Call for applications: Doctoral contract in the history of the Islamic world through the lens of premodern Persian manuscripts

Context & objectives of the position

Inalco is a unique public institution at the heart of the New Latin Quarter of Paris. Established in 1795, it is the only higher education and research institution in the world to offer such a broad and internationally recognized curriculum in languages and humanities, with over 100 languages and civilizations taught.

Inalco has approximately 9,000 students (Bachelor, Master, and PhD) and more than 500 staff members.
The recruitment is part of the Chair in the Arts and Heritage of Afghanistan, for which Inalco has been awarded funding. Within context of the chair, Inalco (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales: www.inalco.fr) is recruiting a full-time (100%) doctoral candidate for a three-year position in the history of the Islamic world, focusing on manuscripts, including documents, written in Persian. The contract will begin in October 2025. The doctoral researcher will be affiliated with CeRMI (Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien – UMR 8041, https://cermi.cnrs.fr/).

The research must focus on the content and format of premodern manuscripts (including documents) written in New Persian, in at least one script (Arabic, Hebrew, or Syriac) and address understudied topics such as folklore collections, agricultural manuals, bookkeeping guides, epistolary writing manuals, as well as administrative documents and manuals (inshā‘). It should incorporate methodologies from codicology, diplomatics, text criticism, editing, and/or translation to integrate these manuscripts into the "Invisible East" Digital Corpus.

Tasks & activities

This position is part of the programme of the newly established Arts and Heritage of Afghanistan Chair, led by Arezou Azad (https://cermi.cnrs.fr/membres/azad-arezou/), who also direct the Invisible East programme in Oxford (https://invisibleeast.web.ox.ac.uk).
The selected candidate will complete their doctorate at Inalco's Doctoral School, under the primary supervision of Arezou Azad. Co-supervision is possible if necessary (e.g., for Persian written in Hebrew or Syriac script).
The doctoral candidate may have the opportunity to teach courses at Inalco, and to participate in and support activities of the Chair, such as organising research meetings and seminars. 
Additionally, they will be affiliated with CeRMI, a multidisciplinary research unit jointly managed by CNRS, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Inalco, and the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE). CeRMI is a member of Sorbonne Alliance and Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) and is a founding member of the Empirical Foundations of Linguistics (EFL) Labex.
The candidate will receive funding for their research activities, including fieldwork, equipment, and temporary teaching positions.
 

Required qualifications & skills

The candidate must hold a Master's degree before the start of the contract. A strong background in the history of the Islamic world, Persian studies, and manuscript/document studies is required.

Languages: Proficiency in New Persian in at least one of its scripts (Arabic, Hebrew, or Syriac). English and French as working languages are a plus. Knowledge of Arabic is not required but would be an asset.

Other Skills: Ability to work independently and collaboratively. Punctuality and diligence in research commitments.

Application process

Applications must be sent to arezou.azad@inalco.fr with a copy to drh-recrutement@inalco.fr no later than March 31, 2025 (midnight MET). The application must include the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae including education, degrees, previous achievements, professional experience, publications, conference presentations, and any other relevant elements.
• Cover letter demonstrating the coherence between the applicant’s project, skills, interests, and career plans.
• Doctoral research proposal (4–6 pages) in line with the call's theme, supported by bibliographic references and methodological perspectives. The proposal should be as detailed as possible to demonstrate the applicant’s ability to plan a solid and feasible research project.
• Copies of degrees, transcripts from the Master's program, Master's thesis, and any publications (if applicable).
• Names and email addresses of three academic referees.

Applicants currently in their second year of a Master’s program (Master 2) are also eligible to apply, provided they submit the documents listed above in lieu of the final degree certificate, which they will obtain before the start of the contract.

Timeline :

• Application deadline: March 31, 2025 (midnight MET)
• Pre-selection results: April 16, 2025
• Interviews (via video conference or in person): May 2025
• Final selection results: May 2025
• Doctoral school enrollment and contract signing: July–September 2025
• Start date: October 1, 2025