Call for Papers
Theme: “Resilience and Innovation: Islamic Interdisciplinary Approaches to Global Challenges in the Post-Digital Age”
Date: March 24-25, 2026
Venue: Istanbul University, Turkey
Abstract Submission Deadline: January 20, 2026
Organizer: Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

The Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU), Invites all professors, researchers, students, practitioners, and other Islamic Studies and Sharia Economic enthusiasts to participate in the 8th International Seminar in Islamic Studies (INSIS), which will be held at Istanbul University, Turkey.

The main theme of the conference is “Resilience and Innovation: Islamic Interdisciplinary Approaches to Global Challenges in the Post-Digital Age”. Sub-themes include:

• Islamic Studies and Thoughts
• Economic Resilience and Innovation
• Transforming Education in the Digital Era
• Science and Engineering
• Linguistics and Global Communication
• Health Systems and Innovation
• Political Innovation and Resilience
• Governance and Digital Rights
• Sustainable Agricultural Innovation

Publication Opportunities

All accepted and presented paper will be published in the conference proceedings (with ISBN/e-ISBN). In addition, selected papers will be considered for publication in reputable journals indexed in SINTA and Copernicus, subject to the journals’ terms and conditions for acceptance.

More information at: https://insis.umsu.ac.id/

Date: March 9, 2025 @ 2:00 PM
Venue: Tuke Hall, Regent’s University London, Inner Circle, Regent”s Park, London, NW1 4NS, UK

The Seminar to Commemorate the Martyrdom of Imam Ali (a.s.), which is being held on March 9, 2025, at Tuke Hall, Regent’s University London, welcomes all with an open invitation:

Lectures

• Developing Islamic AI: Balancing Mental Health Benefits and Theological Risks
  Speaker: Gulamabbas Lakha, Oxford University
  Gulamabbas Lakha takes a multi-disciplinary approach to research and teaching at Oxford. His doctorate in Psychiatry investigates mental health applications of Islamic concepts and practices, including empirical work on depression in the UK Muslim population. He serves as a tutor in Psychology of Religion and leads seminars on Neuroscience of Religious Experience, including supervising medical students and postgraduates. He also teaches Christian-Muslim relations and psychotherapy from Old Testament and Islamic psalms, having previously undertaken research on comparative neuroimaging of dhikr and secular mindfulness practices. His first degree in Economics & Econometrics was followed by the Chartered Financial Analyst programmer and subsequently founded an investment firm at which he serves as CEO. He later completed four master’s degrees, spanning Psychology and Neuroscience, Theology, Islamic Studies, History and Arabic. Following religious training over two decades, he was accredited as a Shaykh and has lectured on contemporary Islam for fifteen years.
• The Blunt Arrow and the Two-Pointed Sword: Encountering Imam Ali in Early Islamic Epic
  Speaker: Dr. George Warner, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
  Dr. George Warner is a scholar of Islamic studies specializing in Sunni-Shi’a relations, hadith, ritual, and devotional literature in Arabic and Persian. Having completed his BA and MPhil at the University of Cambridge, he received his PhD from SOAS University of London in 2017. He has previously held academic positions at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, SOAS and the University of Exeter, and is currently a research fellow at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. He has published widely on diverse aspects of Shi’i Islam and its history, including his first book, The Words of the Imams: al-Shaykh al-Saduq and the Development of Twelver Shi’i Hadith Literature, which was published by I. B. Tauris in 2021.

Chair

Professor Justin Jones
Justin Jones is Associate Professor in the Study of Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford, and specializes in South Asian Islam. His previous published research has focused upon Shi’i Islam in South Asia, including themes such as Shi’i clerical revivalism, religious writing and practice, martyrology, and Shi’i politics. He is the author of Shi’a Islam in Colonial India: Religion, Community and Sectarianism (Cambridge University Press, 2012), the editor of The Shi’a of South Asia: Religion, History and Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2014), as well as having written various articles and other publications in this field.

Please note there is no online registration. Attendees are kindly requested to arrive at the venue by 2:00 PM on Sunday, March 9, 2025.

This seminar is organized and sponsored by the Ahmed Family, in collaboration with the Muhammadi Trust. For inquiries, contact the Muhammadi Trust at +44 20 8452 1739.

