The First Annual Islamic Studies Conference at UCSB: A Graduate Student Gathering

المؤتمر السنوي الأوّل في الدراسات الإسلامية في جامعة كاليفورنيا، سانتا باربرا: ملتقى طلاب الدراسات العليا
 
When: April 9-10, 2011

Where: The University of California, Santa Barbara

Keynote Speaker: R. Stephen Humphreys (Department of History, UCSB)

In his three-volume work, The Venture of Islam, Marshall Hodgson established a vital foundation for the academic study of Islam, and most scholars who specialize in Islamic Studies have been influenced by his work either implicitly or explicitly.

This conference aims to emphasize influential scholars who have been involved in shaping our shared field of Islamic Studies. Therefore we think that it will be instructive to require participants to include a discussion of The Venture of Islam and its relevance (or lack thereof) to their papers. That is, how does Hodgson’s work influence the study of a given topic?

We invite paper proposals that treat any number of topics, such as: law, Sufism, music, history, violence, theory & methodology, conversion, geography, theology, exegesis and gender. Particularly welcome are papers that, through the lens of a given research topic, focus on the importance of particular key figures in the field of Islamic Studies, including but not limited to Hodgson, explaining why their impact is noteworthy.

Please note that participating in the conference does not require one to be a Hodgson specialist, and the centrality of his work to each presentation may vary. Rather, participants should simply be able to demonstrate familiarity with the influences that The Venture of Islam might have on their research.

To apply, please submit the below information to: ucsbislamicstudiesconference@gmail.com

• Working paper title
• Abstract (maximum 500 words)
• CV (maximum two pages)
• Brief biographical sketch (maximum 200 words)

Also consider reviewing Kecia Ali’s guidelines for writing successful conference paper proposals.

Proposals are due by February 1st and decisions will be made by February 15th.

Meals will be provided on both days, including a sponsored dinner at a local restaurant on Saturday. For more information about financial assistance, travel, accommodations, etc., please visit the UCSB Islamic Studies Conference website.

Please direct any conference-related questions to the aforementioned email address. We hope that the conference will be a place of collegiality and constructive critique and that it will serve as a valuable networking opportunity. We look forward to receiving your proposals.