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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260710
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260711
DTSTAMP:20260710T163700Z
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UID:10001854-1783641600-1783727999@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Call for Participation: Digital Medieval Studies Institute\, International Medieval Congress\, Leeds\, UK\, July 10\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:Applications now are being accepted for the fourth annual Digital Medieval Studies Institutes\, organized by Dr. Laura Morreale and Dr. N. Kıvılcım Yavuz. The first will take place on 13 May 2026 at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo\, and the second on 10 July 2026 at the International Medieval Congress\, Leeds. Each will feature a group of amazing medievalists with extensive experience in topics including digital text editing and TEI\, mapping\, large language models\, database design\, and 3D modelling. A complete list of topics and instructors can be found below; for more information\, click here for the Kalamazoo DMSI and here for the Leeds DMSI. \nA limited number of bursaries are available\, but the deadline for these is fast approaching; please see the DMSI event pages below for information on how to apply. If you have any questions\, please reach out anytime to the program directors at dmsi.hello@gmail.com. Applications for bursaries and awards are considered on a rolling\, first-come\, first-served basis\, with the deadline for the first round being 20 January 2026. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDMSI 2026 Kalamazoo (13 May 2026) \n\n\nBuilding a Virtual Medieval Pilgrimage (Kalani Craig) \nFrom Digitized Manuscript to Digital Edition (Laura K. Morreale and Nicholas Laiacona) \n\n\n3D Modeling from Photo and Video (Matthew Davis) \n\n\n\n\n\n\nIntroduction to Handwritten Text Recognition (Tobias Hodel) \n\n\nManuscript Description and Research in the Digital Ecosystem (L.P. Coladangelo and Lynn Ransom) \n\n\n\n\n\nDMSI 2026 Leeds (10 July 2026) \n\n\nTEI for Beginners: Encoding Text and Extracting Data (Sebastian Dows-Miller) \n\n\nUsing Local LLMs and VLMs: Prompting\, Structuring\, and Automating with Medieval Data (Delphine Demelas) \n\n\nNodegoat Curious: Building a Custom Relational Database for Your Research (Pim van Bree\, Geert Kessels\, and Jesse W. Torgerson) \n\n\nArtificial Intelligence: Image Analysis Applied to Medieval Manuscripts (Dominique Stutzmann) \n\n\nManuscript Materiality in a Digital World (Dot Porter)
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/call-for-participation-digital-medieval-studies-institute-international-medieval-congress-leeds-uk-july-10-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,digital humanities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260617
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260619
DTSTAMP:20260617T234943Z
CREATED:20260320T001945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260617T234943Z
UID:10001850-1781654400-1781827199@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: Association for the Study of Law\, Culture\, and the Humanities Annual Conference\, Chicago\, June 17–18\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nEvery year\, the Association holds it annual conference\, usually a two-day affair\, as well as a graduate student workshop\, usually held the day before the annual conference. The 2026 annual meeting will be held at the DePaul University College of Law from June 17-18th. Our call for papers and submissions guidelines can be found below: \nUprooted Law: Reflecting on the Origins and Outgrowths of Law \nWhat do we follow when we follow the law? Is law what is on the books\, or what is observed\, or what should be observed? The English term “law” descends from the plural form of the Old Norse “lag\,” designating “things laid down or fixed.” Yet law must be flexible enough to adjust and respond to changes. Particularly today\, when the line between legal norms and norms rooted elsewhere has blurred\, it is difficult to determine law’s location. What is law’s function in times of technological\, political\, and societal change? Does the law have a responsibility toward itself\, and if so\, who can be trusted with its observation? Given that law borrows from other areas of culture\, from literature and rhetoric to the sciences and dramatic arts\, the humanities are in a premier position to respond to these questions. \nThis conference invites reflections on the origins of law in the broadest sense. What substantiates the rule of law in practice\, and how does law itself mediate the difference between original and copy\, present and past? How do an ensemble of methods\, disciplines\, movements\, texts\, and technologies come together to help law create the past and future? We invite reflections on these and related questions and welcome papers\, roundtables\, and work-in-progress sessions that help us understand law’s current position by looking at it through a humanistic lens. \nSubmission Guidelines \nWe encourage the submission of fully constituted panels\, as well as panels that reimagine or experiment with models for academic presentation\, such as roundtables\, “author meets reader” sessions (which may include multiple books and their authors in conversation)\, works-in-progress sessions\, workshop-format panels that focus on engaging participants in shared thinking or other kinds of productive co-creation\, multi-panel streams\, etc. Individual proposals should include a title and an abstract of no more than 250 words. \nPanels\, whether virtual or in-person\, should include three papers (or\, exceptionally\, four papers). Please specify a title and designate a chair for your panel. The panel chair may also be a panel presenter. It is not necessary to write an abstract or proposal for the panel itself. \nTo indicate your pre-constituted panel\, roundtable\, or stream\, please ensure that each individual participant provides the name of the panel and the chair in their individual submissions on the registration site. All panel\, roundtable\, or stream participants must make an individual submission on the registration site. When submitting a proposal\, we also ask that registrants identify two to three keywords to help us align sessions with each other. \nMode \nThe twenty-eighth annual conference will emphasize the LCH tradition of in-person conversation. While we encourage participants to join us in Chicago\, we recognize that in-person attendance may be prohibitive for some. To that end\, we will also accept the submission of virtual panels and papers. \nSince we will not be providing technical support for virtual participants\, panel chairs will be responsible for providing Zoom links that will be listed in the program. All plenary sessions will be available streaming online as well as in person. \nCreating a Panel: Our Program Archive and Graduate Coordinators \nWhile participants may submit individual paper proposals that the Program Committee will later combine into full panels\, we strongly encourage applicants to create full panels prior to submission. Pre-formed panels may cohere better\, and allow collaborators to craft focused scholarly exchanges. Panels comprising a diversity of institutions\, academic ranks\, disciplines\, and identities are often the most rewarding. \nIf you would like support in finding others who might be interested in forming a panel\, have a look at our archive of past conference programs\, which can be found here. Our recent programs may contain the names of scholars working in fields related to your research. Reaching out to scholars who have previously presented at LCH about creating a panel can be a good place to start. For additional assistance\, please feel free to contact our Graduate Coordinators\, Aditya Banerjee (adityabanerjee@g.harvard.edu) and Jack Quirk (john_quirk@brown.edu) with “LCH panel” in the subject line. The Graduate Coordinators will act as intermediaries\, and may be able to put you in contact with others working on related topics. Please contact them well before the submission deadline\, to allow time for follow-up. \nWe especially encourage graduate students and those new to LCH to consider reaching out to the Graduate Coordinators if they’re struggling to identify potential co-panelists. \nHow to Submit \nSubmissions should be made through the following link: \n\nSubmit a Proposal\n\n\nSubmission Deadline \nThe deadline for all conference submissions is January 31\, 2026. \nContact Information \nPlease email lch@lawculturehumanities.com with any queries.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-association-for-the-study-of-law-culture-and-the-humanities-annual-conference-chicago-june-17-18-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260528
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260601
DTSTAMP:20260528T234755Z
CREATED:20260302T001915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260528T234755Z
UID:10001843-1779926400-1780271999@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: Law and Society Association Annual Meeting\, San Francisco\, May 28–31\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nThe LSA Annual Meeting will take place in San Francisco\, California\, USA\, from May 28-31\, 2026. The conference will be held at the Hilton Union Square. This meeting will be an entirely in-person meeting. \n2026 Theme: Sanctuary \nA sanctuary is a place of refuge or safety\, especially for those who feel unwelcome outside it. In early modern Europe\, the sanctuary was a sacred space\, usually inside a church\, where a fugitive would be immune from the law that was out to get them. \nToday\, the field of law and society offers a sanctuary for scholars searching beyond any single discipline to answer urgent questions about the legal\, political\, and social world. How is law and society a scholarly sanctuary\, and what are the results of this? More generally\, what does it mean to offer sanctuary in this political climate? \nLSA’s return to San Francisco — a city that has long attracted outsiders and outcasts seeking sanctuary — provides an opportunity to reflect on these themes. We invite contributions on the many shades of sanctuary in law and society\, as well as on other themes within the long and storied tradition of law and society scholarship.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-law-and-society-association-annual-meeting-san-francisco-may-28-31-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260513
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260514
DTSTAMP:20260513T232151Z
CREATED:20260212T000716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260513T232151Z
