Southeast Asia Research Fellowship Programme for Young Muslim Scholars 2007

The closing date for application submission is 30 November 2007.

The Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN) is pleased to announce the sixth round of the research fellowship program, Islam in Southeast Asia: View from within.

The fellowship grants will be awarded for innovative research on issues concerning economic, socio-political and cultural changes taking place in the diverse Muslim communities of Southeast Asia, especially as they relate to modernization and globalization.

Themes:
Popular Islam
Globalization and Identity Politics
Islam and Changing Gender Realities
Islam Values, Economic Activities and Social Responsibilities


Popular Islam
"Popular Islam" focuses on encouraging researchers to examine ways in which Islamic beliefs and practices reach all believers and are reflected through various means of religious. Communication such as studying Khutbah in local mosques, reading Islamic booklets, and/ or listening to Muslim radio programs. The question of how Islam can shape and influence, while at the same time is being shaped by, the lives of ordinary Southeast Asian Muslims in various local contexts is just one aspect of this topic that could be analyzed.

Globalization and Identity Politics
Muslim communities in Southeast Asia are not immune from globalization processes. New forms of economic and political integration on a world scale and the accelerated flows of goods, people and information across the globe all create new opportunities and challenges for Muslims in the region. The interaction of global and regional forces with local processes has been perceived both as a threat to Muslim identities and
as beneficial to the development of a new transnational Islam. This research theme seeks to explore how Muslim identities in Southeast Asia are formed and shaped by regional and globalizing forces.


Islam and Changing Gender Realities
Rapidly evolving social, cultural and economic processes are leading to unprecedented changes in the societal roles of men and women. Muslim communities in Southeast Asia are being confronted with a diversity of values and lifestyles expressing multiple definitions of gender roles
and relationships not always in line with dominant values. This research area encourages researchers to examine how gender roles in both the public and private sphere are changing for Muslims in Southeast Asia and relate those changes to current theological and
political debates.

Islam Values, Economic Activities and Social Responsibilities
Studies in this area should examine how Islamic values and institutions can provide alternative economic options to those perceived as condradictory to Qur`anic principles such as riba. Area of focus could include identifying how Islamic economic values work in a modern business environment, analysis of indigenous entrepreneurial models that have been or can be utilized for local level empowerment and/ or studies of the lives of entrepreneurs and the ways Islamic values shape and are re-shaped by their economic activities and social responsibilities.

Eligibility
Candidates must be nationals of Southeast Asian countries, hold at least a Bachelor degree
and should not be over 40 years of age.

Candidates may work in different sectors including academia, media, and non-governmental
organizations. Candidate must be highly motivated to deepen their understanding of Islam in the region.
Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Fellowship Value
The fellowship consists of an average research grant of $5,000 to cover all research costs for a maximum period of six months in the original country of resercher, and funded participation in mentoring workshops.
The Secretariat will arrange for editing, publication and distribution of the report in a "work in progress" series.

Application Procedure
To apply for this fellowship program, candidates need to submit a complete research proposal. Proposed research projects should include sufficient details so that it can be judged for its merit and feasibility.
The candidates can download the application form from our website as a MS Word document. Applications by e-mail are also accepted.

The closing date for application submission is 30 November 2007.

Selection

Final selections will be made by the Advisory board.

Programme Advisory Board

Dr. Carmen Abubakar
Institute of Islamic Studies,
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Q.C.
Metro Manila, Philippines.

Dr. Azyumardi Azra
Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN), Syarif Hidayatullah
Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dr. Suzaina Kadir
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore,
Singapore

M. Abdus Sabur
Asian Muslim Action Network &
Asian Resource Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand

Dr. Chaiwat Satha-Anand
Faculty of Political Science,
Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand

Dr. Alan Feinstein
The Rockefeller Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand

Dr. Shamsul A.B.
Institute of Malay World and Civilization (ATMA) Universiti Kebangsaan, Malaysia

Program Management

The fellowship program is managed by the AMAN secretariat, which is housed at the Asian Resource Foundation (ARF) in Bangkok, Thailand. AMAN was established in 1990 with the goal of building understanding and solidarity among Muslims and with other faith communities in Asia towards people`s empowerment, human rights, justice and peace. AMAN`s Council consists of eleven members representing various Asian countries, with Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer of the center for study of society and secularism, India as chairman. Financial support to the fellowship program is provided by the Rockefeller Foundation, Southeast Asia Regional Office Bangkok, Thailand.

Secretariat
Dwi Rubiyanti Kholifah - Program Coordinator
Contact Address
Islam in Southeast Asia: A View from Within Research Fellowship Programme AMAN/ARF
House 1562/113, Soi 1/1
Mooban Pibul, Pracharaj Road,
Bangkok 10800, Thailand

Tel: 66-2-9130196,
Fax: 66-2-9130197
E-mail: aman@arf-asia.org