BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Program in Islamic Law - ECPv6.6.4.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Program in Islamic Law
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Program in Islamic Law
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260406T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260406T193000
DTSTAMP:20260404T165835
CREATED:20260205T234918Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
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;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T133000
DTSTAMP:20260404T165835
CREATED:20260129T031913Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
UID:10001830-1775565000-1775568600@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Islamic Law Speaker Series: Sherman Jackson (University of Southern California)\, “The Islamic Secular\,” April 7\, 2026 @ 12:30pm
DESCRIPTION:On Tuesday\, April 7\, 2026\, at 12:30-1:30PM US EST\, Professor Sherman Jackson will be speaking on his book\, The Islamic Secular. The basic point of the secular in the modern West is to “liberate” certain pursuits—the state\, the economy\, science—from the authority of religion. This is also assumed to be the goal and meaning of “secular” in Islam. Sherman Jackson argues\, however\, that that assumption is wrong. In Islam the “secular” was neither outside “religion” nor a rival to it. “Religion\,” in Islam was not identical to Islam’s “sacred law\,” or “shari’ah.” Nor did classical Muslim jurists see shari’ah as the all-encompassing\, exclusive means of determining what is “Islamic.” In fact\, while\, as religion\, Islam’s jurisdiction was unlimited\, shari’ah’s jurisdiction\, as a sacred law\, was limited. \nRegister here.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/islamic-law-speaker-series-sherman-jackson-university-of-southern-california-the-islamic-secular-april-7-2026-1230pm/
CATEGORIES:PIL events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260416
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260417
DTSTAMP:20260404T165835
CREATED:20260319T203612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
UID:10001848-1776297600-1776383999@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Fellowship: MESA 2026–2027 Global Academy\, April 16\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:The Global Academy Fellowship Applications\nfor the 2026-2027 academic year\nis now open! \nThe MESA Global Academy offers scholars of the Middle East from the MENA region who are currently displaced and/or whose careers have been disrupted in their home countries due to war\, institutional collapse\, or repression the chance to join the strongest network of Middle East Studies scholars in North America\, with professional development opportunities and a modest grant. \nProfessional development opportunities include curated speaking engagements at partner universities across the United States\, Canada and Europe\, publication opportunities with leading journals in the field\, mentoring\, and workshops such as grant and proposal writing workshops. Fellows also benefit from being part of a supportive intellectual community during a time of professional transition. \nEligibility criteria for the fellowships are: 1) holding a PhD or equivalent in a field in the social sciences or humanities (graduate students will not be considered); 2) the primary institutional affiliation was in the MENA region prior to displacement; and 3) a publication record indicating scholarly productivity (in English\, French\, a native MENA language\, or principal research language of the field). \nPlease reach out to Ceren Abi\, Program Manager\, at ceren@mesana.org with any questions about the Global Academy or the application process. Please share this call far and wide. \nApply here.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/fellowship-mesa-2026-2027-global-academy-april-16-2026/
CATEGORIES:Due dates,Fellowships,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260416T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260416T133000
DTSTAMP:20260404T165835
CREATED:20260302T025244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
UID:10001844-1776340800-1776346200@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Roundtable: Knowledge in the Islamic Court\, Program in Islamic Law\, Harvard Law School\, April 16\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:What counts as proof in an Islamic court? How does a judge rule between competing claims to truth? How does technological advancement impact notions of evidence? How can our understanding of Islamic law writ large change if we center its rules of adjudication? And what constitutes an “Islamic” court or judge in the first place? The participants of this roundtable seek to address these questions through five respective case studies and propose that attention to evidence\, proof\, and procedure will help us better understand both the adjudicative process and juristic intent of Islamic legal rules. Focusing primarily on the modern and contemporary world\, the five contributions center varying conceptions of proof amidst rapid social and technological changes in Islamic judicial contexts. \nConveners: Nurul Hoda Mohd. Razif (University of Bergen) and Ari Schriber (University of Erfurt) \nContributors: Aya Bejermi (University of Bordeaux)\, Léon Buskens (Leiden University)\, Dominik Krell (University of Oxford)\, Irene Schneider (Göttingen University)\, Mashal Saif (Clemson University) \nJoin us on zoom\, April 16\, 2026 @ 12:00pm EST. Registration required.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/roundtable-knowledge-in-the-islamic-court-program-in-islamic-law-harvard-law-school-april-16-2026/
CATEGORIES:lectures and talks,PIL events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260420T181500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260420T193000
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260205T234918Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
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;VALUE=DATE:20260424
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260427
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260126T003704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
