2009 CERIS Undergraduate Research Symposium
Islam in the World: Politics, People, Places
The CERIS Undergraduate Research Symposium is designed to provide undergraduate students at CERIS member institutions with research experience and an opportunity to develop presentation skills, as well as to provide recognition of excellent student scholarship. Total prizes of up to $500 will be awarded.
With the 2009 theme of Islam in the World: Politics, People, Places, students may submit papers with topics such as: Dubai and the Credit Crunch; Hamas: Freedom Fighters or Terrorists; Fashion Fusion: Turkish Art and German Design; Rap, Rock and the Muslim Faithful in Indonesia; Muslims in American Democratic Discourse. Students should keep in mind that Islamic Studies encompasses many languages, literatures, and disciplines. It extends from the seventh century to the present, and includes broad geographical areas of the world. Islamic Studies can include but is not limited to history, religion, law, politics, sociology, science, art and culture, language and literature. Students from all majors are eligible to participate in the symposium. Research papers need not be written just for this symposium, but can be the result of work for current or previous classroom requirements.
A selection committee will determine which qualified participants will be invited to submit final papers and make a 10-15 minute presentation of their research on March 28, 2009, in Pittsburgh . At that time, a panel of faculty and graduate students will judge the quality of papers and presentations, awarding cash prizes to the top three participants.
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
FREE PUBLIC LECTURE:
Time: TBA, Location: TBA, Duquesne University
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: RICHARD W. BULLIET, Ph.D., Professor of History and former
Director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia University
We are delighted to welcome Richard W. Bulliet, Ph.D. as our honored guest for the 2009 CERIS Undergraduate Research Symposium. Richard Bulliet is professor of history at Columbia University and former director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia and Executive Director of the Middle East Studies Association. He received his Ph.D. in History and Middle East Studies, MA in Middle East Studies and BA in History from Harvard University.
IMPORTANT DATES
March 16, 2009: Applications and paper due.
March 28, 2009: Student juried presentations.
HOW TO APPLY
The deadline for submitting an application with paper is March 16, 2009. Students must email their paper and an application to ceris@pobox.com. Once received, these papers will be read by a committee of faculty and experts in the community. Event day presenters will be grouped into panel sessions according to research topics.
PREPARING FOR THE SYMPOSIUM
PAPERS: Solicited finished papers must be in Microsoft Word or PDF format, 8-15 pages in length, double-spaced, with citations of at least five resources. References in MLA format must be attached. Full paper requirements must be e-mailed to ceris@pobox.com by the deadline of March 16, 2009.
PRESENTATIONS: Symposium day research presentations must be 10 minutes long. An additional five minutes will be allotted for questions from the judges and audience. Presenters have the option to use media such as Power Point shows, overheads, audio or video recordings, etc., to accompany their presentations, but this is not required. Participants needing media equipment must notify the symposium organizers at least one week in advance.
JUDGING
A minimum of three judges (not from the applicant's school) will read and score every research paper prior to the event. During the presentation sessions the panel will listen to each student's presentation and ask questions. Awards will be based on both the research papers (60%) and presentations (40%). The awards will be announced at the closing reception. First and second place papers from each panel will be posted on this Web site. For more information, please click here.
DAY OF THE EVENT
The event will include registration, breakfast and keynote address, juried presentations, lunch, and a closing reception with presentation of awards. Participants are encouraged to invite professors, family members, and friends to observe.
Consortium for Educational Resources on Islamic Studies (CERIS)
4100 Posvar Hall, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: 412-648-2113; Fax: 412-624-4672
E-mail: ceris@pobox.com
Web site: www.cerisnet.org
