News & Events

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Seminar Series for 2007-2008:
The Outreach Center at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Outreach Program of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies (both of Harvard University) are proud to announce a new lecture series:

“Islam in Context:
A Globalized Look at the Religion of Islam”

This seminar series examines how Islam is represented in different geographic locations. The practice of Islam, like any religion, is influenced by the society in which it exists.  While the study of Islam is customarily confined to the Middle East and North Africa, an examination of communities outside of these historically "Muslim" areas sheds new light on how Muslims practice and understand the faith of Islam in a globalized world. Through the unique talents and dedicated research of a range of scholars, the series offers a rare opportunity to grasp the diversity and transition of this global religion.

NOTE:  The series is open to the general public, but K-12 educators are especially welcome. Educators can receive up to 15 PDPs by attending the entire series, and 25 PDPs by attending and completing the curriculum creation requirement. To complete the requirement educators need to produce a 2-3 day curriculum based on the content of the seminar series. The Outreach Centers at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Davis Center can provide interested participants with additional resources to aid the completion of the curriculum project. 

Schedule and Speaker Information:

Part I: Islam in Russia
Wednesday, November 14    4:30-6:30 pm          
Location: Center for Government and International Studies, Harvard University
1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA.  Room 020    
Speaker:  Dr. Thomas Simons, Visiting Scholar, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies; Lecturer, Government Department, Harvard University; Former US Ambassador to Poland and Pakistan

Part II: Teaching Islam in Context
Wednesday, December 12    4:30-6:30 pm
Location: Center for Government and International Studies, Harvard University
1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA.  Room 050    
Speaker: Dr. Ali Asani, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Cultures, Harvard University.

Part III: Islam in the West
Wednesday, February 6, 2008    4:30-6:30 pm
Location: Center for Government and International Studies, Harvard University
1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA.  Room 050    
Speaker: Dr. Jocelyne Cesari, Director, Islam in the West Program, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University

Part IV: Islam in Africa
Wednesday, March 5, 2008    4:30-6:30 pm
Location:  Center for Government and International Studies, Harvard University
1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA.  Room 050    
Speaker: Professor Jacob Olupona, Professor of African Religious Traditions, Harvard Divinity School and Professor of African and African American Studies, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University

Part V:  Islam in Central Asia
Wednesday, April 2, 2008    4:30-6:30 pm
Location:  Center for Government and International Studies, Harvard University
1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA.  Room 050    
Speaker: Dr. John Schoeberlein, Lecturer, Departments of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and Anthropology

More information and an application form can be downloaded here.

Ongoing events:
Stay informed about the Outreach Program's teacher workshops and presentations, as well as other New England-area events relating to Russia and Eurasia, by subscribing to The Source!