UID:10001838-1778630400-1778716799@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Call for Participation: Digital Medieval Studies Institute\, International Congress on Medieval Studies\, Western Michigan University\, May 13\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:Applications now are being accepted for the fourth annual Digital Medieval Studies Institutes\, organized by Dr. Laura Morreale and Dr. N. Kıvılcım Yavuz. The first will take place on 13 May 2026 at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo\, and the second on 10 July 2026 at the International Medieval Congress\, Leeds. Each will feature a group of amazing medievalists with extensive experience in topics including digital text editing and TEI\, mapping\, large language models\, database design\, and 3D modelling. A complete list of topics and instructors can be found below; for more information\, click here for the Kalamazoo DMSI and here for the Leeds DMSI. \nA limited number of bursaries are available\, but the deadline for these is fast approaching; please see the DMSI event pages below for information on how to apply. If you have any questions\, please reach out anytime to the program directors at dmsi.hello@gmail.com. Applications for bursaries and awards are considered on a rolling\, first-come\, first-served basis\, with the deadline for the first round being 20 January 2026. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDMSI 2026 Kalamazoo (13 May 2026) \n\n\nBuilding a Virtual Medieval Pilgrimage (Kalani Craig) \nFrom Digitized Manuscript to Digital Edition (Laura K. Morreale and Nicholas Laiacona) \n\n\n3D Modeling from Photo and Video (Matthew Davis) \n\n\n\n\n\n\nIntroduction to Handwritten Text Recognition (Tobias Hodel) \n\n\nManuscript Description and Research in the Digital Ecosystem (L.P. Coladangelo and Lynn Ransom) \n\n\n\n\n\nDMSI 2026 Leeds (10 July 2026) \n\n\nTEI for Beginners: Encoding Text and Extracting Data (Sebastian Dows-Miller) \n\n\nUsing Local LLMs and VLMs: Prompting\, Structuring\, and Automating with Medieval Data (Delphine Demelas) \n\n\nNodegoat Curious: Building a Custom Relational Database for Your Research (Pim van Bree\, Geert Kessels\, and Jesse W. Torgerson) \n\n\nArtificial Intelligence: Image Analysis Applied to Medieval Manuscripts (Dominique Stutzmann) \n\n\nManuscript Materiality in a Digital World (Dot Porter)
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/call-for-participation-digital-medieval-studies-institute-international-congress-on-medieval-studies-western-michigan-university-may-13-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,digital humanities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260501
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260503
DTSTAMP:20260501T234805Z
CREATED:20260201T002129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260501T234805Z
UID:10001831-1777593600-1777766399@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: 40th Annual Middle East History and Theory Conference (MEHAT)\, University of Chicago\, May 1–2\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:The 40th Annual Middle East History and Theory Conference (MEHAT) at The University of Chicago will take place on May 1-2\, 2026.\n \nAbout the Conference. Since its inception four decades ago\, the annual Middle East History and Theory Conference at the University of Chicago has earned a reputation as one of the premier academic gatherings in the field. Capitalizing on its setting at a university with a strong tradition in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies\, MEHAT has established itself as a major forum for emerging scholars across disciplines to share their research with peers\, receive constructive feedback\, and foster fruitful academic relationships. Participants come from North America\, Europe\, and the Middle East\, and have traditionally included researchers at every stage of their careers.\n \nThis year’s overarching theme: “Playing with the Scales: The Local\, Regional\, and Global in Middle Eastern Studies.” Drawing inspiration from economic historian Jan de Vries’s 2019 article “Playing with Scales: The Global and the Micro\, the Nano and the Nano”\, we invite you to problematize the scales of the phenomena\, contexts\, and developments our discipline and research shed light on. How do micro-scale engagements with Middle Eastern agents help us to understand global developments\, like the transformation of law and statehood and the emergence of capitalism? What role do regional configurations\, whether defined in terms of shared ecological\, economic or political contexts\, trade\, religious or intellectual networks\, play in shaping the interaction of individual\, local\, and global scales? How can our work account for these varied layers? The conference theme will also allow us to reflect this critical moment for our discipline amidst challenges that put humanistically informed area studies research at risk.\n  \nKeynote Speaker. The keynote speaker of this year’s conference is Professor Chris Gratien. Chris Gratien is an associate professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of History at the University of Virginia\, where he offers courses on global environmental history and the modern Middle East. His first book\, The Unsettled Plain: An Environmental History of the Late Ottoman Frontier (Stanford University Press\, 2022)\, was awarded the Nikki Keddie Book Award by the Middle East Studies Association. He is also co-creator of the Ottoman History Podcast\, which has featured over 500 interviews with scholars of the Ottoman Empire and beyond since 2011.\n \nPlease circulate widely! For questions and accessibility concerns\, please write to mehat2026@gmail.com. Additional information will be published on our website. For reference\, you can have a look at last year’s conference program here.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-40th-annual-middle-east-history-and-theory-conference-mehat-university-of-chicago-may-1-2-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260424
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260428
DTSTAMP:20260424T234835Z
CREATED:20260127T000412Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260424T234835Z
UID:10001826-1776988800-1777334399@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: American Society for Premodern Asia Annual Meeting\, Los Angeles\, CA\, April 24–27\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nThe 236th Meeting of the American Society for Premodern Asia will be held Friday\, April 24\, 2026 through Monday\, April 27\, 2026\, in Los Angeles\, CA USA.  \nHotel and Reservations: A block of conference-rate accommodations has been reserved at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza\, 251 South Olive Street\, Los Angeles\, CA 90012 USA. \nThe conference rate per night for rooms is $249-$309. Occupancy tax is 16.22%. Hotel’s check-in time is 4:00 pm; check-out time is 12:00 noon. \nYou must make reservations directly with the hotel well in advance of the meeting\, no later than Monday\, April 6\, 2026. After the cutoff date\, any uncommitted rooms in the block we have reserved will be released for general sale\, and additional reservation requests will be accepted if rooms are available and without the conference discount. The conference rate also applies 3 days prior and 3 days after the conference\, based upon availability. \nReservations may be made by phoning the hotel at 1-800-THE-OMNI (general Omni number) or (213) 356-4070 (Direct). You need to identify yourself as a member of the AOS/ASPA and mention “American Oriental Society/American Society for Premodern Asia 2026 Conference” and the date the room block begins\, which is April 22\, 2026. It is also possible to reserve by visiting our customized Group Web Page. \nThe Society’s contract with the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza for securing conference rates requires that a minimum number of rooms per night be reserved and occupied by members for the duration of the meeting. Thus\, your stay at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza assures that the ASPA will not be assessed extremely high fees for meeting and banquet space rental. We truly need your cooperation in this matter. \nDirections\, Parking\, and Transportation: \nTravel\, Directions\, etc. \nAll sessions will be held at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza. The Annual Subscription Banquet and Presidential Address will take place on Sunday evening\, April 26\, also at the hotel. The Program\, which will be accessible online in late January 2026\, will provide information on other special activities and events to take place during the meeting. \n\nPAYMENT OF 2026 MEMBERSHIP DUES AND MEETING PRE-REGISTRATION FEES \nOnline Dues and Meeting Pre-Registration Payment: \nPay 2026 dues online at: \nAOS/ASPA Membership Dues \nNOTE: In October\, AOS/ASPA members will receive email notice that they should pay 2026 membership dues by the 31 December 2025 deadline. Members may renew membership at any time by viewing their Profile page and finding on the right side: \n“Your Membership is not yet due for renewal. If you want to renew early\, click here” \nPre-register at: \nREGISTER HERE FOR THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING \nNote: If you prefer to submit dues or registration payment by check or credit card and send payment by post\, you may use this 2026 Dues Registration Form
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-american-society-for-premodern-asia-annual-meeting-los-angeles-ca-april-24-27-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260424
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260427
DTSTAMP:20260424T234836Z
CREATED:20260126T003704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260424T234836Z
