Symposium 2026

Islamic Studies Across Divides in an Era of Crisis and Global Injustice

Saturday 24 - Sunday 25 January 2026

Boğaziçi University, South Campus, Istanbul

 The British Association for Islamic Studies is proud to be co-hosting a landmark international winter symposium at Boğaziçi University, Istanbul.

As part of BRAIS’ desire to expand knowledge exchange with scholars in the Global Majority and diversify the academic fabric of Anglosphere academia, we present this unique symposium as an opportunity to facilitate exchange in the context of legalized genocide in Gaza, increasing inequality, and structural silencing of academics and their research.

Our symposium, taking place on the heart of the stunning Bosphorus strait—the meeting point between Europe and Asia—was made possible by the generosity of our colleagues and hosts at Boğaziçi University, as well as its foundation (BUVAKIF). 

We invite scholars around the world and from all disciplines related to Islamic Studies to join us in Istanbul and present their research. We invite proposals for individual papers, as well as whole panels, from senior and early-career scholars from Professor to PhD level, as well as colleagues from beyond the academic world who have specialist expertise or unique insights to share.

Within the Symposium’s theme of Islamic Studies research during global crisis and injustice, we broadly understand Islamic Studies to include all topics and disciplinary approaches relating to the study of Islam and Muslim societies. This includes all time periods from the formative to the classical, and pre-modern to the contemporary. Subjects and approaches include, but are not limited to, the following suggested areas:

  • Blackness, Islam and African Diaspora Studies
  • Cultural Studies, Critique and Postcolonial Studies
  • Decolonising the Curriculum, including New Periodisations and (Inter)Disciplinary Approaches
  • Capitalism and Islamic Finance
  • Climate Change, Islamic Approaches to Ecology and Environmental Humanities
  • Ethics (Medical & Finance) and Islam
  • Genocide Studies, Scholasticide and Epistemicide
  • History of the Premodern Islamicate:
    • Arab/Ottoman/Persianate worlds
    • Indian Ocean, trans-Saharan, Mediterranean, and Atlantic trade and slavery
    • Genocide, migration, and diaspora formation
  • Indigenous and Islamic Epistemologies
  • Intellectual History, the History of Science, the History of Political Thought
  • Islam and Muslims in the Media, Critical Film Studies
  • Islamic liberation theology and theologies of resistance
  • Islamophobia and Racism Studies
  • Peacebuilding, Violence and Social Movements in the Muslim World
  • Postcolonial Muslim Societies and Subaltern Studies
  • Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology
  • Religious praxis, family, and relationships in Muslim Societies
  • Traditional Islamic Studies Fields, including:
    • Hadith Studies
    • Philosophy, Theology and Ethics
    • Qur'anic and Tafsir Studies
    • Sufism and Mysticism

We rely on our members and participants to help us expand the scope and nuance of Islamic Studies academia. In light of this, please do feel free to submit panel or paper proposals that are not represented in the above-mentioned themes.

PLEASE NOTE: The Call for Papers deadline is 5pm GMT on Friday 17 October 2025.

If you have any questions about the International Symposium, they might be answered on our FAQ page HERE. Otherwise, please do not hesitate to contact us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Inclusivity, Bridging Boundaries, and Diversifying Epistemologies

The purpose of this this symposium is to dissolve barriers in the Global Majority and transcend structural boundaries to academia often experienced by scholars in Europe and North America. As a means knowledge exchange, we especially encourage submissions from scholars who face economic constraints and structural barriers from attending our Annual International Conference.

BRAIS is committed to the principles of equality and inclusivity, and welcomes papers from scholars of all backgrounds and identities. We will work hard to ensure that the Symposium is a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and supported. We are mindful that many colleagues will have dependents, and your dependents are most welcome to attend along with you, free of charge. 

Submitting Your Abstract

For individual papers, a 200-word abstract of the paper should be submitted along with your details using the form available via the link below: 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT

Submitting Your Panel Proposal

BRAIS particularly welcomes proposals for whole panels curated around certain themes or methodologies. Panels will ideally include four individual papers, but panels of three individual papers will also be considered.

For panels, a 200-word outline of the theme of the panel, together with 200-word abstracts of each individual paper and the biography of each presenter should be submitted using the form available via the link below:

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR PANEL


Submission Deadline

The deadline for paper and panel submissions has been extended to Friday 17 October 2025 at 5pm GMT.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions, they might be addressed on our FAQ page HERE. For any other questions, please contact the BRAIS directly: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Data Protection

All Symposium paper and panel submissions will be administered by the BRAIS Trustee Board. Data will be managed by Boğaziçi University's Information Management Hub. Your submission will be shared with two anonymous reviewers who will review your submission and return their verdicts. Your submission will be retained until the symposium has been delivered. At this point, all submissions will be permanently deleted from our records.