New at Brill in Open Access: Encyclopædia Iranica Online

 

Encyclopaedia Iranica is the most renowned reference work in the field of Iran studies. Founded by the late Professor Ehsan Yarshater and edited at the Ehsan Yarshater Center for Iranian Studies at Columbia University, this monumental international project brings together the scholarship about Iran of thousands of authors around the world.

 

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Encyclopædia Iranica Online Now Freely Accessible at Brill

The Ehsan Yarshater Center for Iranian Studies at Columbia University, New York, and Brill are delighted to announce that the Encyclopædia Iranica Online is now freely accessible at Brill’s Reference Works Platform. Encyclopædia Iranica is the comprehensive academic reference work dedicated to the study of Iranian civilization in the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.

Ancient Iran Series Added to Brill’s Publishing Portfolio

As part of their growing portfolio in Middle East and Islamic Studies, Brill has signed an agreement for the take-over of the book series Ancient Iran Series. With its coverage of ancient, pre-, and early-Islamic Iran, this book series complements other book series with a more modern focus on this geographical area, as well as the various other journals and encyclopaedias Brill publishes in this field.

Read an interview with Geert Jan van Gelder

The longstanding series Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East recently reached its 150th volume by publishing the special Prominent Murder Victims of the Pre- and Early Islamic Periods Including the Names of Murdered Poets. We caught up with Geert Jan van Gelder, editor and translator of the volume.

 

Acquisitions Editors

Brill

Maurits van den Boogert

maurits.vandenboogert@brill.com

Nicolette van der Hoek

nicolette.vanderhoek@brill.com

Abdurraouf Oueslati

abdurraouf.oueslati@brill.com

Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

Jehona Kicaj

jehona.kicaj@brill.com

Middle East and Islamic Studies

Author:

France Albert René, one of the longest serving presidents in Africa, relinquished his post and handed over power to his vice-president, James Michel, thus preserving the political dominance of the ruling Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF). Michel gave clear signals that he would continue with the economic reforms introduced in 2003 and pursue more market-friendly policies with the intention of overcoming the stagnation that has hampered the country for several years.

Author:

The domestic political scene was exceptionally calm throughout the year, with no outstanding changes or events. President Michel and his long-ruling Parti Lepep continued in undisputed control of all political affairs. The opposition parties remained weak and showed signs of resignation in view of the sustained popularity of the president and the government, which went to great lengths to maintain a remarkable level of social well-being for the population. No visible progress was achieved on the long contentious issue of electoral reform. On the international stage, Michel pursued his efforts to enhance the recognition of his tiny country and to be seen as a champion of the interests of small island developing states. Economic performance was again quite satisfactory, with another record year for the tourism industry and further moves to liberalise the economy. Five years after the initiation of drastic economic reform measures, Seychelles was praised by international organisations as a role model for successful reform-oriented policies. Despite a significant decline in the threat of Somali pirate activity, the subject continued to attract international attention to Seychelles as an important hub for concerted anti-piracy efforts.

Author:

Politically, 2014 was another unspectacular and quiet year, with no outstanding changes or events. President Michel and his long-ruling Parti Lepep continued in undisputed control of all political affairs. The opposition parties remained weak and showed signs of being resigned to the sustained popularity of the president and the government. Michel went to great lengths to promote a sense of national unity and reconciliation after the earlier climate of divisive politics. On the international stage, Michel continued with his efforts to enhance the recognition of his tiny state and specifically to be seen as a champion of the interests of small island developing states. Economic performance was again quite satisfactory, with somewhat slower growth, stabilised figures for the tourism industry, further moves to liberalise the economy and maintenance of the remarkable level of social well-being of the population. Six years after the initiation of drastic economic reform measures, Seychelles continued to be praised by international organisations as a role model for successful reform-oriented policies. The earlier threat of Somali pirate activities came to an end.

Author:

Following three unusually quiet years politically, 2015 saw a sudden flurry of renewed political activity. With the creation of several new political parties, President Michel and his long-ruling Parti Lepep were now confronted with a total of seven officially registered opposition parties. In presidential elections in December, Michel was forced into a second-round run-off against his main challenger, Ramkalawan, and only succeeded in winning another term by a few votes. On the international stage, the government continued its efforts to enhance the recognition of this tiny island nation and specifically to have it seen as a champion of the interests of small island developing states. Economic performance was again quite satisfactory, with somewhat higher growth, new record figures for the vital tourism industry, and further reforms to liberalise the economy and encourage small and medium-sized local enterprises, while also maintaining the population’s remarkable level of social well-being. Seven years after the initiation of drastic economic reform measures, Seychelles continued to be praised by international organisations as a role model for successful reform-oriented policies.

