Arabistiek en Islamkunde / Arabic and Islamic Studies UGent

29/09/2026

What a great day at the BASICS Annual Meeting!

The programme featured panels spanning anthropology, history and culture, Islamic studies, and politics and society, with presentations exploring topics ranging from displacement and social reproduction, urban governance and diplomacy in the medieval Middle East, and the study of classical Arabic texts, to Muslim political participation and artistic activism.

Thank you to all speakers, organisers, discussants, and attendees for contributing to such a stimulating atmosphere.

Curious to learn more about the panels and presentations? You can find the full programme here: https://www.middleeast.ugent.be/en/second-conference-of-the-belgian-network-for-the-study-of-islam-culture-and-society-25-09-26/

See you next year!

26/09/2026

On 24 September, we welcomed Prof. Sherene Seikaly (University of California, Santa Barbara) to our department for her lecture, On Time in Palestine. Thank you to Prof. Seikaly and all those who attended for an engaging and inspiring evening of discussion.

To learn more about her work, we recommend her book Men of Capital: Scarcity and Economy in Mandate Palestine, while keeping an eye out for her forthcoming publication, From Baltimore to Beirut: On the Question of Palestine.

25/09/2026

We are delighted to congratulate our colleague Dr. Mina Ibrahim on receiving a prestigious ERC Starting Grant for the project "The Glocal Public Syrian Archives: Reclaiming Popular Media for Memory and Justice Before and After the Fall of Assad ( )."

The project will explore how popular media and cultural memories can contribute to archival, documentation, and justice efforts across Syria and its diasporas, bringing together digital, archival, and ethnographic approaches.

At CAIMES, we are incredibly proud to see this important and timely research receive such well-deserved recognition. We warmly congratulate Mina and look forward to following the project's development in the years ahead.

21/09/2026

This year Prof. Sara Mondini and Prof. Islam Dayeh be co-organising the CAIMES Middle East Studies Research Seminar.

The seminar brings together scholars working across disciplines and approaches to discuss ongoing research on the Middle East and the wider Islamic world.

Here are the first appointments for the first semester:

📅 8 October 2026
Christopher Markiewicz (UGent)
Foundations of the Ottoman State: Waqf and Political Economy, 16th–18th centuries

📅 19 November 2026
Muhammed Niyas Ashraf (UGent)
What is South Kerala Islam? Archives, Actors and Histories

📅 26 November 2026
Angela Isoldi (UGent)
Waqf Economy and Power Networks in Fifteenth Century Cairo: l’Affaire al-Safti

All lectures will take place in
📍 Room 5.50, Blandijnberg 2, Ghent
🕓 16:00–18:00

The seminar is open to everyone — no prior knowledge of the region or its languages is required.

More appointments for the second semester will follow soon, along with further details and information about the seminar.

Looking forward to a great year of discussions, research and exchange!

Spread the word and join us! 📚✨

21/09/2026

On September 18, we met for the workshop "Academic research and artistic creation in Arab contexts: Reflecting on
means of knowledge production in postcolonial settings," with Leyla Dakhli and Samuli Schielke. It included participants from the UGent and from the coorganising institutions, the KASK and the UAntwerpen, as well as from the Sint-Luca Art School, the ULiège and even the Ez-Zituna University in Tunisia. We had a great conversation. To be continued.!

Academic research and artistic creation in Arab contexts: Reflecting on means of knowledge production in postcolonial settings (18/09/26) Manal Mahamid, excerpt from the exhibition Ana men hona, 2012 Academic research and artistic creation in Arab contexts: Reflecting on means of knowledge productio...

20/09/2026

🎉CAIMES congratulates Dr. Ophélie Mercier, who successfully defended her PhD in Middle East Studies.

📜Dissertation Title: ‘Becoming a stranger’ : Ambivalent familiarities and political subjectivation of Egyptian artists in Berlin” follows Egyptian artists navigating mobility, estrangement (ghurba), and creative practice between Egypt and Berlin.

Dr. Mercier’s doctoral research was supervised by Prof. Dr. Aymon Kreil.

More info and full abstract: https://www.middleeast.ugent.be/en/ophelie-mercier-becoming-a-stranger-doctoral-public-defence-18-09-26/

Congratulations, Dr. Mercier!

07/09/2026

What does it mean to become a stranger?

On 18 September, Ophélie Mercier will publicly defend her doctoral dissertation, Becoming a Stranger: Ambivalent Familiarities and Political Subjectivation of Egyptian Artists in Berlin.

Based on two years of collaborative ethnographic research, the dissertation follows Egyptian artists navigating mobility, estrangement (ghurba), and creative practice between Egypt and Berlin. Bringing together insights from political sociology, anthropology, and migration studies, the research explores how experiences of displacement, marginality, and belonging shape artistic and political engagement.

The thesis also examines the ways artists negotiate racialised and globalised cultural fields, and how recent developments, including the repression of solidarity with Palestine in Germany's art sector, have reshaped the possibilities and meanings of political artistic practice.

📅 Friday 18 September 2026, 14:00
📍 Auditorium Vandenhove, Campus Boekentoren, Ghent University

Interested in joining online? Contact: [email protected].
More info and full abstract: https://www.middleeast.ugent.be/en/ophelie-mercier-becoming-a-stranger-doctoral-public-defence-18-09-26/

We wish Ophélie every success with her defence!

26/08/2026

EN:
We're delighted to share the programme for the second National Network Day of the emerging Belgian Association for the Study of Islam, Culture and Society (BASICS).

📅 25 September 2026
📍 Ghent University

This year's keynote speaker is Prof. Sherene Seikaly (UC Santa Barbara), who will present: Middle East Studies in the Age of Catastrophe.

The day offers an opportunity for colleagues in Belgium working on Islam and Muslim, Middle Eastern, and Asian histories, cultures, and societies to reconnect, exchange ideas, and continue shaping the future of BASICS.

Registration is open until 20 September 2026 via the QR code on the poster.



NL:
We delen graag het programma van de tweede nationale netwerkdag van de groeiende Belgian Association for the Study of Islam, Culture and Society (BASICS).

📅 25 september 2026
📍 Universiteit Gent

Dit jaar verwelkomen we Prof. Sherene Seikaly (UC Santa Barbara) als keynote speaker. Haar lezing draagt de titel: Middle East Studies in the Age of Catastrophe.

Deze dag biedt collega's in België die werken rond islam en moslim-, Midden-Oosterse en Aziatische geschiedenissen, culturen en samenlevingen de kans om elkaar opnieuw te ontmoeten, ideeën uit te wisselen en mee vorm te geven aan de toekomst van BASICS.

Inschrijven kan tot 20 september 2026 via de QR-code op de affiche.

FR:
Nous avons le plaisir de partager le programme de la deuxième Journée nationale du réseau de la Belgian Association for the Study of Islam, Culture and Society (BASICS) en cours de développement.

📅 25 septembre 2026
📍 Université de Gand

Cette année, nous aurons l'honneur d'accueillir Prof. Sherene Seikaly (UC Santa Barbara) pour une conférence inaugurale intitulée : Middle East Studies in the Age of Catastrophe.

Cette journée offrira aux collègues en Belgique travaillant sur l'islam ainsi que sur les histoires, cultures et sociétés musulmanes, du Moyen-Orient et d'Asie l'occasion de se retrouver, d'échanger des idées et de contribuer à façonner l'avenir de BASICS.

Les inscriptions sont ouvertes jusqu'au 20 septembre 2026 via le QR code figurant sur l'affiche.

22/06/2026

Uitvoeren van kwalitatief onderzoek over de ervaringen van moslims op de arbeidsmarkt en op het werk. Samenwerken in een interdisciplinair team met UGent partn

22/06/2026

We have three open research positions at CAIMES within the ERC-funded project HAIR: Hair, Identity, Beauty, and the Self in Muslim Contexts: Emotional Landscapes and Changing Femininities Beyond the Veil.

We invite applications for:
1 PhD position
100% for 4 years
Subproject: Egypt

1 PhD position
100% for 4 years
Subproject: Lebanon

1 Postdoctoral position
100% for 3 years
Subproject: United Arab Emirates

Application deadline: 31 July 2026

Further details and application links:
Egypt PhD: [https://www.ugent.be/en/work/scientific/doctoral-fellow-119]
Lebanon PhD: [https://www.ugent.be/en/work/scientific/doctoral-fellow-120]
UAE Postdoc: [https://jobs.ugent.be/job/Ghent-Postdoctoral-Researcher-9000/1364355957/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSl0KlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEegapY5caq8Z4rl9xXTex5QpDoBlZJo6XtdlVMb-NOHb7YFFLIIuHq6b4ZMfg_aem_Ur3o8w4FhMsi6gIYxlsHqQ]

Please share widely with interested candidates and networks.