UID:10001825-1776988800-1777247999@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: Humanities of AI—Intelligence and Imitation: Mind\, Mechanism\, Mimesis\, Johns Hopkins University\, April 24-26\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:Intelligence and Imitation: Mind\, Mechanism\, Mimesis \nInaugural Humanities of AI Workshop \nJohns Hopkins University\, April 24-26\, 2026 \nAs a creative aspiration\, the Greek notion of mimesis (“imitation”) manifested not only in artistic works imitating reality and philosophical speculations but also in scientific theories and mechanical artifacts. Plato and Aristotle’s nous as a non-bodily principle of intelligibility underwriting cosmic order and thought; Hobbes and LaMettrie’s machine like mind and world; the Jaquet-Droz family’s musical automata; Wolfgang von Kempelen’s chess-playing Turk; Norbert Wiener’s cybernetic analogy between human\, animal\, and machine; Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori’s observation of the revulsion to imperfect verisimilitude (Bukimi no Tani: “uncanny valley”); and Soviet semiotician Yuri Lotman’s culture as collective mind\, exemplify the broad relevance of “imitations” to science\, literature\, and culture. \nDevelopments in artificial intelligence (AI) participate in the legacy of mimesis but also complicate and challenge it. In the course of AI’s research history\, AIs have variously been claimed to represent\, simulate\, assist\, improve upon\, provide a surrogate for\, or replace the functioning of human minds. Concepts such as “optimization\,” “satisficing\,” and “superintelligence” run orthogonal to the classical concept of mimesis. \nAt the same time\, developments in science and society have deeply challenged both mimesis and mindedness as concepts and ideals. Darwinian and embodied cognitive approaches challenge the primacy of abstract reasoning over embodiment; and reflections on human labor’s relation to material (re-)production\, social stratification\, and human experience from Marx\, Wallerstein\, Pasquinelli and others call into question the social “value-added” of material imitations as well asthe veracity of accounts of “intelligent” labor’s nature and origins. Deep divisions in the societal uptake of AI – exemplified in anti-AI activism\, dueling governance regimes\, and popular criticalslang like “AI slop” – exemplify and give opportunity to inform these theoretical challenges.Orientation to these developments requires approaches that scholars in the humanities may beuniquely positioned to provide. We hereby announce a three-day workshop on “Intelligence and Imitation: Mind\, Mechanism\, Mimesis” for presentation and discussion of new humanities research engaging with this theme. \nOur aim is to foster a collective critical engagement with AIs in their history\, socioeconomic context\, architecture\, and other dimensions of significance with the assistance of resources from literature\, philosophy\, history\, or other humanities fields. We invite contributions from both early-career (including graduate students) and established academic researchers\, whose work-in-progress projects straddle disciplinary boundaries to illuminate aspects of the diverse mind-machine relations exemplified in AI’s history\, current reality\, and imagined futures. \nIn addition to presented papers\, some time at the conference will be devoted to reflection on “humanities of AI” as a research domain\, including its current state and possible futures\, disciplinary articulation\, conditions of success\, relations with natural and social sciences\, and potential impact on sociotechnical systems involving AI. \nFeatured Speakers  \nYulia Frumer\, Bo Jung and Soon Young Kim Professor of East Asian Science\, Johns Hopkins University; Author of “Cognition and emotion in Japanese humanoid robots\,” History & Technology (2018) and Making Time: Astronomical Time Measurement in Tokugawa Japan (Univ. of Chicago Press\, 2018) \nN. Katherine Hayles\, Distinguished Research Professor at the University of California\, Los Angeles\, and the James B. Duke Professor Emerita from Duke University; Author of Bacteria to AI: Human Futures with Our Nonhuman Symbionts (Univ. of Chicago Press\, 2025)\, Unthought: The Power of the Cognitive Nonconscious (Univ. of Chicago Press\, 2017) and How We Think: Digital Media and Contemporary Technogenesis (Univ. of Chicago Press\, 2015) \nMatthew L. Jones\, Smith Family Professor of History\, Princeton University; Author (with Chris Wiggins) of How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms (Norton\, 2023) \nMatthew Kirschenbaum\, Commonwealth Professor of AI and English\, University of Virginia; Author of Bitstreams: The Future of Digital Literary Heritage (Univ. of Pennsylvania Press\, 2021) \nPatrick McCray\, Professor of History\, University of California\, Santa Barbara\, Kluge Chair in Technology and Society (2025) at the Library of Congress (2025); Author of README: A Bookish History of Computing from Electronic Brains to Everything Machines (MIT Press\, 2025) \nAlexander Williams Tolbert\, Assistant Professor of Data and Decision Sciences\, Emory University; Author of “Why Causal Inference is Necessary for Algorithmic Fairness\,” Synthese (2025) and “Causal Agnosticism about Race: Variable Selection Problems in Causal Inference\,” Philosophy of Science (2024). \nSupporting Institutions \nAlexander Grass Humanities Institute\, Johns Hopkins \nUniversity\n(https://krieger.jhu.edu/humanities-institute/) \nCenter for Equitable AI & Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS)\, Morgan State \nUniversity\n(https://www.morgan.edu/ceamls) \nOrganizing Committee \nJiantong Liao (Chair) \nPhD Student\, German Program\, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures \njliao20@jh.edu \nKsenia Tatarchenko (Faculty Sponsor) \nFaculty\, Medicine\, Science & Humanities Program\, Johns Hopkins University \nktatarc1@jh.edu \nPhillip Honenberger (Faculty Sponsor) \nAI Ethicist & Researcher\, Center for Equitable AI & ML Systems (CEAMLS)\, Morgan State \nUniversity \njaywilliam.honenberger@morgan.edu
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-humanities-of-ai-intelligence-and-imitation-mind-mechanism-mimesis-johns-hopkins-university-april-24-26-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260420T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260420T193000
DTSTAMP:20260420T234759Z
CREATED:20260205T234918Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T234759Z
UID:10001837-1776708900-1776713400@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Djelemory Diabate\, “Closing the Sufi Age: Authority\, Finality\, and Political Theology in Umar al-Futi Tal’s Kitab Rimah\,” April 20\, 2026 @ 6:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Djelemory Diabate (CSR)\, “Closing the Sufi Age: Authority\, Finality\, and Political Theology in Umar al-Futi Tal’s Kitab Rimah.” Amadu Kunateh (CSR) will respond. \nWe will be meeting from 6:15-7:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-djelemory-diabate-closing-the-sufi-age-authority-finality-and-political-theology-in-umar-al-futi-tals-kitab-rimah-april-20-2/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260406T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260406T193000
DTSTAMP:20260406T234755Z
CREATED:20260205T234918Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260406T234755Z
UID:10001836-1775499300-1775503800@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Amadu Kunateh\, “Footnote to Ghazali: Philosophy Without Falsafa in West African Intellectual Archive\,” April 6\, 2026 @ 6:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Amadu Kunateh (CSR)\, “Footnote to Ghazali: Philosophy Without Falsafa in West African Intellectual Archive.” Nicholas Judt (CSR) will respond. \nWe will be meeting from 6:15-7:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-amadu-kunateh-footnote-to-ghazali-philosophy-without-falsafa-in-west-african-intellectual-archive-april-6-2026-615pm/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260402
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260404
DTSTAMP:20260402T234753Z
CREATED:20260103T001945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T234753Z
UID:10001812-1775088000-1775260799@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Arabic TEI (Textual Encoding Initiative)\, April 2–3\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a two-day Arabic digital humanities workshop to learn TEI (Textual Encoding Initiative) mark-up of Arabic-script texts for critical digital editions. Hugh Cayless (TEI treasurer\, senior programmer Duke University Libraries) and Adam Mestyan (Professor of Middle Eastern Studies\, NELC) will teach the sessions. The workshop will feature an evening talk by Sabine Schmidtke (IAS Princeton) about the history of critical editions of Arabic manuscripts. \nThe workshop will take place on April 2-3 (Thu-Fri) 2026 in the Gibb Room in Widener Library. Students will need to bring their own laptops but will receive a free one-year license for the Oxygen XML editing software. \nLunch will be provided. Space is limited and priority will be given to Harvard students. Please only register if you can commit to the full two-day program by filling out the form in the link. \nThis workshop is generously supported by the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations\, the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program\, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies\, and the Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School. \n 
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-arabic-tei-textual-encoding-initiative-april-2-3-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260323T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260323T193000
DTSTAMP:20260320T091755Z
CREATED:20260205T234918Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T091755Z
UID:10001835-1774289700-1774294200@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Cem Turkoz\, “An Edifice of Super-Glosses: The Making of an Ottoman Tradition of Natural Philosophy\, 1650–1800\,” March 23\, 2026 @ 6:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Cem Turkoz (NELC)\, “An Edifice of Super-Glosses: The Making of an Ottoman Tradition of Natural Philosophy\, 1650–1800.” Carina Dreyer (NELC) will respond. \nWe will be meeting from 6:15-7:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-cem-turkoz-an-edifice-of-super-glosses-the-making-of-an-ottoman-tradition-of-natural-philosophy-1650-1800-march-23-2026-6/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260319
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260322
DTSTAMP:20260319T234902Z
CREATED:20260110T210521Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T234902Z
UID:10001820-1773878400-1774137599@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America\, Amherst\, MA\, March 19–21\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:Registration is now open for the 101st Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America. The Meeting will take place on March 19–21\, 2026 on the campuses of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Amherst College\, and will also include events at Mt. Holyoke College and Smith College. Hosted by the Five College Consortium\, the theme of the meeting is “Consortiums and Confluences.” The program will bring together scholars from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds addressing the medieval world and critical topics in Medieval Studies. Our plenary lectures will be given by Elly Truitt (Associate Professor of History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania)\, Peggy McCracken (President of the Medieval Academy of America and Professor of French\, Women’s Studies\, and Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan)\, and Jesús Rodríguez-Velasco (Augustus R. Street Professor of Spanish & Portuguese and Comparative Literature at Yale University). We are excited to welcome you to Amherst\, Massachusetts\, and its environs\, and look forward to meeting you\, learning from you\, and celebrating our shared commitment to Medieval Studies. \nClick here for more information and to register!
