Deadline: 30 September 2011
THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, 7-9 FEBRUARY, 2012
In 1961, an Arabic unit was established in the University of Ibadan to assuage the desire of scholars who were desirous of accessing information on the history of North African societies most of which were written or documented in Arabic. Led by the famous American historian, John Hunwick, the Department later became a full-fledged Department in 1962. It began to cater for the needs of Nigerians and indeed West African scholars through its programmes in Arabic and Islamic studies broadly defined even as it has facilitated the establishment of similar Departments in Universities all around the country. This conference is, therefore, being organized to mark its golden jubilee anniversary. The conferences shall attempt to look back at the various patterns and contours in Arabic and Islamic culture and scholarship in Nigeria since 1962 and attempt to chart a new course for the future. The need appears to have arisen for us to do a critical appraisal of the current state, future destiny, fortunes and benefits in the study of Arabic/Islamic culture in an era in which globalization and the emergence of new state and non-state actors are shaping and re-shaping cultural and cross-cultural identities and politics. Of what use is Arabic-Islamic culture and scholarship to Nigerian and indeed African future? What new directions could be suggested for the teaching of Arabic-Islamic culture in the West-African region? How have the various departments of Arabic and Islamic Studies faired in Nigeria today, what are the challenges impeding their vision and mission and what prospects lie ahead of them? How might we begin to gauge the impacts of the graduates of Arabic-Islamic culture on national and international alliances and development particularly in the West African sub region since 1962? How might Arabic and Islamic culture be critical for the development of interdisciplinary studies in the academia all around the world? What are the fissures, contradictions and paradoxes that could be observed in-between Arabic-Islamic culture as taught inside the Ivory Towers and the culture outside the universities? The conference organizers would welcome papers which engage with these and similar issues. Such papers may benefit from the following sub-themes which are evidently not exhaustive:
- Arabic and Islamic Studies in Nigerian Universities since 1962.
- Arabic/Islamic Culture and Scholarship in West Africa in the contemporary period.
- Graduates of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Nigeria's Public and International Spheres since 1962.
- Arabic and Islamic Studies and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
- Arabic and Islamic Studies in the Arts and the Humanities.
- Arabic and Islamic studies in African Universities and non-formal Quranic Schools.
- En-Gendering Arabic and Islamic Studies in Nigeria.
- Muslim NGOs and Arabic-Islamic Scholarship in Nigeria.
- Arabic-Islamic culture and the Muslim Youth in Nigeria.
- New Strategies and directions in Arabic-Islamic culture and scholarship around the World.
- Pedagogy, epistemology and Arabic-Islamic scholarship.
- New horizons in graduate studies in Arabic-Islamic culture
The conference shall feature three keynote speakers all of whom are internationally acclaimed and renowned Professors of Arabic/Islamic culture.
1. Hasan Ahmed Ibrahim, Professor of African, Islamic and Middle Eastern History and Civilization, Dean, International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Title of Proposed Lead Paper: "The Role of Arabic/Islamic Sources in Enriching African Historiography and Historical Legacy".
2. Amidu Olalekan Sanni, Professor of Arabic, Department of Religious Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos, Nigeria.
Title of Lead Paper: Textual and Source Criticism in Modern Scholarship on Quranic Studies.
3. Ishaq. O. Oloyede, Professor of Islamic studies and Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
Title of paper not yet decided
Languages of the Conference: Arabic and English
Abstracts of not more than 250 words should be sent to the conference Secretary/convener, Dr Ibrahim Uthman via the following e-mail address not later than 30 September 2011. fiftyarabicyears@yahoo.com. The Ag. Head of Department and Chairman of the Conference, Afis. A. Oladosu PhD, can be reached via the following e-mail addresses: arabic_studies@mail.ui.edu.ng afism3@yahoo.com. For phone contacts: The Chairman and Secretary can be reached through the following lines: +234-8055-11-5001/ +234-80-3620-1617
Registration fee: 100 Dollars
Contact Information:
For inquiries: arabic_studies@mail.ui.edu.ng or afism3@yahoo.com
For submissions: arabic_studies@mail.ui.edu.ng or afism3@yahoo.com