International Congress, "Knowledge and Education in Classical Islam: Historical Foundations & Contemporary Impact" (Göttingen, 1 - 5 October 2011)

International Conference

"Knowledge and Education in Classical Islam:
Historical Foundations & Contemporary Impact"

October 1–5, 2011

المعرفة والتعليم

من صدر الإسلام إلى نهاية العصر العباسي

الأسس التاريخية والتأثيرات المعاصرة

The international conference “Knowledge and Education in Classical Islam: Historical Foundations – Contemporary Impact” is organized and convened by Prof. Dr. Sebastian Günther, Director of the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Göttingen, in close collaboration with Professor Dr. Ali Shaban, Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Translation and Director of Islamic Studies in Foreign Languages Program at Al-Azhar University, Cairo.
More than one hundred renowned scholars from Europe, North America and the Middle East will participate with individual papers, pre-organized panels, and thematic discussions and thus contribute to the success of this academic event. In addition, a number of particularly talented graduate students and junior scholars from different parts of the world are also expected to participate, as well as a number of international guests.

The conference has two major objectives:
On the one hand, the origins, ideals, theories, practices, and institutions of learning and teaching in the classical period of Islam (7th to 13th century), their interdependence with non-Muslim education, as well as their reception and transformation up to the present will be covered and scrutinized in their historical dimensions by a unique forum of international experts.
On the other hand, both the challenges and opportunities that arise from “classical” Islamic concepts of knowledge, knowledge acquisition, and education will be highlighted and critically analyzed, as they directly relate to contemporary Islamic societies and communities as well as an “Islamic education” in an increasingly multicultural Europe.

In this regard, the 2011 “Knowledge and Education in Classical Islam” conference at Göttingen offers a unique opportunity for the academic exchange of ideas and collaboration on topics of utmost importance not only for the “history” of Islamic education, but for the development of “contemporary” societies and communities as well. In this regard, the active participation of distinguished scholars from both the Orient and the Occident fully corresponds to the trajectories and aims of contemporary inter- and trans-disciplinary research in Arabic and Islamic studies as well in Education Studies.
Due to the limited space in our conference facilities, this meeting is a “conference on invitation only”.

The symposium organizers gratefully acknowledge financial assistance provided by the following organizations:

Bundesland Niedersachen / The Federal State of Lower Saxony

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