Source: Shii News

Call for Papers
Date: Spring and Fall 2025 (Tuesdays at noon EST/5PM UK/7PM Turkey)
Venue: Online (via Zoom)
Abstract Submission Deadline: November 15, 2024

Founded at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, the Virtual Islamic Art History Seminar Series (VIAHSS) has brought together a diverse community of researchers from around the world interested in the history of art and visual culture in the Islamicate world. The series’ monthly virtual seminars and workshops have successfully filled a new niche in academic discourse. While travel has resumed and in-person events have begun again, the need for a forum which brings together international and intergenerational audiences in an inclusive and supportive fashion remains. They are now inviting proposals for paper presentations on topics related to the history of art, architecture, and visual culture of any time period from the Islamic world for spring and fall of 2025. They welcome submissions from current graduate students, faculty, curators, and independent scholars.

The virtual seminar series will take place on zoom from mid-January onwards. Each session will include a 20-30 minute presentation followed by a 20 minute discussion in a constructive and friendly manner. In addition to individual proposals they are also open to workshop proposals, which might include moderated discussions of pre-circulated papers, roundtables, discussions with practicing architects or artists, or other formats.

If you are interested in presenting, please upload an abstract detailing your topic (not more than 500 words) and your CV or resume by Friday, November 15, 2024, to this Google form: https://forms.gle/tpKmCqEmgZSez2Ym8. Additionally, you will be asked to include information about your location and time zone as they will have to find a time that works well for most participants. You may also express a preference or dispreference for a specific month based on your anticipated activities.

If you have any questions, please contact co-organizers Dr. Alexander Brey (alexander.brey@wellesley.edu) and Dr. Rachel Winter (winterr6@msu.edu) with the phrase “VIAHSS 2025 proposal” in the subject line.

More information on: https://viahss.org/

Venue: University of Edinburgh, School of Divinity, New College, Mound Pl, Edinburgh EH1 2LX, UK and Online

The seminar takes place on Tuesdays, 16:10 GMT at the School of Divinity. The talks are online and in person. Those wishing to attend online should contact srassi@ed.ac.uk or use the QR code in the program poster.

The schedule is as follows:

• 21 March — Althaus-Reid Room

Dr Neelam Hussain (Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern Manuscripts)

‘Manuscripts, Readers & Reading Communities: Tracing the Career of the Sirr al-Asrār through Time and Space’

• 4 April — Elizabeth Templeton Lecture Room

Dr Hilary Kilpatrick (independent scholar)

‘What is al-Shābushtī’s (d. c. 999) Kitāb al-diyārāt (The Book of Monasteries) really about?’

More information on: The University of Edinburgh

Venue: Lightfoot Room, Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9BS, UK

Organizer: Cambridge Interfaith Program

Cambridge Interfaith Program convenes a regular seminar on Inter-religious Relations. The range of speakers includes visiting scholars, guests, and researchers from the Faculty of Divinity. All are welcome to attend:

– Cosmic Circuitries of Compassion: The Imperative of ‘Imitatio Dei’ in the Thought of Ibn ‘Arabi, Muhammad Iqbal, and Rabindranath Tagore

Lecturer: Hina Khalid (University of Cambridge)

November 8, 2022

– Humboldt, translation, and dialogue between the peoples of the book

Lecturer: Dr John Walker (Birkbeck, University of London, and Cambridge)

November 22, 2022

Seminars are (normally) on Tuesdays at 2:15 pm in the Lightfoot Room at the Faculty of Divinity, West Road, CB3 9DP. Some seminars are available via livestream (Zoom); advance registration is required for online attendees.

Zoom information is sent via Eventbrite as part of confirmation for registration.

Source: University of Cambridge

Date: February 20-23, 2023

Venue: Doha, Qatar

Abstract Submission Deadline: June 25, 2022

The Doha-based Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) is pleased to invite scholars, academics and researchers to submit their research papers to a closed three-day Seminar on “Wilāya and Islamic Ethics” to be held in Doha on 20-23 February 2023. The Seminar will be convened by Dr. Mohammad Fadel, University of Toronto. The proceedings of the Seminar will be published as a special issue in the peer-reviewed and open-access Journal of Islamic Ethics or as an edited volume in the book-series Studies in Islamic Ethics, both published by Brill.

More information on: CILE Center

Venue: Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, Berkshire, UK

The Statesmanship and Religious Freedom (SaRF) Seminar will be held on 1-4 July 2022 in the historic Cumberland Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire. This high-impact program is a joint effort of the RFI’s Center for Religious Freedom Education, Cumberland Lodge, and the Religious Liberty Initiative of Notre Dame University Law School. It includes interactive lectures with religious freedom scholars and advocates, multi-sensory and immersive learning experiences, and visits to historical sites in Windsor Great Park and the nearby town of Windsor. Admitted participants are also eligible to apply for a full scholarship to extend their experience at the government summit on international religious freedom the following week in London. Students selected to participate in the program are responsible for their transportation to Cumberland Lodge, but all other expenses including meals, hotel lodging, and program activities are fully covered.

