Middle East and Islamic Studies
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.
News & Announcements
Stay up-to-date with the Brill Community and sign up to our newsletter!
Sign upEncyclopædia 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
Nicolette van der Hoek
Abdurraouf Oueslati
Teddi Dols
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
Jehona Kicaj
The ruling rpf continued to maintain strict controls on political and public life, and the regime, led by President Kagame, faced little internal political opposition. Progress continued in the fields of public service delivery and the economy. The government marked the 20th anniversary of the 1994 genocide in April with a series of memorial and commemoration activities. The rpf gained some standing with its international donors, many of which restored aid following Kigali’s November 2013 dismantling of the M23 rebel group, a proxy militia operating in the neighbouring drc. Foreign aid disbursements had declined in 2012–13, following the release of a un report accusing the government of supporting military rebellion in eastern drc. By the end of 2014, foreign aid accounted for 35% of Rwanda’s budget, marking the return of aid dollars, albeit at levels below those allocated before the release of the 2012 un report. Relations with donors remained tense, notably because they continued to chastise the government for its ongoing political repression. Bilateral relations with the drc were strained, with Kigali accusing Kinshasa of not doing enough to contain the conflict in the Kivu regions. Regional and un-led peace talks failed to resolve the conflict in eastern drc, despite Rwanda’s wish to cooperate with the Congolese army to contain it. The economy proved to be quite resilient: despite some foreign aid cuts, the effects of continued global recession and lower domestic public spending, economic growth accelerated to a relatively healthy projected rate of 6.5%.