offer two full scholarships that will be awarded on the basis of academic merit and need. A limited number of smaller bursaries might also be available. International travel is not included.
Applications are now open. Click HERE to apply. The application deadline is 8 March 2026.
PhD studentship (Classics and Ancient History) at the University of Exeter (UK): 'Pustules, Palaeogenetics and Pandemics from Galen to Rhazes: How to do the Early History of Smallpox and Measles’
The Department of Classics, Ancient History, Religion and Theology (CAHRT) in the University of Exeter (UK) wishes to recruit a Graduate Research Assistant who wants to enrol as a PhD student within the interdisciplinary project: 'Pustules, Palaeogenetics and Pandemics from Galen to Rhazes: How to do the Early History of Smallpox and Measles’.
This is a Wellcome funded project (Discovery Award 322103/Z/24/Z), PI: Prof. Rebecca Flemming. This post is available from September 15 2026 to March 15 2030 (42 months), funding covers salary and UK home or international level PhD fees for that period.
The successful applicant will contribute to the work of the project through (1) supporting the research and publication activities of the academic team as they focus around the works of Galen; and (2) undertaking their own PhD research project exploring pandemics, disease and medicine in the ancient/late ancient Mediterranean World. The kinds of research topics you might be interested in include, but are not limited to:
Galen’s nosology
Religious responses to epidemics in the Roman/late Roman World
Diagnostic ideas and practice in the Roman Empire
Animals and epidemics
Translation, disease and medical writing
You can find more details of the project, and the research team, through the webpages of Exeter’s Centre for the study of Science, Technology, Ancient Medicine and Philosophy (STAMP). (https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/stamp/2026/01/20/pustules/)
Application: For more details of the position, the job requirements, and the application process see the University of Exeter Job Board: ‘Graduate Research Assistant in CAHRT with option to undertake a PhD’. You will need to provide: cv, cover letter, writing sample and PhD project proposal with your application. (https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/etrec179gf.open?WVID=171839ediw&LANG=USA&VACANCY_ID=614211vuA5)
The closing date for completed applications is 26th March 2026. Interviews are expected to take place in the week beginning April 20th 2026. For further information please contact Rebecca Flemming, A.G. Leventis Professor of Ancient Greek Scientific and Technological Thought, CAHRT, University of Exeter: r.fle...@exeter.ac.uk.
PhD studentship (Medieval Arabic and Islamic Studies) at the University of Exeter: (UK): 'Pustules, Palaeogenetics and Pandemics from Galen to Rhazes: How to do the Early History of Smallpox and Measles’
The Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies (IAIS) wishes to recruit a Graduate Research Assistant to support the work of Professor Nahyan Fancy, Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, within the interdisciplinary project: 'Pustules, Palaeogenetics and Pandemics from Galen to Rhazes: How to do the Early History of Smallpox and Measles’.
This Wellcome funded post is available from September 15 2026 to March 15 2030 (42 months). Funding covers salary and UK home or international level PhD fees for that period. The successful applicant will contribute to the work of the project through (1) supporting the research and publication activities of the academic team as they focus around the works of Rhazes; and (2) undertaking their own research project exploring pandemics, disease and medicine in the early Medieval Islamicate world.
The kinds of research topics you might be interested in include, but are not limited to:
Religious responses to fatal diseases and/or epidemics in medieval Islam.
Animals and epidemics
Translation, Disease and Medical Writing
Theories of the spread of diseases
Depictions of diseases in medieval Arabic literature and/or poetry
You can find more details of the project, and the research team, through the webpages of Exeter’s Centre for the study of Science, Technology, Ancient Medicine and Philosophy (STAMP). (https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/stamp/2026/01/20/pustules/).
Application: For more details of the position, the job requirements, and the application process see the University of Exeter Job Board: ‘Graduate Research Assistant in IAIS with an option to undertake a PhD’. You will need to provide: cv, cover letter, writing sample and PhD project proposal with your application. (https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/etrec179gf.open?WVID=171839ediw&LANG=USA&VACANCY_ID=090563vuAh)
The closing date for completed applications is 26th March 2026. Interviews are expected to take place in the week beginning April 20th 2026. For further information please contact Professor Nahyan Fancy: N.Fa...@exeter.ac.uk .
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Madeleine Duperouzel
DPhil in History
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com