Annual Graduate Symposia

The Centre organises an annual postgraduate symposium on “Muslims in the UK and Europe”. The aim is to bring together graduate students from British, European and American universities to present their research to their peers, discuss their findings and engage in debate about the issues that face Muslims in the European context. Topics vary widely, from Sufism to Salafism, from charity to burial rites, religious travel to therapy, Islamophobia, deradicalisation initiatives and more.

The Centre invites scholars of Islam to attend the symposium proceedings and act as mentors and commentators. Keynote speakers have also been invited to address major issues on Muslims and Islam in the British and European contexts. These senior academics and thinkers offer insightful reflections on the relationship between ‘Islam’, reflexivity, and the possibility for creative rethinking of social issues in the UK and Europe.

A product of the symposium is a publication of edited papers which provide a range of topical essays on Islam and Muslims in the Europe. The “Muslims in UK and Europe” series are available to download from our Publications page.

This year’s postgraduate symposium, will be taking place on Thursday 17 June 2021, and will be a platform for students to present and exchange current research on any topic in this field in a dynamic forum. While historical or theoretical context is valuable, we invite papers also to present, analyse or interpret research findings, data or material. The symposium will take place online this year due to Covid. Participants are expected to attend the keynote speech and all sessions.

The keynote speech will be given by Dr H.A. Hellyer, senior associate fellow of the Royal Institute (RUSI) in London and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC. A visiting fellow at the Centre, Dr Hellyer’s talk will revolve around the Muslim-European presence, current and future challenges.