Editor-in-Chief of The Journal for Persianate Studies: Journal of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies (ASPS)
The Association for Study of Persianate Societies (ASPS) is seeking a new Editor-in-Chief for its flagship journal, The Journal for Persianate Studies. This multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal is dedicated to the study of all aspects of the Persianate world from the pre-Islamic period to the present. As the official publication of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies, it has served as the leading forum for the exchange of ideas and promotion of discipline-based and interdisciplinary research in Persianate Studies since 2008.
The journal publishes articles on the culture and civilization of the geographical area where Persian has historically been the dominant language or a major cultural force, encompassing Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, as well as the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and parts of the former Ottoman Empire. Its focus on the cultural, historical and sociological role and influence of Persian culture and Iranian civilization in this area is based on a recognition that knowledge flows from pre-existing facts but is also constructed and thus helps shape the present reality of the Persianate world. Such knowledge can mitigate the levelling effects of globalization as well as counteract the distortions of the area’s common historical memory and civilizational continuity by the divisive forces of modern nationalism and imperialism. The Journal for Persianate Studies (JPS) is published by Brill deGruyter. The journal was preceded by the Studies on Persianate Societies.
JPS is listed in the top percentile, i.e. Q1, of SCOPUS. It has been published since 2008 in two issues per year, of 125 pages each. As of 2027, JPS will move to three issues per year, of 125 pages each.
The new Editor-in-Chief shall be appointed for a five-year term in the summer of 2026 and begin their work in January 2027, with that year serving as a year of transition during which the current and the new editorial team will work side by side. From 2028 onward, the new Editor-in-Chief shall have sole responsibility for the publication of JPS.
Editor-in-Chief
The Editor-in-Chief oversees the journal’s online peer review and editorial processes and gives strategic direction to the journal. As a board member of the ASPS, the Editor-in-Chief receives, annually, an honorarium of 15,000 USD, support for travel to the ASPS biennial conference, a 8,000 USD operating budget to be distributed among one or more Associate Editor(s), and a 3,000 USD operating budget to support ad hoc needs such as the occasional translation. There is the expectation of additional support from the scholar’s home institution. The position is a five-year appointment and renewable for a second term.
The Editor-in-Chief chooses and appoints the editorial staff and Members of the Editorial Board. The Editor-in-Chief, together with the editorial staff, have full editorial control of the journal, combined with detailed reporting requirements to the ASPS board.
Applicants should be active and published scholars in fields covered by the journal; demonstrate an interest in, and ability to work with, a diverse team of contributors and ASPS board members; and build relationships with researchers in the field of Persianate Studies. Previous editorial work is preferred. We especially welcome applications from tenured scholars and institutional applications from scholarly research centres. The disciplinary field and period of scholarly concentration of the Editor-in-Chief remain open.
Review of applications will begin April 1, 2026, and continue until filled. Applications should include a CV, a letter of intent explaining the applicant’s vision for the journal (2-3 pages), and a cover letter outlining also the resources the home institution can provide to support the editor’s efforts for augmenting the operating budget. Please send application materials to info@persianatestudies.org. Informal queries are welcome and encouraged.
Appendix:
Excerpt from the relevant sections of the ASPS bylaws, as amended in August 2025:
Article IX. The Association’s Periodical
Section 1. The Association shall regularly publish a periodical, the Journal for Persianate Studies (JPS), and to this end, appoint an Editor-in-Chief. The Association shall be operationally and financially responsible for the periodical, including for the honoraria for the editorial staff, and the production costs. The journal’s accounts shall be managed by the ASPS treasurer.
Section 2. The Editor-in-Chief shall choose and appoint the editorial staff and Members of the Editorial Board. The Editor-in-Chief, together with the editorial staff, have full editorial control of the journal, combined with reporting requirements to the ASPS board. The Editor-in-Chief shall present a written report on the publication schedule of the journal to the ASPS Board twice a year and ask the publisher for a detailed publication report at least once a year (including citation statistics, information on indexing and distribution of access and downloads). Both reports shall be distributed to the ASPS and JPS boards.
Section 3. The Editor-in-Chief is appointed by the Board after a competitive open search. The Editor shall be chosen from a list of qualified scholars prepared by a duly constituted search committee appointed by the President at the start of the Editor’s last contract year. The term of the Editor shall be five (5) years. At least one (1) year prior to the end of the incumbent’s term, the President and the Executive Board shall appoint a Review Committee to assess the performance of the Editor-in-Chief. The Committee shall prepare and submit its evaluation to the President. If satisfactory, the President and the Executive Board may reappoint the Editor-in-Chief for a second term. With the approval of two-thirds of the board members, an incumbent Editor-in-Chief may be appointed for a third term.
Section 4. The relations between the publisher and ASPS shall be managed by a Publications Committee, consisting of Editor-in-Chief, the Associate Editor(s) if applicable, the ASPS President and the ASPS Vice President.
