Al-Maktoum Institute For Arabic and Islamic Studies, Research Culture, Conferences, Symposium: Time for Change

Symposium: Time for Change

Time for Change
The Future of the Study of Islam and Muslims
in Universities and Colleges in Multicultural Britain 

Friday, 19 January 2007

Al-Maktoum Institute
Dundee, Scotland

Call for Papers

 Theme

The El-Awaisi/Nye report, which will be published in October, aimed to start the debate on the future of the Study of Islam and Muslims in Universities and Colleges in multicultural Britain. Their research has examined 55 higher education units where the Study of Islam and Muslims is taught. The report not only provides a very important overview of the current situation, but also examines some of the key issues and challenges facing the field, and makes recommendations for how the field must be reshaped and developed to make what we offer at higher education level in the Study of Islam and Muslims relevant to contemporary multicultural British society.

Indeed, there is a clear and very obvious need for the Study of Islam and Muslims to be developed as a significant field of study across all levels of education in Britain. This is not only for the education of British youth as global citizens with a good knowledge and understanding of the contemporary world. It is also essential as a means of understanding our own multicultural society. 

Teaching on Islam and Muslims has been an important part of university curricula in the UK for well over 250 years. But now is the time for change. We need to develop this field of study for today's world and, in particular, to rethink many of the loosely understood ideas that frame so much of the public debate surrounding this.

As part of widening the debate on the issues raised by the Report, Al-Maktoum Institute are organising a national symposium to discuss the findings of this Report. All academics, policy-makers and individuals with an interest in the field are welcome to attend and participate in the discussion.

The aims of this national symposium are:

• to map out the current situation in the field of the Study of Islam and Muslims in British higher education institutions.
• to identify key contemporary trends and difficulties within the field. 
• how we could respond to the needs of a diverse and multicultural twenty-first century.

Venue

Shaikh Rashid conference Hall, Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Dundee, Scotland.

Submission of Abstracts

Abstracts for individual papers (no longer than 150 words) and panels (up to 500 words) should be submitted to the conference committee at the Institute address below, by 10 November 2006.

All papers accepted to be presented at the conference should be sent to the Institute by 12 January 2007.

Conference Programme 

The conference programme will consist of panels of papers, organised under a common theme. Each panel may consist of 2-3 paper presenters and a Chair.

Registration Fees

Students/unwaged    £25

Others                    £100

Enquires

All enquiries regarding the symposium should be sent to:

Dr Alhagi Manta Drammeh
Head of Department
Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies
124 Blackness Road, Dundee DD1 5PE
Tel: 00 44 (0) 1382-908070
Fax: 00 44 (0) 1382-908077
E-mail a.drammeh@almi.abdn.ac.uk

Copies of the El-Awaisi/Nye report Time for Change: the Future of the Study of Islam and Muslims in Universities and Colleges in Multicultural Britain, will be available at the national symposium, but may also be purchased in advance from Al-Maktoum Institute Academic Press (www.almipress.com).

The full document and Application Form can be downloaded from the attached file.

 Call for Papers Time for Change