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;VALUE=DATE:20260424
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260428
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260127T000412Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
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:20260501
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260502
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260227T003326Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
UID:10001841-1777593600-1777679999@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Language School: Persian Language Summer School\, Armenian School of Languages and Cultures\, Yerevan\, Armenia\, May 1\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nThe Armenian School of Languages and Cultures – ASPIRANTUM is organizing a Persian language summer school in Yerevan\, Armenia. The program starts on June 21\, June 28\, or July 5\, and you can stay up to 10 weeks until August 28\, 2026. Shorter options of 6\, 7\, 8\, or 9 weeks are also available. We offer beginner\, elementary\, and intermediate (up to upper-intermediate) level Persian language classes\, ensuring that students of different backgrounds can progress effectively. To get more information and apply\, please refer to the details below. \nSee the photos of our programs on ASPIRANTUM’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aspirantumcom/ \nSee the videos about our programs and video testimonials on ASPIRANTUM’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@aspirantum \nThe testimonials of ASPIRANTUM Persian language summer and winter school alumni are available here: https://aspirantum.com/testimonials \n2026 Persian language summer school will help the participants master skills in written and oral modern Persian\, read and interpret Persian texts from different periods\, and rapidly deepen their knowledge in colloquial Persian. \n10 weeks – 200 contact hours (1 hour = 60 minutes)\n9 weeks – 180 contact hours\n8 weeks – 160 contact hours\n7 weeks – 140 contact hours\n6 weeks – 120 contact hours \nThe ten-week Persian language summer school offers 200 hours of intensive Persian language classes for 50 days (from Monday to Friday each week). Every day\, the participants will receive Persian language instruction for 4 hours and after-class lectures\, and extra training. \nDeadline:\nThe deadline to apply to the 2026 Persian language summer school is May 1\, 2026. \nTo apply\, please fill in the application form here. \n  \n 
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/language-school-persian-language-summer-school-armenian-school-of-languages-and-cultures-yerevan-armenia-may-1-2026/
CATEGORIES:Due dates,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260501
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260503
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260201T002129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
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:20260504
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260505
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260319T203612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
UID:10001849-1777852800-1777939199@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Summer School: Philology and Manuscripts from the Muslim World\, Leiden University\, May 4\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nDate: 17 August – 28 August 2026\nCosts: €600\nLevel: The course is meant for graduate students (MA and PhD) and researchers.\nLanguage: English. Non-native speakers are required to have a command of English equivalent to at least TOEFL 550.\nScholarships: There are two scholarships to cover the tuition for students who don’t have access to funding from their home institutions or otherwise. To be considered for this scholarship\, please provide an official letter from your institution stating that they cannot provide the tuition fee. \nWe are happy to announce the 8th Leiden Summer school on Manuscripts from the Muslim World! Its two weeks of lectures and hands-on practice with examples (of the student’s choice) in Leiden’s rich collection of Oriental manuscripts will be held from August 17 to 28\, 2026. The Summer school is meant for graduate students (MA and PHD)\, post-doc’s and researchers. The new programme will be published here shortly. \nThe deadline for application is May 4\, 2026. Please submit your application to the program assistant Lotte van Dam\, l.a.van.dam@umail.leidenuniv.nl . She can also provide more information\, e.g. on the possibility of a scholarship. \nIntroduction\nThis summer school is for graduate (MA and PhD) students and researchers who have an interest in handwritten materials\, editing\, and the tradition of editing in the Muslim world. It offers theoretical lectures as well as hands-on practice with samples from the world-famous collections of the Leiden University Library. \nOver the course of two weeks\, specialists from Leiden University and beyond will provide instruction on issues of editing\, paleography\, conservation and other material aspects of oriental manuscripts. They will also speak about philology\, literacy and orality and the transmission of knowledge in the Islamic manuscript culture\, presenting case-studies from various parts of the Muslim world. Participants can use this information to practice their skills in producing a sample critical edition of a manuscript of their choice\, under the supervision of experts. \nSince the first contributions of scholars such as Scaliger\, Golius and Warner\, the Leiden University Library has housed one of the most important collections of oriental manuscripts in Europe. It includes thousands of Arabic\, Persian and Ottoman manuscripts\, not only from the historic heartlands of Islam but also from Asia\, al-Andalus and Africa. Each participant will have full access to this collection as well as other library services. \nApplication\nGraduate (MA and PhD) students and researchers who have an interest in handwritten materials and text editing are encouraged to apply for participation in the summer school. Applications should include: \n\nA letter of motivation specifying what research language(s) the applicant masters;\nA curriculum vitae;\nIf you are a non-native speaker of English: a certificate testifying command of the English language (TOEFL 550 or equivalent).