2018 Symposium on Muslim Philanthropy & Civil Society Education and Muslim Societies Track

The Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University invites scholarly papers for a track on education in Muslim societies at its second Symposium on Muslim Philanthropy and Civil Society to be held in Indianapolis, IN on October 2 and 3, 2018. The Symposium is being held in partnership with the Center on Muslim Philanthropy and the International Institute of Islamic Thought.  Articles from the Symposium that successfully undergo double-blind-peer review will be published in a future issue of the Journal on Education in Muslim Societies, a bi-annual, peer reviewed journal to be published by the International Institute of Islamic Thought in partnership with Indiana University Press.

The Symposium will focus on examining the role of philanthropy in education within Muslim societies and is designed to foster and disseminate groundbreaking research on the intersection of the role of philanthropy and education. By “Muslim societies”, we mean places where there are self-identifying Muslim individuals, institutions, communities, and societies as key agents in shaping the context and content of this activity. This definition is not limited to Muslim majority nations or geographic regions.  While we seek articles broadly within this area we particularly seek articles that help further the understanding of education in Muslim societies within the “Third Space” approach.

Most existing approaches to global educational reform frame education in utilitarian and transactional terms. Two of the predominant approaches, for example, view education as a means to strengthen democracy (as espoused, e.g., by the Open Society Foundation) and as an engine for nations’ economic development (as in the World Bank’s approach to education and human capital development).  These are not unworthy goals, of course. But Advancing Education in Muslim Societies (AEMS) starts from the premise that the purpose of education is not only utilitarian but also transformative. In so doing, AEMS represents a potential “third space” for global educational reform efforts, blending and expanding the civic education and human capital approaches. Education, in the AEMS framework, is not only a transaction through which degree attainment leads to an accomplished life, but is, a lifelong process through which individuals achieve a meaningful one. This is a key philosophical difference from existing approaches to education reform. With its strong research and evidence base, AEMS will ensure that all children have access to education for a meaningful life that offers psychological and emotional stability, social and relational fulfilment, and purposeful and impactful economic, community, and political engagement.

We seek to draw proposals by researchers from across disciplines and practitioners throughout the world working in this emerging field.

A 500-word proposal is due no later than June 8, 2018.

• Accepted proposals will be notified by June 15, 2018.
• Papers should be submitted on September 15, 2018.
• Ten selected papers will be awarded up to $1,000 to be used toward travel to present the paper at the Symposium.
• Following the symposium, presenters are asked to submit their full manuscripts by October 30 to be considered for publication in the Journal.
• Papers must not exceed 7500 words including citations, footnotes and bibliography.

For further enquiries or and sending proposals, please write to  Muslim Philanthropy Initiative Program Manager, Rafia Khader at rkhader@iupui.edu

The Journal is edited by Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss of American University and Dr. Shariq Siddiqui of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action.