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-annual-meeting-of-the-medieval-academy-of-america-amherst-ma-march-19-21-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260227
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260228
DTSTAMP:20260227T235106Z
CREATED:20260129T031912Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T235106Z
UID:10001829-1772150400-1772236799@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Call for Proposals: UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies Graduate Student Colloquium: The Visual Culture of Algeria Through Exchange\, Circulation\, and Global Networks\, February 27\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies \nCall for Proposals for a Graduate Student Colloquium: The Visual Culture of Algeria Through Exchange\, Circulation\, and Global Networks \nWe invite papers addressing a wide range of visual-material practice\, periods\, and methodological approaches that examine questions of exchange\, circulation\, and networks. The colloquium is organized by Ava Hess (Art History)\, Yubai Shi (Art History)\, and Sarp Tanridag (Architecture and Urban Design). \nThis one-day hybrid colloquium will bring together early-career scholars working on the visual culture of Algeria from the Ottoman period to the present. It focuses on the movement of artists\, artworks\, materials\, and ideas across local\, regional\, and global networks\, situating Algerian visual culture as a site of innovation\, negotiation\, and exchange. Rather than treat the French invasion of Algiers in 1830 as a definitive point of rupture\, the colloquium invites contributions that emphasize continuities and transformations in artistic production over time\, cutting across conventional precolonial/colonial/postcolonial divisions. \nA central aim of the colloquium is to rethink dominant narratives of Algerian (and broader Maghribi) modernism. The growing interest in Algerian modern art and architecture often remains limited by national or colonial temporal frameworks. While colonial histories remain central to understanding nineteenth- and twentieth-century Algeria\, recent scholarship reminds us that colonialism alone cannot account for the complexity of North African cultural production. Here\, we will investigate the circulations and exchanges that have shaped artistic practice and visual culture across beylical\, colonial\, post-independence\, and contemporary periods\, while also attending to practices and media that have been marginalized in standard accounts of modernism.\n \nWe encourage papers that propose new ways of writing Algerian art history and visual culture—for example\, moving beyond rupture-based temporal models\, colonial or nationalist canons\, and conventional medium-bound studies. We are especially interested in work that treats circulation (of objects\, materials\, techniques\, or ideas) and networks (institutional or independent\, regional or transnational) as methodological tools for rethinking periodization\, media hierarchies\, and artistic agency. \nThe colloquium is committed to fostering dialogue among graduate students and early-career scholars based in Algeria\, the United States\, and other parts of the MENA region. The event will be held in a hybrid format (in person and via Zoom) to accommodate participants facing visa constraints\, travel funding limitations\, or other access needs. We invite papers addressing a wide range of visual-material practice\, periods\, and methodological approaches that examine questions of exchange\, circulation\, and networks. Possible topics include\, but are not limited to: \n\nTransregional circulation of artists\, artworks\, or materials\nNetworks of artistic education and training (e.g. academies\, workshops\, or organizations)\nThe impact of beylical\, colonial\, and national transitions on visual and material cultures\nAlternative histories of media\, such as painting\, print\, or photography\, and practices such as miniature painting\, calligraphy\, or architecture\nTrans-Saharan\, Maghrib–Mashreq\, Mediterranean\, or Global South exchanges\nAlgeria’s role in Third Worldist\, socialist\, or non-aligned cultural networks and solidarity movements\nNon-French orientalisms and alternative imperial or post-imperial visual regimes\nForms of “popular” art\nDiasporic artistic production\nLocal or alternative archival practices\n\nThe colloquium will take place in English \nSubmission details \nPlease submit an abstract in English of no more than 300 words\, a one-line biographical statement\, and a CV via the submission link by February 27\, 2026. Applicants will be notified within one week of the deadline.\n\nTravel support \nTo support in-person participation\, limited travel reimbursement is available for up to three (3) international presenters traveling from overseas and one (1) domestic presenter. Travel support is contingent on the presenter securing a visa in time to travel (where applicable) and on the availability of funds. Presenters who are unable to attend in person due to visa or travel constraints will be fully accommodated as remote participants via Zoom. To be considered for travel support\, please indicate your need in the submission form.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/call-for-proposals-ucla-center-for-near-eastern-studies-graduate-student-colloquium-the-visual-culture-of-algeria-through-exchange-circulation-and-global-networks-february-27-2026/
CATEGORIES:Call for papers,conferences and workshops,Due dates,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260223T191500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260223T203000
DTSTAMP:20260223T233406Z
CREATED:20260205T234917Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T233406Z
UID:10001834-1771874100-1771878600@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Giovanni DiRusso\, “The Textual Tradition of the Arabic Apocalypse of Peter: Variance and Adaptation in a Christian Arabic Apocalypse\,” February 23\, 2026 @ 7:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Giovanni DiRusso (CSR)\, “The Textual Tradition of the Arabic Apocalypse of Peter: Variance and Adaptation in a Christian Arabic Apocalypse.” Oana Capatina (CSR) will respond. \nWe will be meeting from 7:15-8:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-giovanni-dirusso-the-textual-tradition-of-the-arabic-apocalypse-of-peter-variance-and-adaptation-in-a-christian-arabic-apocalypse-febr/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260209T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260209T193000
DTSTAMP:20260209T234858Z
CREATED:20260205T234916Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260209T234858Z
UID:10001833-1770660900-1770665400@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Chris Rominger\, “Sea Changes: Trans-Mediterranean Lives and Networks at the Turn of the 20th Century\,” February 9\, 2026 @ 6:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Chris Rominger (Social Studies)\, “Sea Changes: Trans-Mediterranean Lives and Networks at the Turn of the 20th Century.” Professor Adam Mestyan (NELC) will respond. \nWe will be meeting from 6:15-7:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-chris-rominger-sea-changes-trans-mediterranean-lives-and-networks-at-the-turn-of-the-20th-century-february-9-2026-615pm/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260204T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260205T170000
DTSTAMP:20260204T233318Z
CREATED:20251107T000427Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T233318Z
UID:10001806-1770192000-1770310800@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: Faith\, Values\, and the Rule of Law—An Interdisciplinary Conference\, Seton Hall University School of Law\,  November 1\, 2025
DESCRIPTION:From the Organizers: \nThe Program on Faith\, Values\, and the Rule of Law at Seton Hall University School of Law is pleased to announce its inaugural academic conference to occur on February 4–5 at the Law School’s Newark\, New Jersey campus. \nThe American Bar Association defines the “rule of law” as a set of principles under which “no one is above the law\, everyone is treated equally under the law\, everyone is held accountable to the same laws\, there are clear and fair processes for enforcing laws\, there is an independent judiciary\, and human rights are guaranteed for all.” (ABA Rule of Law page.) In the United States and around the world these principles are now under serious threat. \nThe concept of the rule of law is often considered a product of modern liberalism.  Its historical and ethical roots\, however\, run much deeper. The world’s great religious\, theological\, and philosophical traditions have all contributed to the understanding of justice and human dignity that underpins modern rule of law principles. Indeed\, it might be that any meaningful concept of the rule of law finally implicates theistic\, or at least transcendent\, perspectives. \nPerhaps a recovery of these often-buried perspectives is what our present moment of crisis requires. At the same time\, any such recovery must proceed critically\, with proper concern for the ways in which religious traditions have also contributed to systemic injustices\, and with attention to the requirements of peaceable community in a multi-religious world. What can the traditions of various forms of Judaism\, Christianity\, Islam\, Hinduism\, and other religions and philosophies offer in response to global trends towards aggressive nationalism and authoritarianism? How can religious believers promote a rule of law framework when their institutions and communities are being swallowed by distortions and disinformation\, as is the case\, for example\, with American Christian Nationalism? Can religious communities in conflict dialogue fruitfully about rule of law principles? How might theologies and traditions develop when they have been complicit in cycles of oppression and violence? \nWe seek contributions from scholars in law\, theology\, religious studies\, philosophy\, political science\, international affairs\, history\, literature\, ethics\, and related disciplines for a robust conversation on these themes.  We are looking for broad conceptual engagement along with proposals for practical interventions. Contributions relating to legal issues surrounding religious liberty and religious establishment or non-establishment will be considered\, but interpretation of the U.S. Constitution’s religion clauses is not the focus of the conference. \nTo submit an abstract for consideration\, please use this form.  The deadline for consideration is November 1\, 2025. Limited travel funding is available and can be requested through the abstract submission form. There is no publication requirement\, although we may seek a suitable venue for publication of selected papers. If you have any questions\, please contact Brett Canaval\, Administrative Director of the Program on Faith\, Values\, and the Rule of Law\, at brett.canaval@shu.edu. \nAbout the Program on Faith\, Values and the Rule of Law (FVRoL) at\nSeton Hall University Law School \nDo law\, justice and love relate to each other?  What is a good society?  Is there something beyond what we think of as the material world – the gods\, God\, spiritual truths\, transcendent purpose\, the Good – that should shape our understanding and practice of “law?”  How do the laws\, institutions\, norms\, and political discourses of our times – in what philosopher Charles Taylor famously described as a “secular age” – relate to religious histories that are often only dimly remembered in Anglo-American and European contexts?[1]  Is it even possible to speak about the “rule of law” beyond the mere exercise of power? \nThese are pressing questions in a time when it seems basic civility and decency have been abandoned.  But they are not new questions – in fact\, they are as old as humanity itself.  The Program on Faith\, Values\, and the Rule of Law was established to provide a forum for scholars\, students\, faith communities\, and practitioners in law\, ministry\, and policy to discuss these enduring themes. \nFVRoL was founded at Seton Hall University Law School by Prof. David W. Opderbeck in collaboration with Seton Hall University’s Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies and Center for Catholic Studies.  Trained in both law and theology\, Prof. Opderbeck is author of numerous scholarly articles and three books: Faithful Exchange: The Economy as It’s Meant to Be (Minneapolis: Fortress Press 2025); The End of the Law?  Law\, Theology\, and Neuroscience (Eugene: Wipf & Stock / Cascade 2021); and Law and Theology:  Classic Questions and Contemporary Perspectives (Minneapolis: Fortress Press 2019). \n\n\n\n\n\n[1] Charles Taylor\, A Secular Age (Cambridge: Belknap Press 2018).
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-faith-values-and-the-rule-of-law-an-interdisciplinary-conference-seton-hall-university-school-of-law-november-1-2025/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260204
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260306
DTSTAMP:20260204T233318Z
CREATED:20260108T023748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T233318Z
UID:10001815-1770163200-1772755199@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: AI Methodologies and Applications in Middle Eastern and Islamic World Studies\, Kuwait University\, February 4–5\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nDate: February 4-5\, 2026\nVenue: Global Studies Centre\, Gulf University for Science and Technology\, Kuwait \nThe new age of artificial intelligence (AI) presents many opportunities and challenges to methodology in all disciplines of Social Sciences and Humanities including in Middle Eastern and Islamic World Studies. AI technologies\, such as data analysis\, machine learning\, and natural language processing\, can uncover hidden patterns\, automate repetitive tasks\, and provide deeper insights into the topic of study. \nHowever\, these benefits also come with some significant ethical challenges such as concerns about data privacy\, algorithmic bias\, and human responsibility and accountability in the use and application of AI technologies. This research conference is focused on the use and application of AI in the methodology of all disciplines of Middle Eastern and Islamic World Studies broadly defined. \nOverarching questions to be addressed include: What is the difference between the types of uses of AI: are some more acceptable than others? Are there some fields in which the use of AI presents huge opportunities and others in which it causes major issues? Can we speak of AI in terms of being a “net-good” in Middle Eastern and Islamic World Studies? \nConference themes include but are not limited to the following: \n\nOpportunities/Challenges/Ethics in incorporating AI in the methodology of the Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines including in Islamic Philosophy\, History\, Religious Studies\, Literature\, Anthropology\, Theology\, Sociology\, Communications.\nSpecific Social Sciences or Humanities research projects or applications with significant use of AI or other digital technologies in Middle Eastern and Islamic World Studies.\nAI applications in religious law\, textual commentary and prophetic traditions.\nAI applications in the cultural heritage of the Middle East and Islamic World.\n\nConfirmed Keynote Speakers \n\nDavid Wrisley\, Professor of Digital Humanities\, New York University Abu Dhabi\nShoaib Malik\, Lecturer in Science and Religion\, University of Edinburgh\n\nLimited travel funding may be available for graduate students\, post-doctoral fellows and faculty from low-income countries and institutions. We aim to publish the revised papers as articles/chapters in either a refereed special issue of a journal or as an edited volume. \nEmail questions to both Dr. Ismail Lala (Lala.I@gust.edu.kw) and Dr. Jennifer Lofkrantz (Lofkrantz.J@gust.edu.kw).
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-ai-methodologies-and-applications-in-middle-eastern-and-islamic-world-studies-kuwait-university-february-4-5-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260106
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260110
DTSTAMP:20260106T233341Z
CREATED:20260104T030422Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260106T233341Z
UID:10001813-1767657600-1768003199@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Annual Meeting\, New Orleans\, LA\, January 6–9\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers:  \nWe’re excited to return to New Orleans! Join us for the 2026 AALS Annual Meeting\, taking place in person from Tuesday\, January 6 to Friday\, January 9\, 2026\, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside and Loews New Orleans Hotel. \nWe look forward to the energy and connection that come from gathering our community of law school faculty—through networking\, relationship-building\, and celebration in the vibrant city of New Orleans\, Louisiana. \nSee the program here. \nAbout \nThe Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting\, held in early January each year\, is the largest gathering of law faculty in the world. More than 2\,500 law teachers\, librarians\, and law school administrators from member schools\, fee-paid schools\, and law schools of other nations attend the gathering. A keynote address and Presidential Programs are among the highlights. Most of the meeting is devoted to programs organized and presented by AALS sections. To encourage and recognize excellent legal scholarship by new law teachers\, AALS issues a call for scholarly papers by full-time faculty who have taught for five years or less. Legal scholars select for special recognition those authors whose papers have made the most substantial contribution to legal literature. Many other legal education organizations hold meetings or programs in conjunction with the AALS Annual Meeting\, and law schools hold receptions for graduates and friends. It is also an opportunity for legal educators to connect with colleagues from other law schools and countries around matters of common interest.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-association-of-american-law-schools-aals-annual-meeting-new-orleans-la-january-6-9-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,lectures and talks
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260106
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260110
DTSTAMP:20260106T233341Z
CREATED:20251011T002011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260106T233341Z
UID:10001798-1767657600-1768003199@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:2026 Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Annual Meeting\, New Orleans\, January 6-9\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) will host its Annual Meeting from January 6 to 9\, 2026\, in New Orleans. \nTheme: “Impact\, Excellence\, Resilience: The Enduring Contributions of Legal Education” \nFrom the Organizers: At the beginning of the 20th century\, representatives of 35 law schools convened to establish a new association designed to strengthen American legal education\, with the goal of producing lawyers\, judges\, and legal thought-leaders with the expertise and integrity essential for the country’s future. As we mark the Association’s 125th anniversary (and our 120th annual meeting)\, this year’s theme will look back at the enduring impact of American legal education—and the contributions of our faculty and staff colleagues—on our local communities\, our nation\, our society\, and the world. \nFor more information and to register\, please visit the official AALS Annual Meeting website.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/2026-association-of-american-law-schools-aals-annual-meeting-new-orleans-january-6-9-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251120
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251123
DTSTAMP:20251120T234831Z
CREATED:20250824T002056Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251120T234831Z
UID:10001778-1763596800-1763855999@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Call for Papers: International Conference “Poetry and Knowledge\,” University of Münster\, November 20-22\, 2025
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nIn premodern Islamic societies\, poetry was one of the central literary forms for transmitting and disseminating knowledge. Poetry can be found in almost all fields of knowledge\, from Qurʾanic sciences\, jurisprudence\, grammar\, rhetoric\, and theology to algebra\, alchemy\, astronomy\, astrology\, agriculture\, cooking\, history\, geography\, logic\, and many other fields of knowledge. Thousands of copies of famous poems in Arabic that served or were used to impart knowledge can be found in libraries around the world. Only a few of these poems have been studied in detail; many more are completely unknown to us today. \nDespite the very limited research\, a number of general assumptions have been made about the poems regularly referred to today as “didactic poems”: They are often written in rajaz meter\, have a clear purpose of imparting a fixed body of knowledge\, are aimed at facilitating memorization\, and have little to no literary merit. Some scholars suggest that a reduced literary quality may have been deliberately chosen in order to focus on content. Some include a wide thematic range of poetry (Khulūṣī 1990)\, while others advocate a narrow definition and strive to distinguish between “didactic” and “true” poetry (van Gelder 1995\, 2007\, 2011). Previous research has therefore focused primarily on the formal and genre-related aspects of poetry\, which conveys primarily non-literary knowledge. Less attention has been paid to the processes by which knowledge is produced\, transmitted\, and disseminated in poetry. \nThis is the starting point of our conference: We aim to explore the diverse strategies used to produce\, convey\, and disseminate knowledge through poetry. This may include\, for example\, the composition and structure of the poem\, the choice of meter\, stylistic devices\, sonic and performative aspects\, and the use of a specific technical lexicon. We hope this shift in perspective will allow us to move beyond viewing such poems as “poetry without literary pretensions” and instead enable a comprehensive analysis of their stylistic\, structural\, and functional features. \nHence\, we would like to discuss the following topics and questions: \n\nKnowledge transmission: What kinds of knowledge are transmitted in poetic form\, and what strategies do authors use to structure and convey this knowledge?\nBodies of knowledge: How\, if at all\, does the knowledge to be conveyed change through its transformation into poetry? What is the relationship between the transformation of prose into poetry and the body of knowledge?\nAuthors and contexts: Who writes these poems\, for whom are they intended\, and in what contexts are they written\, read\, recited\, or commented upon?\nFormal and stylistic aspects: How are these poems structured\, what meters\, stylistic devices\, and sonic elements are used? What is the role of performance and reception? How do emotions relate to the rationality of knowledge?\nFunction and purpose: What are the functions of these poems? How do we know that their purpose is to impart knowledge\, and what other purposes might they serve?\nTheoretical reflection: What ideas about the function and effect of poetry in the transmission of knowledge can be derived from the texts themselves or from accompanying sources?\n\nWe invite contributions that deal with any kind of poetry that serves to impart knowledge or has been used as a source for the extraction of knowledge\, and we understand knowledge in its broadest sense. \nWe aim to select contributions on poetry from a wide range of disciplines. The selection will be based on a clear reference to one or more of the above topics\, and a precise indication of the fields of knowledge covered and the poems and/or source texts examined. In addition\, other aspects may be addressed if they seem relevant to the theme of the conference. The participants will be invited to contribute to an edited volume. \nLimited funding is available to cover accommodation and travel costs. Please indicate if you require such funding when submitting your abstract. \nIf you are interested in participating in the conference\, please send your abstract (max. 500 words) together with a short CV (max. 300 words) as a single file to Natalie Kraneiß (n.kraneiss@uni-muenster.de) by June 1\, 2025. Notification of acceptance will be sent by the end of June 2025. \nDate: \nNovember 20-22\, 2025 \nSubmission deadline:\nJune 1\, 2025 \nVenue:\nUniversity of Münster\nInstitute of Arabic and Islamic Studies\nSchlaunstraße 2\n48143 Münster\, Germany \nOrganization:\nNatalie Kraneiß (n.kraneiss@uni-muenster.de)\nProf. Dr. Syrinx von Hees (syrinx.hees@uni-muenster.de)
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/call-for-papers-international-conference-poetry-and-knowledge-university-of-munster-november-20-22-2025/
CATEGORIES:Applications,Call for papers,conferences and workshops,Due dates,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251120
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251121
DTSTAMP:20251120T234832Z
CREATED:20250822T002312Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251120T234832Z
UID:10001777-1763596800-1763683199@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Call for Papers: “Islam and Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and Opportunities\,” North American Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies\, November 20\, 2025
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nThe North American Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies (NAAIMS) has issued a call for papers for a fall conference on “Islam and AI: Challenges and Opportunities.” The conference will be held online on Nov. 20th. Abstracts are due July 11th. \nInformation technology\, broadly defined\, refers to the ways in which information is presented\, preserved\, accessed\, and shared. Just as tag paper and the rise of books in the ninth century revolutionized the preservation and transmission of knowledge and information from primarily oral/aural modes to written ones and the advent of the printing press in the fifteenth century expanded the transmission of knowledge in writing\, digitization and the Internet have granted unprecedented access to information and ideas. Today\, artificial intelligence is revolutionizing research and content creation. The conference will explore the challenges\, opportunities\, and responsibilities presented by the rise of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) for Islamic and Muslim studies. \nTo understand how A.I. could have an impact on Islamic scholarship\, one needs to review how the “authenticity” of religious knowledge was ensured through the decades-old process of the transmission of Islamic knowledge since the 7th century. This age-old transmission process (embodied in the isnads) preserved the historical background of Islamic scholarship and heritage. Could A.I. disrupt this mode of transmission? Could A.I. with its strength in language and unparalleled level of creativity become a religious authority and alter Islamic beliefs and practices? \nIf digitized data stored in A.I.’s database pertaining to ethnic and cultural knowledge of a people is inaccurate\, could A.I. distort the history of a people for future generations? Also\, if A.I.’s digitized data excludes historical aspects of a people’s culture\, like religion and language\, could the true history of that culture disappear or be distorted? \nWe invite a diverse range of papers from professors in the humanities\, and social and natural sciences. Some of the questions that papers may address include\, but are not limited to\, the following: \n\nAuthenticity of Islamic Religious Authority: The Ulama vs A.I.\nCan the Development of A.I.’s Algorithms Be Monitored to Align with Islamic Moral Standards?\nTraining A.I. in Classical Islamic Sources\nRigor and Responsibility in Using A.I. for Research in Islamic and Muslim Studies\nEnsuring Accuracy in A.I. Generated Content about Islam and Muslims\nOpportunities and Challenges of Using A.I. as a Teaching Assistant in Islamic or Muslim Studies\nAssessing the Breadth\, Depth and Accuracy of A.I.’s Knowledge about Islam\nAddressing Hegemony and Cultural Biases in A.I.\nA.I.\, Ethics and Morality\n\nFor applications details and more information\, visit the link here.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/call-for-papers-islam-and-artificial-intelligence-challenges-and-opportunities-north-american-association-of-islamic-and-muslim-studies-november-20-2025/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,digital humanities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251117T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251117T193000