\n\nApplications can be submitted to: l.van.dam@hum.leidenuniv.nl \nThe deadline for applications is the 4th of May. \nFor questions please email: l.van.dam@hum.leidenuniv.nl \nAbout the instructors\nThis year’s programme offers a wonderful line-up of lecturers covering topics from codicological concerns of Arabic manuscripts to South-Asian manuscript collections in postcolonial and digital perspectives and Hebrew manuscript traditions. \nProf. dr Gabrielle van den Berg is the indefatigable leader of research projects on the relationship between Persian literature and politics. She has published extensively on manuscript traditions related to the Shahnama\, and she appreciates Persian poetry as an insider. She teaches cultural history of Central Asia and Iran at Leiden University. \nDr Jelle Bruning can decipher the most difficult handwriting on papyri and ancient documents. He uses his talent to teach at Leiden University and for research on the (early) social history of the Middle east\, with a focus on Egypt. \nDr Dorrit van Dalen’s academic work is based on manuscripts from West and Central Africa. She has also written on the study of oriental languages in the Dutch Republic (17th century) and created the Mouse & Manuscript website. \nDr Angela Isoldi has just completed (august 2025\, Radboud University\, Nijmegen) her dissertation on water management in Mamluk Cairo. She has studied dozens of waqf documents and passes her knowledge of them onwards\, with much insight in the field of manuscript studies. \nNicolien Karskens is a staff member of the Special Collections department of Leiden University Libraries\, who enjoys sharing her expert understanding of the endless but intricate possibilities of exploiting them. \nProf. dr Christian Lange holds the chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Utrecht University. His interest in intellectual and cultural history has led to wonderful work for instance on ideas of the hereafter\, of justice or of the senses in Islam. \nDr Verena Meyer teaches Islam in South and Southeast Asia at Leiden University. This summer she obtained a prestigious grant for her research into the ritual value of Islamic manuscripts in Indonesia today and the influence of digitisation on the formation of heritage. \nNarges Pourmohammadian is a student at the University of Göttingen (Germany). Inspired by her participation in this Summerschool in 2023\, she applied for and obtained a Juynboll Fellowship in Leiden in 2024\, which enabled her to do original research on a literary tradition related to the Shahnamah. \nDr Kate Pukhovaia is the Curator of Oriental Manuscripts & Printed Works at Leiden University Libraries. She is also a specialist on state-building under Ottoman rule\, notably in Yemen. At Utrecht University she is assistant professor of Ottoman Studies. \nDr Marijn van Putten is a leading scholar on the history of the readings of the earliest Qur’ans. He teaches at Leiden University and is head of the research programme The Canonisation of the Quranic Traditions. \nGodelieva van der Randen divides her time between Leiden University Libraries and the National Library in The Hague to restore books\, codices\, prints and other materials. She had the opportunity to take care of one of the most famous Arabic codices in Leiden. \nProf dr Emile Schrijver holds the chair for History of the Jewish Book at Amsterdam University.  He is also the general director of the Jewish Cultural Quarter (musea and synagogue) in Amsterdam\, and as such a careful contributor to a sensitive public debate. \nDr Hans Theunissen inspires students of Turkish history and culture at Leiden University.  He is a fascinating teller of stories relating late Ottoman architecture or decoration to social development in the region.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/summer-school-philology-and-manuscripts-from-the-muslim-world-leiden-university-may-4-2026/
CATEGORIES:Due dates,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260513
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260514
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260212T000716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
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:20260528
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260601
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260302T001915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204811Z
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:20260601
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260602
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260327T193328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204812Z
UID:10001852-1780272000-1780358399@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Award: Global Dissertation Prize\, American Society for Legal History\, June 1\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the Organizers: \nCriteria: Best dissertation in global legal history\nAmount: $500\nDeadline: June 1\, 2026 \nThe Global Dissertation Prize recognizes the best dissertation from the previous calendar year on topics centered outside the United States. Eligible dissertations must be written in English and submitted for a PhD\, JSD\, or equivalent doctoral degree\, excluding the JD\, awarded in the previous calendar year (for example\, a dissertation for a PhD awarded in 2025 would be eligible in 2026). Dissertations should not be predominantly focused on the US and may examine contexts\, processes\, or institutions that are local\, regional\, imperial\, comparative\, global\, or otherwise. \nSubmissions should be made by the author including only (1) the dissertation as submitted to the university for the degree\, and (2) a curriculum vitae. \nTo be considered for the year’s prize\, the author should e-mail a PDF electronic copy of the dissertation and author’s curriculum vitae to the prize committee chair (globaldissertationprize@aslh.net) with the subject heading: GLOBAL DISSERTATION PRIZE SUBMISSION. Please title the PDF as “author last name” and “short title” .pdf (for example\, Adewoye Lawyers Southern Nigeria.pdf). \nSubmissions should arrive by June 1.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/award-global-dissertation-prize-american-society-for-legal-history-june-1-2026/
