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The Udo Steinbach Scholarship is a new academic initiative designed to support scholars who focus on the Arab world and conduct empirical research on the ground. diplo.news shares information provided by the initiators.

On the first anniversary of the passing of Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach: The initiative honors the academic legacy of the Middle East expert and Islamic scholar Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach (1943–2025) and supports outstanding master's students from German-speaking universities in conducting independent research stays in Arab countries.

The first call for applications begins in October 2026. Master's students at German-speaking universities whose research projects are based on independent empirical research on the Arab world are eligible to apply. Funding is exclusively available for projects focusing on society, politics, history, culture, the economy, or other thematic areas related to the Arab world.

The application deadline is January 31, 2027.

Insight is born from encounter

How do we gain scientific insight into a region that has been one of the world's most significant areas in terms of politics, society, and culture for decades, yet is frequently portrayed in Western debates through simplifications and stereotypes?
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It is born where research seeks direct dialogue with people, institutions, and archives. Through careful observation, methodological rigor, and critical reflection, empirical research opens up perspectives that cannot be accessed from a theoretical distance or through second-hand sources.

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The Arab world is at the heart of key global debates on peace and security, economic transformation, social change, migration, climate change, energy policy, and cultural developments. This makes it all the more important for academia to provide well-founded analyses based on original research that capture complex realities in a nuanced way.
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The Udo Steinbach Scholarship was born from this conviction. Its goal is to support a new generation of excellent scholars and to strengthen empirical research that combines scientific curiosity with methodological rigor and societal relevance.
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In the spirit of Udo Steinbach

The initiative is named after Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach. Few German scholars have shaped the discourse on the Arab world and its regional dynamics as profoundly and sustainably as he has over the decades. His work was characterized by intellectual openness, historical contextualization, and respectful dialogue with the societies of the Arab world.
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For Udo Steinbach, research was far more than academic analysis. It meant a willingness to listen, to take diverse perspectives seriously, and to understand social realities in all their complexity. This scientific ethos forms the foundation of the Udo Steinbach Scholarship—and serves as the benchmark for its support.
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Funding is provided for activities including fieldwork, qualitative interviews, archival and source research, and other empirical research methods that provide direct access to subjects within the Arab world. An independent selection committee, composed of renowned scholars from various disciplines, decides on the awards.

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Investing in the future of research

The Udo Steinbach Scholarship is a joint initiative of The Divan – The Arab House of Culture and the Society for the Promotion of the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) e. V.
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The initiators view the scholarship as a long-term investment in the future of research on the Arab world. Beyond funding individual research projects, the goal is to create a community of former scholarship fellows that remains connected through ongoing academic exchange and professional networking.
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The scholarship offers young researchers the opportunity to develop their own lines of inquiry on-site, critically challenge existing paradigms, and gain scientific insights through direct experience.
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Founding Statement

"With the Udo Steinbach Scholarship, we aim not only to preserve the academic legacy of Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach but also to carry his scholarly approach into the future."

"It is an investment in individuals who are prepared to gain scientific knowledge where it originates: in direct exchange with the societies of the Arab world. We see the Udo Steinbach Scholarship as an invitation to a new generation of scholars to carry forward Udo Steinbach’s academic ethos—with openness, scientific integrity, and a firm belief in the power of dialogue."

Detailed information on eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and the application process: www.steinbachscholarship.org (contact@steinbachscholarship.org)

diplo.news paid tribute to the work of Udo Steinbach on August 3rd of last year: https://www.diplo.news/articles/islamwissenschaftler-prof-udo-steinbach-verstorben

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