DTSTAMP:20251117T234859Z
CREATED:20250906T200308Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251117T234859Z
UID:10001783-1763403300-1763407800@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Cem Turkoz (Harvard University)\, “Ottoman Natural Philosophy in Seventeenth-Century Context: The Evolution of the Canon\,” November 17\, 2025 @6:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Cem Turkoz (PhD Candidate\, NELC) will join us to share a chapter titled “Ottoman Natural Philosophy in Seventeenth-Century Context: The Evolution of the Canon” on November 17th. Efe Balıkçıoğlu (Associate\, CMES) will respond. \nWe will be meeting from 6:15-7:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-cem-turkoz-harvard-university-ottoman-natural-philosophy-in-seventeenth-century-context-the-evolution-of-the-canon-november-17-2025/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events,lectures and talks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MEBB-7nv0fj.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251116
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251117
DTSTAMP:20251116T235234Z
CREATED:20251002T173610Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251116T235234Z
UID:10001795-1763251200-1763337599@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: Muslims in AI\, Imperial College London\, November 16\, 2025
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers:\n\n\nThe 2nd Muslims in AI Conference\, hosted by MRN–STEM Muslims\, is happening at Imperial College London on Sunday\, 16 November\, inshā’Allāh.\n\n\nJoin us for an inspiring day of talks\, discussions\, and networking with fellow Muslims working in AI and related fields. Don’t miss this chance to connect\, learn\, and contribute to shaping the future of Muslims in technology.\n\n\n\n\n Register here.\n\n\n\n\n If you’d like to present a talk or host a booth during the poster session\, please get in touch at islam.ai.rg@gmail.com
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-muslims-in-ai-imperial-college-london-november-16-2025/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251113
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251116
DTSTAMP:20251113T233359Z
CREATED:20250817T000415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T233359Z
UID:10001775-1762992000-1763251199@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Call for Papers: ASLH 2025 Annual Meeting\, Detroit\, MI\, November 13-15\, 2025
DESCRIPTION:From ASLH: \n“Call for Papers \nAmerican Society for Legal History 2025 ASLH Annual Meeting (November 13 – 15\, 2025) \nThe Program Committee of the American Society for Legal History invites proposals for the 2025 meeting to be held November 13-15 in Detroit. Panels and papers on any facet or period of legal history from anywhere in the world are welcome. We encourage thematic proposals that transcend traditional periodization and geography. The online portal opens on December 9\, 2024. The deadline for Pre-Conference Symposia proposals is Friday\, February 28\, 2025. The deadline for all other submissions is Tuesday\, March 25\, 2025. All proposals (except pre-conference symposia) must be submitted through this link. \nPanel proposals should include the following: a CV with complete contact information for each person on the panel\, including chairs and commentators; 300-word (maximum) abstracts of individual papers; and a 300-word (maximum) description of the panel. Only complete panel proposals will be considered. \nScholars looking to build a panel may post their potential paper topics here. We encourage individuals to peruse this spreadsheet to identify other scholars with common interests\, beyond their familiar networks. Senior scholars who are willing to chair and/or comment on a panel may register their interest and availability here. All program participants must be current members of the Society by the date of the Annual Meeting. Information on how to build a successful panel can be found here. The Program Committee especially encourages panels that include participants from groups historically under-represented in the organization\, and that include participants who represent a diversity of rank\, experience\, and institutional affiliation. \nIn addition to traditional panels featuring presentations of work in progress\, the Program Committee welcomes other forms of structured presentation for a 90-minute slot\, such as a skills/pedagogical workshop (chair\, 3-4 presenters) or a roundtable format (chair\, 3-5 presenters). \nFollowing last year’s highly successful inaugural session\, this year’s Annual Meeting will also dedicate a session to a presentation and discussion of Digital Legal History projects. Individuals interested in participating in this session should submit a short description of their project (up to 300 words) as well as a CV. As a complement to the session\, there will be a poster display of the accepted projects. Accepted participants in the Digital Legal History session will be asked to submit a poster design to the organizers by early October. Posters will be printed onsite. \nIn addition to the above formats\, this year’s meeting will also consider New Directions panels. The purpose of these panels will be to identify cutting-edge methodological and topical directions in legal history\, to define new subfields\, and/or generate dialogue among scholars whose recent books (published since 2022 or forthcoming) have tackled common historiographic questions. These panels will feature three to five authors of new books organized by theme\, chronology\, methodology and may also include scholars writing review essays of a field\, or others similarly positioned. The session abstract should include the author\, title\, publisher\, and publication date for each proposed book. Please note that the Program Committee will devote only a small number of sessions to this type of panel. The New Directions panels replace the Author-Meets-Readers (AMR) panels which were formerly on the program; AMRs will not be available for the 2025 meeting.” \nFor more details\, please see here.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/call-for-papers-aslh-2025-annual-meeting-detroit-mi-november-13-15-2025/
CATEGORIES:Applications,Call for papers,conferences and workshops,Due dates,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251105
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251108
DTSTAMP:20251105T233600Z
CREATED:20250809T010729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251105T233600Z
UID:10001774-1762300800-1762559999@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: 5th ACM Conference on Equity and Access in Algorithms\, Mechanisms\, and Optimization\, University of Pittsburgh\, November 5-7\, 2025
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nHello everyone\, \nWe are pleased to announce that the 5th ACM Conference on Equity and Access in Algorithms\, Mechanisms\, and Optimization (EAAMO’25) will take place November 5–7\, 2025\, at the University of Pittsburgh\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, USA. \nEAAMO’25 highlights research at the intersection of algorithms\, optimization\, mechanism design\, social sciences\, and humanistic studies that advances equity and access to opportunity for historically underserved and disadvantaged communities. \nWe especially encourage submissions that bridge research and practice\, and that examine the intersectional design and impact of algorithmic and optimization-based systems in real-world contexts. \nImportant Dates: \n\nAbstract Submission Deadline: April 17\, 2025 (AoE)\nPaper Submission Deadline: April 24\, 2025 (AoE)\nNotification of Acceptance: July 18\, 2025\n\nWe welcome contributions from diverse disciplines and sectors. Please help us spread the word\, and we look forward to your submissions and participation. \n  \nBest regards\, \nEAAMO Organizers
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-5th-acm-conference-on-equity-and-access-in-algorithms-mechanisms-and-optimization-university-of-pittsburgh-november-5-7-2025/
CATEGORIES:Applications,conferences and workshops,lectures and talks
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T193000
DTSTAMP:20251103T233712Z
CREATED:20250906T200308Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T233712Z
UID:10001782-1762193700-1762198200@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Ozkan Karabulut (Harvard University)\, “Scripturalization of the Alevi Mystical Poetry\,” November 3\, 2025 @6:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Ozkan Karabulut (PhD Candidate\, HMES) will join us to share a chapter titled “Scripturalization of the Alevi Mystical Poetry” on November 3rd. \nWe will be meeting from 6:15-7:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-ozkan-karabulut-harvard-university-scripturalization-of-the-alevi-mystical-poetry-november-3-2025-615pm/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events,lectures and talks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MEBB-7nv0fj.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251020T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251020T193000
DTSTAMP:20251020T233612Z
CREATED:20250906T200307Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251020T233612Z
UID:10001781-1760984100-1760988600@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Prof. Houssem Chachia (University of Tunis)\, “The Conquest of Tunis (1535): Memory\, Defeat\, and Celebration Across Cultures\,” October 20\, 2025 @6:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Houssem Chachia (Visiting Professor\, NELC) will join us to share a paper titled “The Conquest of Tunis (1535): Memory\, Defeat\, and Celebration Across Cultures” on October 20th. Professor Jessica Marglin (Visiting Professor\, NELC) will respond. \nWe will be meeting from 6:15-7:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-prof-houssem-chachia-university-of-tunis-the-conquest-of-tunis-1535-memory-defeat-and-celebration-across-cultures-october-20-2/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events,lectures and talks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MEBB-7nv0fj.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251016