Seychelles saw a new president and political party take control of its legislature, overseeing the ongoing normalisation of a previously tense political setting. It maintained its hdi profile. Under the post-2015 sdg agenda, the country undertook to advance the need to integrate green and blue economy issues faced by island states, such as climatic vulnerabilities and ocean resource use. The economic recovery trajectory was maintained, particularly by keeping inflation in check. Prudent fiscal and monetary policies helped consolidate macroeconomic stability but vulnerabilities to external shocks were still substantial, as the economy continued to rely largely on two sectors: tourism and fisheries.

The Republic of Seychelles, the archipelago to the north-east of Madagascar made up of 115 islands (the main one being Mahé), remained generally stable politically and economically and had the highest per capita gdp per in Africa. The challenges and effects of climate change continued to place its economy at risk, as it relied heavily on high-end tourism and exports of tuna. To deal with this, Seychelles worked with fellow Small Island Developing States to address climate change issues. Regarding the economy, achieving more productivity-based growth remained Seychelles’ key focus. Several development plans were being implemented or refined. Compared with its African and Indian Ocean neighbours, the Seychellois enjoyed domestic stability but faced some problems of unhealthy nutrition, sedentary lifestyles and substance abuse, coupled with educational and skills formation problems.

The Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, is classified as a high-income country, with three-quarters of its 95,000 citizens living on the main island of Mahé. Domestic politics were dominated by an uneasy relationship between the dominant opposition coalition and the executive this year. The judiciary experienced turmoil following a court case against the chief justice, Mathilda Twomey, although she was eventually cleared of all wrongdoing. Civil society and government expressed concern about human right violations against foreign workers in the fishing, agriculture, and construction sectors. The Seychelles government continued to emphasise climate change, the ‘Blue Economy’, and poverty reduction in its foreign policy interactions, as in previous years. In addition, sustainable economic growth, jobs, and climate change remained key national agenda items. fdi increased significantly and surpassed expectations, reaching $ 158.5 m ($ 124.5 m in 2017). The country continued to struggle with drug abuse and its consequences.

The Republic of Seychelles is a group of 115 islands in the Western Indian Ocean, with three-quarters of its 99,000 citizens living on the main island of Mahé. It is classified as a high-income country. Domestically, government continued to perform well, even though it had to contend with accusations of unfair labour practices. The country maintained a high position in Africa in terms of measures of anti-corruption, human development, and governance. It took an activist multilateral foreign policy posture, focusing on the benefits of the blue economy and the threats of extreme weather to small island developing states (sids). Its economic programme was on track and showed strong growth. Despite all-round progress, Seychelles struggled to manage problems of substance abuse, domestic violence, the treatment of foreign workers, human trafficking, and maritime insecurity.

Seychelles had the highest gdp per capita in Africa in 2020, at $ 12,323, even though it dropped significantly from the $ 17,448 recorded for 2019. Continued shared prosperity remained of concern. Climate change continued to pose long-term sustainability risks to this archipelago of 115 islands in the Western Indian Ocean. Seychelles’ newly elected leader, former opposition leader Wavel Ramkalawan, was sworn in as the country’s fifth president in October. The government’s immediate priority was the containment of Covid-19 and recovery from its economic and social impact on the country.

Seychelles, a Small Island Developing State with a high human development profile, entered 2021 under tremendous pressure to respond to the devastating socioeconomic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Consequently, government undertook a vaccine rollout meant to protect the local population and attract foreign tourists. Tourist arrivals bounced back as borders reopened in late March. Economic recovery and diversification and the fight against corruption and drugs remained top policy priorities for the new government led by President Wavel Ramkalawan. Overall, the political environment remained stable and government continued to pursue a vigorous diplomatic campaign, using multilateral institutions to focus attention on the threats of climate change for Small Island Developing States (sids) in particular. It strengthened bilateral relations especially with China, India, and the EU in pursuit of the country’s socioeconomic and security interests.