The Interdisciplinary Seminar for Islamic Studies (ISIS) is the only
academic forum at the University of Michigan that engages students and
faculty who are interested in the study of Islam and Muslim societies
in an interdisciplinary and cross-regional conversation. Following our
inception in the winter term 2010, ISIS has grown to include a large
number of both student and faculty participants on our list-serve. They
represent a wide range of departments and programs including
Anthropology, Anthropology and History program, American Culture, Asian
Languages and Cultures, Center for Middle Eastern and North African
Studies, Center for South Asian Studies, College of Architecture and an
Planning, History, the Law School, Musicology, Near Eastern Studies,
Political Science, Romance Languages and Literatures, and the School of
Natural Resources and the Environment.
ISIS events take one or two different forms, typically held on
Thursday evening from 4-6PM or Friday morning 11:30-1PM. The first is a
public lecture by a
scholar on the topic of his/her current research. The second is a
workshop for graduate students and faculty in which we discuss either a
recently published work or work in progress with the author. Materials
are distributed at least 2 weeks in advance in order to allow
participants
time to prepare.
We still have several events in the works for the 2012-13 academic
year. As more dates are confirmed, we will continue to update the
calendar.
Fall 2012
- September 28th: Dr. Yassar Tabbaa
- ISIS will workshop the first three
chapters of Prof. Tabbaa's book: "The Transformation of Islamic Art
During the Sunni Revival" (University of Washington Press, 2001, 2002)
- October 18th: Denys
Shestopalets (Research Fellow, A. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies & the
Religion Studies Department of the Institute of Philosophy at the
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine)
- ISIS will workshop his paper dealing with "The punishment for moral crimes in Islamic tradition."
- November 1st-2nd: Dr. Saadia Toor (College of Staten Island, CUNY)
- Cancelled with Regret Due to Hurricane Sandy
- December 7th: Dr. Christiane Gruber (History of Art, University of Michigan)
- Professor Gruber will be giving a public lecture entitled: "King of Kings of Africa: Racializing Gaddafi in the Visual Output of the 2011 Libyan Revolution." (11:0-1:30 @ the International Institute, Room 1644).
Winter 2013
- January 17th: Charles Sullivan, PhD Candidate in History
- February 7th-8th: Dr. Adam
Gaiser (Florida State University)
- (Thursday) Professor Gaiser will be giving a public lecture on his
forthcoming book: "When Our Skulls Lie in Dust Like Rotten Melons: Shurāt Literature and Early Ibāḍī Identity" (click here for abstract)
- (Friday) ISIS will be discussing Professor Gaiser's first book: "Muslims, Scholars, Soldiers: The Origin and Elaboration of Ibāḍī Imamate Traditions" (Oxford, 2010)
- March 28th-29th: Dr. Renata Holod (University of Pennsylvania)
- (Thursday) Professor Holod will be giving a public lecture on
her recent archaeological survey of and project on the medieval history of the island of Jerba
in Tunisia.
- (Friday) ISIS will be discussing Professor Holod's most recent work on Jerba
- April 11th-12th: Dr. Manan Ahmed (Institut für Islamwissenschaft, Freie Universität Berlin)
- Co-sponsered by the Center for South Asia Studies- International Institute, UM