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251019
DTSTAMP:20251016T232227Z
CREATED:20250720T001832Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251016T232227Z
UID:10001773-1760572800-1760831999@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Call for Proposals: Paris Congress at 125: Comparative Law’s Entanglement with Power from Paris to Today\, McGill University\, Canada\, October 16-18\, 2025
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nThe American Society of Comparative Law (ASCL) is pleased to invite submissions for papers to be presented at the 2025 ASCL Annual Meeting\, to be held at the McGill Faculty of Law\, Montreal\, Canada\, from Thursday\, October 16 to Saturday\, October 18\, 2025. \nThe meeting is hosted by the Wainwright Chair in Civil\, Comparative and Transnational Law\, in collaboration with the McGill Crépeau Centre for Private and Comparative Law. \nThe theme of this year’s annual meeting is The Paris Congress at 125: Comparative Law’s Entanglement with Power from Paris to Today. \nIt has been said that the Paris Conference of 1900—often regarded as the mythical founding moment of modern Comparative Law—was animated by a spirit of idealism\, the belief that thinking beyond national borders could contribute to human progress. Such humanitarian idealism found renewed expression after the Great War\, when the International Academy of Comparative Law was established to complement the League of Nations. \nYet even the published proceedings of the Paris Conference reveal another dimension of Comparative Law: its entanglement with power in an era of imperialist expansion\, an entanglement that was perhaps not an aberration but the flipside of idealistic universalism itself. Indeed\, throughout its history\, Comparative Law has not been confined to the ivory tower but has been an ally of power—and\, more than once\, its accomplice\, as underscored\, for example\, by the recent work of James Whitman. \nThis annual meeting takes its inspiration from the stories we tell ourselves about Comparative Law—its origins\, its legacy—and\, specifically\, the fact that this entanglement with power in varying historical contexts is often absent from our foundational narratives. We invite contributions on all aspects of Comparative Law’s relationship with power\, as well as the politics of Comparative Law itself. We welcome not only historical analyses but also\, and in particular\, reflections on its current role in today’s shifting political landscape\, where even established democracies face challenges to the rule of law. \nWhile the conference welcomes submissions on all aspects of Comparative Law’s relationship with power\, we particularly encourage contributions in the following areas. However\, these focal points serve as guiding themes rather than limitations. \n\nDemocratic Backsliding and Comparative Constitutional Law\nAs democratic governance faces increasing threats\, Comparative Constitutional Law plays a crucial role in analyzing both resistance to and facilitation of democratic erosion. We invite papers on constitutional resilience\, judicial independence\, and the global diffusion of authoritarian legal strategies.\nReconsidering Comparative Law’s Imperial Pasts: Colonial Legacies and Methodological Reflections\nComparative Law has long been shaped by Eurocentric perspectives connected to its past. We welcome contributions that critically examine these legacies\, challenge traditional methodologies\, and propose new frameworks going forward.\nTrade\, Commercial Law\, and the Promise of Doux Commerce\nTrade law has often been seen ­­­­as a means of fostering peace and cooperation (doux commerce)\, yet it also reflects global power asymmetries. We invite reflections on how Comparative Law shapes trade regimes\, financial regulation\, and commercial law in an era of shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics.\n\nSubmission Instructions \nSubmissions may consist of a proposal (a) to present individual (solo- or co-authored) papers or (b) complete panels related to the conference theme. \n\nProposals to present individual papers should include a 250 word abstract in the body of an email\, as well as in an attachment (Microsoft Word or PDF)\, sent to comparativelaw@mcgill.ca.\n\nThe abstract must reflect original research that will not yet have been published by the time of the Annual Meeting\, but which may have been accepted for publication. Authors must plan on having a well-developed draft paper based on the abstract ready for presentation and potential circulation at the time of the conference. Both the email and the attachment must contain author name(s)\, title of the paper\, institutional affiliation(s)\, contact information\, and three to five keywords. \n\nProposals for complete panels may be up to 500 words in length and should contain the same information listed above. Please provide relevant information for all proposed presenters\, along with a proposed title for the panel. Please also make sure that all proposed presenters have agreed to participate in the conference should the panel proposal be accepted.\n The deadline for submissions is May 31\, 2025. Abstracts received thereafter will not be considered. Kindly note that neither the ASCL nor McGill University is able to provide funding or reimbursements for travel or other costs associated with participation in this Annual Meeting.\n\nRepresentatives from official ASCL Member Schools who attend the Annual Meeting’s Saturday Business Meeting are eligible for reimbursement of some expenses in accord with ASCL policy and practice. \nSelected individual submissions will be grouped into thematically aligned panels at the direction of the ASCL Annual Meeting Program Committee. The Program Committee is not able to accommodate requests to present on specific dates or at specific times. The Committee aims to notify authors of a decision by June 21\, 2025. \nPlease direct all inquiries to the 2025 ASCL Annual Meeting Committee by email at comparativelaw@mcgill.ca. \nThank you\, \nAmerican Society of Comparative Law
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/call-for-proposals-paris-congress-at-125-comparative-laws-entanglement-with-power-from-paris-to-today-mcgill-university-canada-october-16-18-2025/
CATEGORIES:Applications,conferences and workshops,Due dates,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250930
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251001
DTSTAMP:20250930T232239Z
CREATED:20250924T012108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T232239Z
UID:10001788-1759190400-1759276799@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Study Group: “The Struggle for Democracy in the Arab World” with Youssef Chahed and Hisham Kassem (Senior Fellows\, Middle East Initiative)\, September 30\, 2025
DESCRIPTION:The Middle East Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School is currently accepting applications for a not-for-credit lecture series offered by two of our Senior Fellows this semester: Dr. Youssef Chahed\, former PM of Tunisia\, and Hisham Kassem\, former Egyptian publisher. \nThe Struggle for Democracy in the Arab World \nDr. Youssef Chahed\, former Prime Minister of Tunisia (2016-2020)\, and Mr. Hisham Kassem\, former Egyptian publisher\, will lead this five session study group exploring lessons learned from the development of democratic institutions in the Arab world. Particular attention will be paid to the experiences of Egypt\, Iraq\, and Tunisia. \n  \nThe study group will offer a concrete and unique insider view of the MENA region’s fight for democracy and economic development. Participants will hear from leaders from the MENA region on specific obstacles that they have encountered in their efforts to build democratic frameworks. The seminar will provide in-depth country case studies with an emphasis on the political and institutional factors that support or constrain the growth of democracy and representative governance in the region. \n  \nFormat: Every session will include a lecture component\, and an exchange of views on the topic under consideration\, including with guest speakers with extensive experience working on issues of governance. Participants will be expected to attend all five sessions. They should come prepared to engage in deep discussion and contribute their own experiences in the Middle East. In all study group sessions\, Chatham House rules will apply. Refreshments will be provided. \n  \nSchedule: The study group will consist of 5 sessions on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 – 6:00pm. \n  \nAPPS OPEN: Seats for this study group are limited. Applications are open to all Harvard University ID holders\, including students\, staff\, faculty\, and fellows. Participants must commit to attending all sessions of the study group. Applications will close on Tuesday\, September 30 at 11:59pm ET. Decision notice will be sent out to all applicants no later than Tuesday\, October 7. Apply here: https://forms.gle/gXDcKcziiHaav3Ty7 \n  \nFor any questions related to the study group\, please reach out to MEI Research Assistant Julia Kempton: jkempton@fas.harvard.edu \n  \n  \nFull event page: https://www.belfercenter.org/event/mei-study-group-struggle-democracy-arab-world
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/study-group-the-struggle-for-democracy-in-the-arab-world-with-youssef-chahed-and-hisham-kassem-senior-fellows-middle-east-initiative-september-30-2025/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Due dates,Harvard Events,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250922T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250922T193000
DTSTAMP:20250922T233643Z
CREATED:20250906T200258Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T233643Z
UID:10001780-1758564900-1758569400@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: Middle East Beyond Borders—Omar Abdel Ghaffar (Harvard University)\, “Canonizing Assent: Legal Canons in Action in late Medieval Jerusalem\,” September 22\, 2025 @6:15pm
DESCRIPTION:Omar Abdel Ghaffar (PhD candidate\, HMES/JD’25) will join us to share a chapter titled “Canonizing Assent: Legal Canons in Action in late Medieval Jerusalem” on September 22nd. Saaleh Baseer (PhD candidate\, HMES) will respond. \nWe will be meeting from 6:15-7:30pm in the Finnegan Room (Barker 403) and dinner will be provided. See event flyer for more info and to RSVP. \nThe Middle East Beyond Borders (MEBB) workshop aims to foster an interdisciplinary community of scholars working on the past and present of the Middle East. It takes as its founding premise the idea that the “Middle East” as an object of inquiry must fundamentally engage notions of boundaries\, mobility\, and transformation. Our goal is to offer a platform for collaboration and discussion to all Middle East scholars at Harvard across a wide range of academic fields and disciplines. To date\, our community has welcomed scholars from NELC\, History\, Middle Eastern Studies\, Anthropology\, the Study of Religion\, Law\, Art and Architecture\, and more. During meetings\, we typically workshop a polished dissertation chapter or prospectuses from graduate students.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-middle-east-beyond-borders-omar-abdel-ghaffar-harvard-university-canonizing-assent-legal-canons-in-action-in-late-medieval-jerusalem-september-22-2025-615pm/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops,Harvard Events,lectures and talks
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