Fellowship
Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship 2027/2028
Offered by Chevening / British Library
Location
United Kingdom
Funding
Fully Funded
Study level
Professional, Faculty & Academics, Researchers
Field of study
Arts & Humanities
Application deadline
October 27, 2026
About This Fellowship
The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship is a specialised 12-month professional and research fellowship hosted by the British Library for experienced professionals from Egypt, Palestine and Sudan with a strong interest in Coptic manuscript heritage and cultural collections.
The fellowship provides an opportunity to work directly with one of the world's significant collections of Coptic manuscripts while developing practical expertise in manuscript documentation, catalogue enhancement, provenance research and heritage engagement.
The British Library's Coptic holdings include complete and fragmentary manuscripts as well as papyrus, parchment and paper materials documenting more than 1,500 years of Coptic history, theology and literary culture. The fellowship is intended to improve understanding and accessibility of these collections while contributing to the Library's wider work with Coptic heritage communities.
The successful fellow will work at the British Library with Dr Michael Erdman, Head of Asian and African Studies (interim), and will undertake a defined project involving the Library's Coptic holdings.
What the Fellow Will Do
The fellowship is substantially practical rather than being a general period of independent study.
The fellow is expected to:
- Survey the British Library's Coptic collections and identify gaps in existing cataloguing and documentation.
- Examine manuscript evidence and existing metadata to enhance catalogue records.
- Investigate and document the provenance and acquisition history of manuscripts.
- Contribute to research that improves understanding of the Library's Coptic holdings.
- Work with researchers and Coptic community members through events and engagement activities.
- Produce public-facing outputs such as blogs and reports.
- Help develop approaches for making Coptic heritage collections more accessible to wider audiences.
This combination of collections research, documentation and public engagement makes the fellowship particularly relevant to professionals whose future work involves the preservation, interpretation or accessibility of manuscript and cultural heritage.
Who Can Apply
This is a highly specialised fellowship rather than a general Chevening award open to applicants from all Chevening countries.
Applicants must be citizens of Egypt, Palestine or Sudan. Applicants should normally be resident in one of these countries. Citizens of these countries who are resident elsewhere in certain eligible Middle Eastern and North African countries may also apply under the specific Chevening conditions.
Applicants must also:
- Have a postgraduate-level qualification or equivalent professional training/experience in a relevant area.
- Have at least five years of significant professional and/or academic research experience.
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Check the official website for the latest eligibility requirements, application instructions and deadlines.
