Jörg Matthias Determann's Blog, page 15

Article in Chinese magazine Zero G Science Fiction

Thank you and mulţumesc to Stefan Tiron for recommending my book on Islam, Science Fiction and Extraterrestrial Life (I.B. Tauris) in the Chinese magazine Zero G! His article is entitled “A letter from the Romanian Community of Cozzzmonautica Captains to the RiverFlow.” It appeared on pages 51 to 54 in issue 13 of Zero G Science Fiction. The essay includes a handwritten note by me, in which I congratulate RiverFlow, the fan magazine’s editor-in-chief, on making the shortlist for the 2023 Hugo Awards. https://www.academia.edu/106060133/A_...

Review of Sebastián Gil-Riaño’s book The Remnants of Race Science

For the second time, I express deep gratitude to Valerie Thompson for allowing me to publish a review in Science magazine. I discuss Sebastián Gil-Riaño’s brand-new book The Remnants of Race Science: UNESCO and Economic Development in the Global South (Columbia University Press). Besides Valerie, her colleagues Valda Vinson, Nida Masiulis, Jerry Richardson and Jamie Dickman all played invaluable roles in the publication process. Early on, Jeanne Vaz provided very helpful input. Finally, I have been influenced by discussions on racial literacy, diversity and inclusion at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. Patty Paine, Byrad Yyelland, Radha Dalal and Josh Rodenberg have been especially impactful on my thinking. https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1...

Qatari website Marhaba features A Sign in Space

Jazak Allah khayr (literally “May God reward you”) to the Qatari website Marhaba for featuring my contributions to Daniela de Paulis’s brainchild A Sign in Space as well! Once again, I have to thank the Department of Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar for its unwavering support of my work. https://www.marhaba.qa/vcuarts-qatar-...

Vacancies for student research assistants in Education City

Thank you, shukran and teşekkürler to Ece Yiğit, Zeyad Bateiha and Noor AlOraidi for continuing to administer and fund positions of research assistants at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar this academic year. Are you interested in exploring ideas of diversity in astronomy and science fiction with me? If you are currently enrolled in an institution in Qatar Foundation’s Education City, please consider applying for a part-time job through VCU’s Student Employment Program. Upload your curriculum vitae here: https://intranet.qatar.vcu.edu/sep/po...

Article in the Qatari newspaper The Peninsula about A Sign in Space

Thanks and shukran to the Qatari newspaper The Peninsula for publishing an article about my participation in Daniela de Paulis’s visionary project A Sign in Space as well! I acknowledge once more the hard work of my super-supportive colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, especially Mary Joseph, Kathryn London-Penny, Nadia AbuDayeh and Mike Gallagher, in making this media coverage possible. https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article...

Gulf Times article about A Science in Space project

Please allow me to give many thanks to the Gulf Times for taking up the story about my participation in the project A Sign in Space led by Daniela de Paulis. I would like to emphasize again how grateful I am to my wonderful colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar for their never-ending support. I am thinking of Mary Joseph, Kathryn London-Penny, Nadia AbuDayeh and Mike Gallagher in particular. The picture published by the Qatari newspaper is a screenshot of an early project meeting in 2021, showing Daniela, Roy Smits, Kathryn Denning, Paola Castaño, Mukesh Bhatt and me. Read the story here: https://www.gulf-times.com/article/66...

Story about participation in A Sign in Space project

It is with deep appreciation that I thank my outstanding colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar for publishing a story about my participation in the project A Sign in Space led by Daniela de Paulis. I acknowledge the fantastic work by Mary Joseph, Kathryn London-Penny, Nadia AbuDayeh and Mike Gallagher, although none of them are credited in the article itself. Pictured though are several of my amazing team members and the fabulous participants of a workshop hosted by the SETI Institute. The latter include Shoaib Ahmed Malik, Hamza Karamali, Richard Playford and Nour Skaf. Check out Mary’s beautiful piece here: https://qatar.vcu.edu/news/vcuarts-qa...

Presentation on the importance of history in the teaching of science

Thanks so much and بہت شکریہ to Athar Osama for inviting me to participate in the Holistic Science Teaching Workshop organized by the World Science Collaborative! On July 16, 2023, I was immensely fortunate to present about “The Importance of History in the Teaching of Science” via Zoom. It was a huge honor to speak after Nidhal Guessoum and Syed Nomanul Haq, two leading authorities on Islam and science. Our workshop was part of a larger project on the “Holistic Teaching of Science in the Muslim World,” which is generously funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. Other collaborating institutions include the Aga Khan University, the Lahore University of Management Sciences and Qatar University. You can play my slideshow on Prezi: https://prezi.com/view/DipHrN2dWpyPvk...

Book review of Beyond Exception: New Interpretations of the Arabian Peninsula

I am exceptionally grateful to James Onley, Gerd Nonneman, Fatemeh Teimoorzadeh and Suzi Mirgani for allowing me to review a very important book: Beyond Exception: New Interpretations of the Arabian Peninsula by Ahmed Kanna, Amélie Le Renard and Neha Vora (Cornell University Press). My thoughts about this highly recommended work appeared in the Journal of Arabian Studies 12, no. 1 (2022), pages 127–28. Jeanne Vaz kindly commented on a draft of my review. I further worked with Adriane Ver Aquino, my production editor at Taylor and Francis. Finally, the Qatar National Library generously provided funding for open access. I uploaded a PDF file here: https://www.academia.edu/105110923/Be...

Interview for the Arabic edition of Popular Science (PopSci)

Thank you, شكراً and تسلم to Wissam Chahin for interviewing me for the Arabic edition of Popular Science (PopSci) magazine! I am super-grateful to him and his colleagues for their generous interest in my I.B. Tauris book on Islam, Science Fiction and Extraterrestrial Life. Hamoud Almahmoud first spoke to me at the Arab Forum of Science Media and Communication at the University of Sharjah in May. Riham Dergham kindly coordinated further conversations. You can access the outcome of our exchanges on the website or application of Majarra, which also publishes Arabic editions of Harvard Business Review and MIT Technology Review. Go here: https://popsciarabia.com/?p=80985