Postdoctoral Researcher in Material Culture and Manuscript Studies | Center for Arab Studies and Islamic Civilizations (CASIC)

The Postdoctoral Researcher in material culture and manuscript studies, with a regional focus on the Arabian Peninsula, the Gulf, and the wider Islamic world, and their historical connections across Africa, South Asia, and the Indian Ocean, will contribute to advanced interdisciplinary research that critically engages with Sharjah’s manuscript holdings, museums, archives, and cultural institutions.

Rather than undertaking routine digitization, the Postdoctoral Researcher will work at the analytical and interpretive level, collaborating with institutional partners, including the Sharjah Documentation and Archives Authority, the Sharjah Museums Authority, and the Sharjah House of Manuscripts, to interrogate, contextualize, and reinterpret manuscript and material culture data. The role emphasizes the innovative use of digital humanities methodologies, artificial intelligence, and emerging research tools to develop new frameworks for understanding, analyzing, and re-presenting manuscript histories, material practices, and knowledge transmission in the Gulf and broader Islamic world.

Based at the Center for Arab Studies and Islamic Civilizations (CASIC) in Sharjah, a leading regional hub for heritage research, scholarship, and the arts, the position offers exceptional opportunities for intellectual exchange and collaboration with local and international scholars, curators, technologists, and conservators, and for producing high-impact scholarly outputs that advance the field conceptually and methodologically. The position is offered on a fixed-term basis for two years.

Job Responsibilities    

• Conduct original, high-quality, publishable research on material culture and/or manuscript traditions relevant to Sharjah, the Gulf region, and broader transregional and Indian Ocean networks.
• Develop advanced, critical interpretations of manuscripts as material and intellectual objects, engaging with codicology, paleography, paratexts, circulation histories, practices of use, and knowledge transmission, as well as with associated artifacts and cultural practices.
• Contribute intellectually to ongoing institutional research initiatives, exhibitions, and scholarly cataloging projects, shaping research questions, interpretive frameworks, and analytical approaches.
• Work closely with manuscript and material culture collections in Sharjah, including libraries, museums, archives, and private collections, with a focus on research-driven analysis rather than routine collection management.
• Lead or co-lead the analytical and interpretive dimensions of documentation and digitization workflows, employing digital humanities methodologies, AI-assisted tools, and emerging technologies to enhance access, analysis, and scholarly interpretation of manuscripts and related objects.
• Collaborate with curators, conservators, and technologists to ensure research is informed by preservation-aware and ethically grounded practices.
• Produce and disseminate scholarly outputs, including peer-reviewed journal articles, edited volumes, research reports, and digital publications, that advance debates in manuscript studies, material culture, and Islamic intellectual history.
• Organize and contribute to academic lectures, seminars, and workshops related to material culture, manuscript studies, and Islamic or transregional intellectual histories.
• Contribute to public-facing scholarly outputs, including exhibitions, catalogs, lectures, and digital humanities projects, translating research for specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Participate actively in local and international conferences, workshops, and scholarly networks.
• Where relevant, support and mentor graduate students and research assistants involved in related research projects.
• May teach one undergraduate course per semester (100-level) in the Department of Arabic and Translation Studies as part of the General Education Program, in coordination with departmental and program needs.

Qualifications and Skills Required    

• PhD (completed by the time of appointment) in Manuscript Studies, Material Culture, Islamic Studies, History, Art History, Digital Humanities, or a closely related field.
• Proven record of scholarly publication or clear potential for publication.
• Excellent Reading knowledge of relevant languages Arabic is required
• Good reading knowledge of other Islamic languages, i.e. Persian, Ottoman Turkish, or South Asian languages highly desirable.
• Familiarity with codicology, paleography, or digital manuscript tools.
• Archival description methods.
• Collection cataloguing practices.
• Material analysis of artifacts and historical objects.
• Knowledge of historical materials and techniques.
• Demonstrated research specialization in material culture and/or manuscript studies.
• Strong grounding in working with primary sources, including manuscripts and/or physical objects.
• Prior experience in museums, archives, or library contexts.
• Experience in interdisciplinary or transregional approaches.

How to Apply

• Interested applicants should fill out the form.
• Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is September 2026.
• AUS alumni are encouraged to apply. Applicants who do not meet specified requirements will not be shortlisted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• AUS is an equal opportunity employer. We adhere to a policy of making employment decisions without regard to race, color, age, gender, religion, national origin, disability or marital status. Opportunities for employment are based solely upon one’s qualifications.