Zayed University seeks teacher-scholars prepared to teach interdisciplinary social science and humanities courses in the "Colloquy on Integrated Learning," the University’s core curriculum. Successful candidates will be assigned to the University’s new campus for men, a program housed in the town of Shahama near the city of Abu Dhabi. Zayed University, a premier university in the United Arab Emirates, is an innovative institution based on an international model of higher education. With 600 faculty and staff serving 3,500 students across two main campuses - as well as satellite locations - in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the University prepares graduates to become leaders in government, business, civil society, and family life. The University expects its graduates to be fully bilingual in English and Arabic, proficient in the use of computing technology, and strong in quantitative and research skills. The language of business and instruction at the University is English. Zayed University is fully accredited in the U.A.E. and is a candidate for accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in the U.S.A. The United Arab Emirates is a progressive country known for its high standard of living and its safe and family-friendly environment. Successful candidates will have: A Ph.D. in Humanities, Social Sciences, Area Studies, or a related field; A record of successful baccalaureate-level teaching in a Western or Western-style university or college; A willingness to teach core courses with common assignments and expectations; Native proficiency in written and spoken English. The capacity to teach and research in an interdisciplinary environment through links to other social sciences is highly desirable. The University is also interested in faculty in humanistic or social scientific disciplines who are able to teach in the English composition program. To apply, visit our Web site www.zu.ac.ae. In addition to completing the online application form, attach a cover letter and a current CV, the names and contact details of three referees, a statement of your undergraduate teaching philosophy, and a statement of your scholarly and creative interests, particularly as they might apply to the Middle East, and as to how they might involve undergraduate students.

For more information, please go to: http://www.zu.ac.ae

E-Mail: Tim.Stowell@zu.ac.ae

Robert Mondavi Institute, University of California, Davis. February 28-March 1, 2009. To celebrate the October 2008 opening of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science during the 2008-09 Centennial Anniversary of the University of California, Davis, the UC Davis Humanities Institute, in collaboration with the UC Multi-Campus Research Program in World History and UC Multi-Campus Research Group in Studies of Food and Body, will convene a research symposium, graduate workshop and public conference examining the history of food and drink cultures in international comparative perspective. We are interested in receiving papers that explore critical issues in food and drink production and consumption that relate to the body and deploy a world-historical lens. Topics could range from the impact of science and technology on agricultural production; to the spread, relocation and domestication of animal and plant life central to human settlements; the proliferation and diversity of indigenous gastronomical practices and knowledge; the development of labor systems tied to specific foodstuffs; narratives of the relationship between nutrition and the environment; food and drink commodities and the development of global business practices; food production and social activism; politics and policies pertaining to agriculture, food science, nutrition and the global economy; and local, regional and global food systems. Our meeting will consist of five panels of pre-circulated research papers by new and established scholars in the field, including two graduate student panels moderated by the editors of Food, Culture and Society and Gastronomica, and a number of plenary events, including public lectures, and cuisine demonstrations. All the events will be hosted in the remarkable new facilities of the Robert Mondavi Institute. Interested parties should submit a 500 word abstract of their research project by October 1, 2008. Travel, food and accommodation costs for paper presenters will be borne by the conveners. Questions may be directed to Carolyn de la Peña (ctdelapena @ ucdavis.edu) or Benjamin Lawrance (bnl @ ucdavis.edu). The University of California has a rich history of excellence in historical inquiry, and in wine and food sciences. Together these research groups represent world history expertise from eight UC campuses and food expertise from UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley. For more than 125 years, UCD has maintained active research and education programs in viticulture, enology and food science. No other academic institution can boast the rare combination of the premier College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, a large agricultural sector renowned for its fine wine and diverse food production, and the uniqueness of California cuisine. We look forward to welcoming you to UC Davis in our centennial year. Carolyn de la Peña, Benjamin N. Lawrance, Clare Hasler. Davis Humanities Institute, Department of History.

E-Mail: Benjamin Lawrance (bnl@ucdavis.edu); and Carolyn de la Peña (ctdelapena@ucdavis.edu)

“Big History:” Teaching and Research October 17-18, 2008 Harford Community College; Bel-Air, MD MAWHA is pleased to announce our twelfth annual Mid-Atlantic World History Association conference. Our special focus this year will be on the broad themes in World History, how they may be taught and what research is being done to promote their understanding. We welcome proposals on any subject, period or area from independent scholars as well as teachers/scholars from universities, colleges, secondary schools, publishers and other related institutions. Proposals may include individual papers, collaborative projects or roundtable discussions of a topic or theme connected to world history. Please send proposals and curriculum vita by AUGUST 15, 2008 to: MAWHA Program Committee, Prof. Anthony Snyder, snyder@brookdalecc.edu , Department of History, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ 07738. Phone: 732-224-2914, Fax: 732-224-2182, Website: www.mawha.org

For more information, please go to: http://www.mawha.org

E-Mail: snyder@brookdalecc.edu

Conference dates: 10 - 14 September 2008. Deadline for applications: 31 May 2008. Location: Klosterhotel, Vadstena, Sweden. Programme and applications: accessible online at www.esf.org/conferences/08259. Chairs: Professor Juha Sihvola, University of Helsinki, Finland, and Dr.Koen Stapelbroek, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands. SOME GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE for young researchers to cover the conference fee and travel costs. Further information: www.esf.org/conferences/08259 or Ms. Chiara Orefice (corefince@esf.org)