CATEGORIES:Due dates,Grants,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260608
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260610
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260311T010440Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204812Z
UID:10001846-1780876800-1781049599@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Workshop: The Law and Humanities Workshop for Junior Scholars\, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School\, June 8–9\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \n2026 LAW AND HUMANITIES WORKSHOP FOR JUNIOR SCHOLARS \nGeorgetown University Law Center\, Stanford Law School\, UCLA School of Law\, the University of Pennsylvania\, and the University of Southern California Center for Law\, History\, and Culture invite submissions for the 24th meeting of the Law and Humanities Workshop for Junior Scholars\, to be held at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School on June 8-9\, 2026. \nABOUT THE WORKSHOP \nThe workshop is open to untenured professors\, advanced graduate students\, post-doctoral scholars\, and independent scholars working in law and the humanities. In addition to drawing from numerous humanistic fields\, including Black and Indigenous studies\, history\, literature\, political theory\, critical race theory\, feminist theory\, and philosophy\, we welcome critical\, qualitative work in the social sciences\, including anthropology and sociology. \nCommentators and other Workshop participants will be asked to focus specifically on the strengths and weaknesses of the selected scholarly projects\, with respect to subject and methodology. The selected papers will then serve as the basis for a larger conversation among all the participants that may include themes connecting all of the projects\, as well as discussion of the evolving standards by which we judge excellence and creativity in interdisciplinary scholarship. \nFor more information\, please send an email inquiry to Lawandhumanitiesworkshop@gmail.com or visit LawandHumanitiesWorkshop.org. \nProgram Committee\, 2026 Law and Humanities Workshop for Junior Scholars \nRiaz Tejani\, Chapman University\, Law\, Chair \nLaToya Baldwin Clark\, University of California Los Angeles\, Law \nDanielle Boaz\, University of North Carolina at Charlotte\, Africana Studies \nDavid Eng\, University of Pennsylvania\, English & Asian American Studies \nMelynda Price\, University of Michigan\, Women and Gender Studies \nClyde Spillenger\, University of California Los Angeles\, Law \nThe Law and Humanities Workshop for Junior Scholars is committed to anti-racism both inside and outside the academy.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/workshop-the-law-and-humanities-workshop-for-junior-scholars-university-of-pennsylvania-carey-law-school-june-8-9-2026/
CATEGORIES:Call for papers
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260617
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260619
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260320T001945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204812Z
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:20260701
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260702
DTSTAMP:20260404T165836
CREATED:20260402T000258Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T204812Z
UID:10001853-1782864000-1782950399@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Position Opening: Visiting Assistant Professor of Medieval Middle East\, Colby College\, July 1\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:The Department of History at Colby College invites applications for a three-year Visiting Assistant Professor of Middle East/Islamic history beginning July 1\, 2026. \nThe annual teaching load is 4.5 courses\, including a course on the history of Islam\, as well as HI376 Doing History\, a general methods course as part of a rotation. Although the position is for a scholar of medieval Islam\, or of the medieval or early modern Middle East or Ottoman Empire\, an interest in offering courses which speak to the present would be welcomed. We are particularly interested in candidates who bring to the classroom experiences\, identities\, ideas\, and ways of engaging that resonate with the increasingly diverse student body at Colby. We seek candidates who are innovative and inclusive teacher-scholars\, who may be willing to make use of resources such as the Colby Museum of Art\, Special Collections\, or the Mule Works Innovation Lab. The Colby History Department is committed to professional development andthe future advancement of all its members. \nQualifications\nA PhD is preferred\, but not required\, by the start of the appointment. \nApplication Instructions\nPlease submit a cover letter\, curriculum vitae\, a statement of teaching philosophy\, a statement of research interests\, and three confidential letters of recommendation. The statement of teaching philosophy and the statement of research interests should demonstrate a commitment to inclusive teaching. Review of applications will begin on October 17\, 2025\, and will continue until the position is filled. \nEqual Employment Opportunity Statement\nColby is a private\, coeducational liberal arts college that admits students and makes personnel decisions on the basis of the individual’s qualifications to contribute to Colby’s educational objectives and institutional needs. The principle of not discriminating on the basis of race\, color\, age\, sex\, sexual orientation\, gender identity or expression\, religion\, caste\, national or ethnic origin\, marital status\, genetic information\, political beliefs\, veteran or military status\, parental status\, pregnancy\, childbirth or related medical conditions\, physical or mental disability unrelated to the job or course of study requirements is consistent with the mission of a liberal arts college and the law.
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/position-opening-visiting-assistant-professor-of-medieval-middle-east-colby-college-july-1-2026/
CATEGORIES:Due dates,Opportunities
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR