Palestine talks
The UGent Palestine Talks series is an initiative organised by the Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies section at Ghent University. The series features lectures, discussions, and panels with academics and experts who explore the political, social, and cultural dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The series aims to foster critical dialogue, raise awareness, and provide diverse perspectives on the challenges faced by Palestinians, promoting a deeper 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.
- Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi: A State of Passion (Palestine Talks Autumn 2025 – 3/11)
- Dina Matar: Seeing and Unseeing Gaza: Reflections on Media and Genocide (Palestine Talks Autumn 2025 – 21/10)
- Ussama Makdisi: Palestine, Gaza, and the Question of Genocide Denial ( Palestine Talks Spring 2025 – 08/05)
- Shir Hever: A Political Economy of the Genocide in Gaza: The Case for Military Embargo (Palestine Talks Spring 2025 – 25/04)
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.
- Yossef Rapoport: Becoming Arab: The Formation of Arab Identity in the Medieval Middle East (16/12/25)
- An Van Raemdonck: The ‘productive Muslim’, between Algorithm, Neoliberal and Islamic Ethos (25/11/25)
- Sara Mondini: Reframing Islamic Architecture: The Malabar Coast Case and the Rethinking of Pedagogy and Disciplinary Perspectives (30/10/25)
- Laura Stauth: Working Inside the Home: Domestic Labor Relations (20/05/25)
Section activities
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