Jörg Matthias Determann's Blog, page 14

Library of the former Austrian Orient Society for sale

I thank Herbert Kratky very much for asking me for help in trying to find a buyer for around thirty boxes of books about the Middle East and Islam. The volumes represent the library of the former Österreichische Orient-Gesellschaft Hammer-Purgstall (ÖOG, Austrian Orient Society). The ÖOG was founded in 1958 and closed in 2020. Its rich library includes titles in Arabic, English, German, Persian and Turkish, among other languages. If you are interested in acquiring the books or receiving further information, you can contact Herbert Kratky, a respected and experienced dealer in antiquities, via email: herbert.kratky@aon.at

Interview on Pakistani science fiction

Thank you so much and بہت بہت شکریہ to Salman Hameed for interviewing me for his pioneering show Kaainati Chai (meaning Universe Tea)! Our episode is entitled “First Contact and Pakistani Science Fiction.” Salman is Charles Taylor Chair and Professor of Integrated Science and Humanities at Hampshire College and a member of the Five College Astronomy Department (FCAD). He is also founder and head of Kainaat Studios, where he is supported by talented video editor Shehryar Shaikh. You can listen to our conversation in English (and music by Zohaib Kazi) and read the Urdu subtitles (provided by DigiCircle) on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErisM...

Article on cultivating soft skills in the classroom

A huge thank you to the stellar team of Al-Fanar Media for publishing a new article of mine in both Arabic and English! The English title is “How to Make Students Feel Cared for in Spaces Increasingly Filled with Technology.” The Arabic heading is “لأساتذة الجامعات.. نصائح للتقرب من الطلاب في زمن التعلم الإلكتروني.” I am super-thankful to Mohamed Elhawary for inviting me to contribute this piece. Yet again, I feel incredibly lucky to have my wife Jeanne Vaz, who commented on my draft and is supportive in all aspects of my life. Patty Paine has provided exceptional mentorship in my teaching, research and service. This includes her encouragement to keep reflecting about my pedagogy. You can find my most recent reflections here: https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2023/12...

Lecture at the 1st International Symposium of the UNESCO Chair on Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage

Thank you so much and muchísimas gracias to Jairo Lugo-Ocando for inviting me to address the 1st International Symposium of the UNESCO Chair on Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage! This event is jointly organized by the University of Sharjah and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). On November 21, 2023, I will be delivering a remote talk titled “One Sky: Internationalism and Inclusion in Astronomy.” I express my deepest gratitude to Mesut Idriz, Reyhan Sabri, Tevhide Serra Görpe and Noora Mezal Majed for making this possible. Please visit the conference website here: https://sifhams.sharjah.ac.ae/en/Se/I...

Release of PDF and EPUB versions of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Astronomy

Many thanks and vielen Dank to Springer Nature for releasing the PDF and EPUB versions of my book Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Astronomy: A Modern History! The hardcover edition is due in December. I am greatly honored to have my work appear in Springer’s interdisciplinary series on Space and Society. I will be forever thankful to Michael Maimone and the series editors led by Klara Anna Capova for their crucial support. I also benefited from my outstanding research assistants who added valuable perspectives from science fiction on social justice and space exploration. My dedicated colleagues in this project have been Shaheer Liaqat, Mila Zhanat, Kara Dauletkanova, Fareeduddin Mohammed, Linda binti Ridzuan Chun, Mahpuza Akter and Tami Kaldari. Are you interested in writing or commissioning a review of my volume? Would you like to interview me? If so, you can get a free copy by contacting me or my publisher. Otherwise, you can buy the title here: https://www.springer.com/book/9783031...

2023 Biennial Book Award of the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies

Huge congratulations to Amal Sachedina on winning the 2023 Biennial Book Award of the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS)! My compliments also go to Saba (Amélie) Le Renard for earning an Honorable Mention. I am deeply grateful to Laura Goffman, Fahed Al-Sumait and Crystal Ennis for their trust in me and my fellow members of the AGAPS Book Award Committee. Neha Vora (our wonderful Committee Chair), Fanar Haddad and I had the unique privilege of evaluating a broad range of fascinating titles and selecting the winner and runner-up. You can find our commendation here: https://agaps.org/agaps-awards/awards...

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Astronomy available for pre-orders

Big thanks and großer Dank to Springer Nature for allowing pre-orders of my book Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Astronomy: A Modern History! This volume will appear in the series Space and Society, which is edited by the visionary Douglas A. Vakoch and others. Numerous fantastic people at Springer and beyond contributed to making this possible. Michael Maimone, Niyati Naudiyal, Ramon Khanna and Thomas Hempfling came to believe in this monograph early on. Nivetha Moorthi and Alicia Richard at Straive have been wonderful managers of the production process in collaboration with Jeffrey Taub. You can find a blurb, bibliographic information and more on the Springer website: https://www.springer.com/book/9783031...

Learning about artificial intelligence apps

Merci beaucoup and thank you very much to Dani Inkpen and Kevin Kaiser for editing a new article of mine for the Communiqué of the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science! My essay, which appeared in issue 106, is entitled “Learning about artificial intelligence apps with and from your students.” I am immensely grateful to Jeanne Vaz for her thorough feedback on an earlier version of my manuscript. I also consider myself extremely fortunate to have brilliant colleagues who are advancing conversations on AI in teaching. They include Byrad Yyelland, Jesse Ulmer, Nicole Abiad, Jacqulyn Williams, Jesse Payne, Astrid Kensinger and Aissa Deebi. Added to this list of cutting-edge educators are my fellow members of the Qatar Teaching and Learning Forum. You can read my thoughts here: https://www.academia.edu/107397295/Le...

Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life available for preorders

I express my profoundest gratitude to I.B. Tauris for making Shoaib Ahmed Malik’s and my edited volume Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life available for preorders. Nayiri Kendir, Faiza Zakaria, Sophie Rudland, Yasmin Garcha, Emma Tranter and Mahesh Meiyazhagan were among the many amazing people who got us to this point. Steven Dick, Ted Peters, Stephen Bullivant, Sajjad Rizvi, Salman Hameed and Mohammed Ghaly generously provided blurbs. You can read their endorsements on the Bloomsbury website: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/islamic...

Doha premiere of The Bamboo Dialogues

Thanks so much and tack så mycket to the legendary Johan Granberg for interviewing me for his new documentary The Bamboo Dialogues (his second on the topic)! I had the great honor of speaking to him in the VCUarts Qatar Library about the Industrial Revolution. The film, which is narrated by the outstanding Byrad Yyelland, will have its Doha premiere in the auditorium of the National Museum of Qatar on September 6, 2023, at 6pm. Speakers at the premier include architects Ibrahim Jaidah and Thomas Modeen as well as engineer Neil Thomas. The film is produced by Anthro-Tech Ateliers, one of the labs of the Institute for Creative Research at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. Can’t wait for the premiere? You can watch the first installment of Johan’s Bamboo trilogy on his Anthrotechture YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKcyr...