CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

14th ANNUAL MIDDLE EAST & ISLAMIC CONSORTIUM STUDENT CONFERENCE 

at SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Due 31 January 2024

The Middle East and Islamic Consortium (MEICON), a collaborative academic and research project, is now accepting submissions for the 2024 MEICON Student Conference, to be organized by SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies. This in-person conference will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Simon Fraser University’s Vancouver campus. There is no fee for participation.

Graduate and upper-division undergraduate students are invited to submit proposals for a presentation. Presentations can focus on any aspect of the Middle East (broadly construed) and/or Islamic Studies from all disciplines and time periods.

The submission deadline for your proposals is January 31, 2024. To apply, please submit a 200–250-word abstract, 50-word bio, and contact details to ccms@sfu.ca. 

Relevant papers could pertain to the following area studies, disciplines, fields, and beyond:

• Central Asian Studies, East Asian Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, South Asian Studies, African Studies, SWANA Studies, Middle East Studies, and North African Studies
• Sociology, Religious Studies, History, Anthropology, Political Science, Comparative Literature, and International Studies
• Critical Ethnic Studies, Muslim Studies, Black Studies, Arab Studies, and Diasporic Studies
• … and more!

The MEICON Committee also adjudicates two paper prizes – the Andrew Rippin Essay Prize (value $500) and the MEICON Undergraduate Essay Prize (value $250). Accepted presenters will be invited to submit essays of approx. 3000 words by March 3, 2024, for consideration. Prize winners will be announced at the conference.

Please email any questions to Kylie Broderick at ccms@sfu.ca.

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About MEICON

The Middle East and Islamic Consortium (MEICON) was founded in 2008 as a collaborative project of Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, and the University of British Columbia with the participation of other universities and colleges. Its purpose is to provide an organizational basis for communication and cooperation among all academics interested in the study of the Middle East and Muslim societies and cultures. MEICON hosts an annual student conference (typically held in March of each year), where students are invited to present their papers and receive feedback and support in a lively and nurturing environment.

History

This year, MEICON is organized by SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies. CCMS fosters academic and public discussion and understanding of Muslim societies and cultures. 

It shifts the analysis from the notion of a single religious landscape defined by the religion of Islam to that of Muslims of different experiences and interpretations as agents in the construction of their societies and cultures within specific contexts. 

CCMS conducts its activities in such a way as to serve SFU’s mission of engaging the community and the world along the core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to enhance the reputation of the research and academic programs of the University. It achieves its purpose by curating events and programs that create a safe space for discussion, relationship building, and academic and community outreach.