Palestine talks
The UGent Palestine Talks series is an initiative organised by the Center for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies (CAIMES) and the Middle East and North Africa Research Group (MENARG) at Ghent University. The series features lectures, discussions, panels and documentaries with academics and experts who explore the historical, political, social, and cultural dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The series aims to encourage critical dialogue, raise awareness, and provide diverse perspectives on the challenges faced by Palestinians, conveying a thorough understanding of the region’s complex dynamics. The series engages students, faculty members and the public in meaningful conversations about international law, human rights, and the prospects for a sustainable and just peace in Palestine.
- Ammar Kandeel: Archival Rationality of Palestinian Graphic Narratives before and after the Genocide (Palestine Talks Spring 2026 – 10/03)
- Mouin Rabbani: Palestine after the Gaza Genocide (Palestine Talks Spring 2026 – 26/02)
- Hanan Toukan: The Thorn in Germany’s Side: Palestinian Archives and the (il)Logic of Dehumanization (Palestine Talks Autumn 2025 – 02 /12)
- Selma Dabbagh, Mahmoud Nabil Ahmed and Frank Barat: A conversation about “A State of Passion” (Palestine Talks Autumn 2025 – 3/11)
Lectures and seminars
This research seminar offers a space for discussion of ongoing research in Middle East Studies from a transdisciplinary, transhistorical and transregional perspective. It focuses on research undertaken at Ghent University and includes occasional presentations from external contributors. No prior knowledge of the region and its languages is required.
- Vincent Thérouin and Irem Gündüz-Polat: Textual, Spacial and Material Approaches in Ottoman History (23/04/26)
- Menna M. El Mahy: Governance, Architecture, and the Entanglement of Local and Transregional Leadership at the Syro-Anatolian Frontier (13th-early 15th centuries)(24/03/26)
- Karin van Nieuwkerk: Narratives on Marriage, Love, and Sexuality. Body Politics among Nonreligious Women in Egypt. (24/02/26)
- Yossef Rapoport: Becoming Arab: The Formation of Arab Identity in the Medieval Middle East (16/12/25)
Section activities
Rethinking Rural Communities and Tribalism in Islamic Lands (6th –10th / 12th –16th Centuries) (17-18/12/25) - Organising committee: Prof. Jo Van Steenbergen (Ghent University), Prof. Malika Dekkiche (Antwerp University), Dr. Zacharie Mochtari de Pierrepont (Ghent University) Venue: Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 6th floor, room 6.60 Date: 17 and 18 December 2025 … Read more
AICAP Winter School on the Epigraphy of AlUla - Call for Applications: AICAP Winter School on the Epigraphy of AlUla Dates: 11 – 22 January 2026 Location: AlUla, Saudi Arabia Language of instruction: all courses will be taught in English Courses: Fieldwork methods; Dadanitic; Nabataean Instructors: Jérôme Norris (epigraphic… Read more
First conference of the Belgian Network for the Study of Islam, Culture and Society (17/10/25) - First conference of the Belgian Network for the Study of Islam, Culture and Society Academics from the different Belgian universities have gathered to set up a Belgian network for the study of Islam, Culture and Society. The launch of this… Read more
Summer School: History, Material Culture and Heritage of Kerala Muslims - 21st-27th July 2025 Muziris, Kodungallur, Kerala, India Read more
International Graduate Conference: Forgotten Mosques - This conference seeks interdisciplinary dialogues across history, anthropology, architecture, sound studies, and religieus studies. We encourage submissions that employ innovative methodologies - archaeological, ethnographic, or digital - to uncover the fragments of Kerala's Islamic heritage. Read more