For more information, please go to: http://www.esf.org/conferences/08259

E-Mail: corefince@esf.org

In commemoration of the 1200th anniversary of the founding of the city of Fez (www.maroc1200.org), the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and La Fondation Esprit de Fès (www.espritdefes.com) are organizing an interdisciplinary conference on Fez in World History. The central theme of the conference is to explore the universal and global dimension of the city through a multidisciplinary lens (e.g., history, anthropology, urban geography, archaeology, comparative literature, etc.). Participants to the conference will debate the following three main topics: TOPIC I: Fez in World History Using data drawn from historiography, historical geography, hagiographies, archaeology, numismatics, and other related fields, this theme aims to use the perspective of world history as a way of exploring how different historical forces have contributed to making Fez part of an interconnected network both at the regional and global levels. This may include diplomacy and trade agreements, long-distance trade, Sufi brotherhoods, scientific and technological advances, contributions to the religious sciences, major historical figures who lived in or visited the city (e.g., Ibn Khaldun, Leo Africanus, Maimonides, to mention a few). TOPIC II: Fez in World Literature In this topic, participants will explore the place of Fez in world literary and artistic production. This includes travel narratives, fiction, autobiographies, popular culture (songs, lyrics, music), poetry, paintings, etc. TOPIC III: Fez in Today’s Global World Low cost airline travel has made Fez a prized destination for a class of cosmopolitan consumers, especially from Western Europe (mostly France and the UK.). In this topic, participants will tackle current issues such as how global inequalities are reflected in contemporary urban life, the impact of tourism on the city, gentrification issues (e.g., the riad phenomenon), the “dédensification” and rehabilitation of the medina, Fez as a pilgrimage site (ziyyârah), and the use of information and communication technologies for economic and human development (e.g., e-gov.). TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONFERENCE, please send an abstract in Arabic, English, or French (150-300 words). Please indicate the title and the topic of your interest. DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF ABSTRACTS: May 30th, 2008. PUBLICATION: A selected number of high quality papers will be peer-reviewed and subsequently published in an edited book. OTHER EVENTS: In parallel with the conference, al-Akhawayn University will host a number of special events and activities related to the city of Fez in World History which will include 1) exhibits of rare books, ancient manuscripts, and old photographs, 2) projections of films and rare footage, and 3) a guided tour of the medina of Fez and the Qarawiyyin Library. SEND CONFERENCE PROPSALS TO: Dr. Mohamed Dahbi, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Al Akhawayn University, P.O.Box. 104, Avenue Hassan II, Ifrane -Morocco. Telephone : (212) 35 86 24 27. Fax : (212) 35 86 29 77. EMAIL: shss@aui.ma, S.Ennahid@aui.ma. SEND ALL OTHER INQUIRIES TO: Dr. Said Ennahid, Organizing Committee Chair, S.Ennahid@aui.ma

E-Mail: S.Ennahid@aui.ma

The Center for History and New Media (http://chnm.gmu.edu) and the Department of History and Art History at George Mason University are pleased to announce an NEH Summer Seminar for high school teachers: Making Sense of 1989. This seminar is designed for high school teachers who want to deepen their understanding of the momentous events of 1989 in Eastern Europe and China, including the collapse of the communist regimes in Europe, the failure of the democracy movement on Tiananmen Square, and the subsequent end of the Cold War. The seminar itself will blend sessions on the historical content conducted by leading experts in the field with a focus on historical thinking and how it does and does not happen in our classrooms (and why). In addition to learning a great deal about 1989 and its aftermath, participants in the seminar will also have the opportunity to create Primary Source Activities that they can take home and use in their classrooms and share with colleagues. The deadline for applications is March 3, 2008.

For more information, please go to: http://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/seminar/

E-Mail: tkelly7@gmu.edu.

The Executive Council of the World History Association unanimously approved the following statement during its January 3, 2008 meeting: On behalf of the World History Association, the Executive Council of the WHA condemns and deplores Holocaust denial, trivialization of genocide, racism, xenophobia, and all forms of hate speech. Nevertheless, the Executive Council expresses deep concern over efforts by any state or government agency to legislate historical truth, to forbid the publication of historical arguments, to criminalize the communication of particular historical views, to define certain historical views as officially acceptable or unacceptable, to bestow official approval or disapproval on specific historical positions, or otherwise to hinder the free discussion of historical issues. The Executive Council endorses the statement of the American Historical Association entitled “AHA Statement on the Framework Decision of the Council of the European Union on the Fight against Racism and Xenophobia.” (See link below for more on the AHA statement.) The WHA Executive Council views efforts by state or government agencies to define historical truth both as unwarranted infringements upon freedom of speech and as dangerous exercises that encourage the politicization of history education and historical scholarship. The Executive Council holds that the best way to promote responsible historical scholarship is not to have state and government agencies to monitor and police the expression of historical views but rather to encourage vigorous, free, and unfettered discussion of historical issues. The Executive Council further charges the President, Secretary, and Executive Director of the World History Association with responsibility for making this Statement known to any and all appropriate individuals, agencies, and parties. Approved unanimously by the Executive Council of the World History Association, 3 January 2008.

For more information, please go to: http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2007/0711/0711int3.cfm