More information on: Religious Freedom Institute (RFI)

Venue: Online (via Zoom)

Organized by: School of Divinity of University of Edinburgh

Regular seminars are held in each research area, throughout the two academic semesters. Visitors are warmly invited to attend. All seminars are held in New College. Our research centers and networks publish their seminar programs for the coming semester in September and January each year. Details of how to join online will be emailed round before the relevant seminar. For more information, contact Dr Shadaab Rahemtulla.

Autumn 2022

– “Christian-Muslim Relations in Sri Lanka: Liberating Faiths from the Empire” – 17 January
By Dr Jude Lal Fernando (Assistant Professor of Religion, Trinity College Dublin)

– “Archival Sensibilities in Arabic Historiography: Case Studies from Mamluk Egypt and Syria” – 7 February
By Dr Fozia Bora (Associate Professor of Islamic History, University of Leeds)

– PhD Alumnus Lecture: “Does Hermeneutics require Faith? A Study of Contemporary Qur’anic Hermeneutics in Turkey” – 14 February
By Dr Yusuf Celik (Class of 2020): Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Law School

– “Ghazali and Rilke: The Philosopher and the Poet in Search of Salvation” – 7 March
By Professor Mona Siddiqui (Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies)

– Joint Book Launch with Theology and Ethics Seminar: Mary in the Qur’an: Friend of God, Virgin, Mother (Gingko Press) – 30 March
By Dr Muna Tatari (Junior Professor of Islamic Systematic Theology, University of Paderborn) and Professor Klaus von Stosch (Professor of Catholic Theology and Didactics, University of Paderborn)

– “Religious Nationalisms in Comparative Perspective: The Nation of Islam and the Kenya Land & Freedom Army (Mau Mau)” – 4 April
By Dr CL Nash (CTPI Duncan Forrester Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh)

The School is ranked in the world’s top 20 universities for theology, divinity and religious studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020). We also achieved 93% in the latest Complete University Guide league table (2021), and we were ranked 1st in Scotland and 4th in the UK for theology and religious studies in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.

More information on: University of Edinburgh

Second International Seminar on Mosque Architecture

Call for Papers

Date: January 24-25, 2022 @ 10 am-6 pm

Venue: Bibliotheca Alexandrina Conference Center, Auditorium, Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract Submission Deadline: December 26, 2021

The Center for Islamic Civilization Studies and Abdullatif Alfozan Award for Mosque Architecture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are organizing the second seminar on mosque architecture entitled: Mosque Architecture and Its Impact on Economic and Social Development.

The seminar includes an exhibition to showcase selected projects submitted for the Abdullatif Alfozan Award for Mosque Architecture, at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

The organizers invite interested participants to submit abstracts for research papers that have not been previously published, within the scope of the following themes:

1- Economic and social aspects of ancient and modern mosque architecture.
2- The foundations of modern mosque design, the role of artificial intelligence, and digital economy.
3- Reviving the architectural and urban heritage and its pioneering role in economic development.
4- Reviving the enlightening role of mosques in contemporary societies.
5- Mosque architecture and its cultural impact on contemporary societies.
6- Design patterns of modern mosques in Western Europe.

Kindly note that the deadline for submitting research abstracts, involving new and innovative topics, is Sunday, 26 December 2021, provided that the abstract does not exceed 500 words and is written in Arabic or English. A 250-word biography of the researcher should be included in the submission as well.

More information on: bibalex.org

Venue: Washington DC and Online

The Statesmanship and Religious Freedom Seminar is an annual program for college students co-sponsored by the Museum of the Bible (MOTB) and the Religious Freedom Institute (RFI). This year’s Seminar will unfold in two segments—a 4-week virtual program from January 24-February 18 that requires 2-3 hours of screen time each week, and a 3-day in person event in Washington DC from May 18-20.

Each segment requires a separate application, but please consider that students who want to participate in the Washington DC event must complete the virtual program (note that the Washington DC application is only made available to students upon completion of the virtual program application). Both segments include high-impact sessions with religious freedom scholars and advocates, multi-sensory and interactive learning experiences, visits to the Museum of the Bible and other sites throughout DC (DC Program only), and interactions with public officials currently working to advance religious freedom in the US and abroad.

Applications for the virtual program should be submitted by January 14, 2022, to receive full consideration.

Applications for the Washington DC program should be submitted by February 18, 2022, to receive full consideration.

More information on: religiousfreedominstitute.org