In partnership with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Columbia Global Centers | Amman has established the Mellon Fellowship Program to support emerging displaced scholars working in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. The goal of the program is to create opportunities for scholars to reintegrate into academia and resume their academic pursuits.
Meet our 2022 Mellon Fellows
(Palestine)
Abdallah's research interest areas include identifying formation and the intersection with socio-economic and political contexts. He has a deep interest in representation and intersection of queer theory and feminism with Islam and Muslim societies, and is interested in the academic freedom in our post-colonial middle east states and the influence of globalization and neoliberal economy upon the academia in our region.
(Palestine)
Ferial's research interests include religion, nationalism and gender in Arab cinema; Palestinian cinema and literature; biography and history; and critical and feminist theories. As part of the Mellon Fellowship Program, she is examining the extent to which Palestinian Post-Oslo Accords cinema mirrors an oppressive colonial reality but also disrupts that reality by creating a liberated space through which Palestinians maintain hope and “exist in the future”.
(Syria)
Hassan is interested in French and Francophone Studies, visual culture, such as documentaries and photographic art, and in cultural studies of the Middle East and the Arab Word, media, communications and ecocriticism. As part of the Mellon Fellowship Program, he is completing his book project on the relationship between climate changes and the impact of the weather on literary writing.
(Yemen)
Mohammad’s research interests include Arabic discourse analysis, capacity-building in higher education and sustainable post-conflict recovery strategies to address the challenges in Yemen for the coming years. He has also been involved in work concerning how art and media can be used as tools to enhance democracy, gender equity and social justice in Yemen.
(Palestine)
Nael's research interests include Translation Studies, Discourse Analysis, Narrative Inquiry, Framing Theory, Intercultural communication and Middle Eastern Studies. As part of the Mellon Fellowship Program, he is examining the English media narratives of the ongoing armed conflict in the MENA region in general and in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen in particular, as part of the international communication of conflicts across languages, cultures and nations.
(Syria)
Samar’s research focuses on material culture in the 2nd and 1st Millennia BCE in the Levant, and especially on pottery production in southern Syria during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages and other artefacts such as bone inlays. Her research through the Mellon Fellowship Program aims to shed more light on the Tell el-Yahudiyeh Ware discovered in Jordanian sites.
Eligible candidates are scholars in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who have been forcibly uprooted from their home countries and respective academic institutions. They could be graduate students who have had their education disrupted or post-doctoral scholars in the early stages of their careers. Creative writers, artists, and curators may also apply.
Fellows will be expected to participate in scholarly presentations, workshops, and roundtable discussions. They will be connected to a global network of academics and scholars in Jordan, New York (from Columbia University), and beyond.
Call for Applications for the Fellowship starting in January 2023 is now closed.
Guidelines for Applicants
Applicants for the fellowship starting January 2023 must submit a dossier that includes the following materials in English by July 16, 2022:
- A curriculum vitae that includes academic credentials and professional experience.
- A personal statement (two pages), which includes motivation for applying to this program, as well as a description of and reason for displacement. The statement should describe the applicant’s intellectual trajectory, career goals and teaching philosophy.
- A proposal describing the field of interest, academic work that will be undertaken during the 12-month fellowship and beyond, and broader potential significance of the applicant’s work.
- One to two writing samples/publications;
- Letter of recommendation from an academic colleague who is familiar with applicant’s previous work.
- Copies of academic transcripts.
Terms and Conditions
- Fellows will receive a stipend of $25,000 USD that includes individual health insurance for the duration of the 12-month fellowship. They will be based at Columbia’s Global Center in Amman and will be provided with office space, access to meeting rooms and conference facilities, as well as IT equipment (including a computer device, internet connection, printer, scanner, phone line, and IT technical support).
- Fellows will have access to Columbia University’s online library resources as well as online courses at Columbia and other platforms. As part of the program, fellows will be matched with a relevant faculty member at Columbia University who will guide them throughout the year.
- Fellows are expected to be free of their regular commitments so that they may devote themselves to the work outlined in their proposal. Please note that fellows are responsible for their housing costs. We will offer travel and visa assistance where possible.
How to apply?
Please send all the materials listed above in a combined pdf file to: Nour Darwazeh, Fellowship Program Coordinator, at [email protected] with the subject line: Application - Fellowship Program for Emerging Displaced Scholars by July 16, 2022.
Questions?
Scholars who are unable to complete their applications for reasons beyond their control, such as lack of access to computers, are welcome to contact the Columbia Global Centers | Amman for assistance. Please direct any inquiries regarding eligibility to Nour Darwazeh, at [email protected].