Summer School - Decompartementalizing the Study of the Religion
The Middle East and its Diasporas (late 19th-21st century). The Middle East and its Diasporas (late 19th-21st century)
11 – 15 October 2026, IFAO, Cairo. Check the program
Entitled “Decompartmentalising the Study of Religion: The Middle East and its Diasporas (late 19th–21st centuries). Lexis, Mapping and Staging”, the PredicMO summer school will bring together 13 students and 7 supervisors for training sessions, ethnographic research and archival work. Two lectures, delivered by Jakob Skovgaard (University of Copenhagen) and Umar Ryad (University of Leuven), will open and close the week.
PROGRAM
11 October 2026
Morning – IFAO: Introduction Session
9:00: Welcome and coffee -Abbès Zouache (IFAO) & Pierre Tallet ( IFAO)
9:30-10:30: Theoretical and methodological introduction
10:30: Coffee break
10:45-12:00: Decompartmentalizing Research: Perspectives from Summer School Participants
12.00-12.30: Visit to the IFAO Library
12:30–14:00: Lunch at IFAO
Afternoon – IFAO: Media and Techniques for the Transmission of Religion (1): Audiovisual Media
14:00–17:00: Jakob Skovgaard (University of Copenhagen), Presentation of television series (musalsalāt) and film analysis with the students
15:30: Coffee break
18:00: IFAO Lecture – Jakob Skovgaard (University of Copenhagen) “Rings of the Lord”
20:30: Dinner at Taboula
12 October 2026
Translation Issues and the Challenges of Heritage-Making
Morning – IFAO
9:30–11:00: Round table organized by Umar Ryad (University of Leuven) – Linguistic and translation issues surrounding da‘wa, with the participation of the heads of the English, German and French departments and several students from Al-Azhar
11:00–11:30: Coffee break
11:30–12:30: Group discussions with department heads and Al-Azhar students
12:30–14:00: Lunch at IFAO
Afternoon – Visit to Mar Guirguis
Field observation on the heritage-making and tourism development of religious sites. Survey and collection of tourist objects.
20:00: Dinner at Tasha
13 October 2026
Urban Imprints and Religious Spaces- Ethnographic Fieldwork in Shubra, in collaboration with Shubra’s Archive
9:00–11:00: Visit to Caritas Egypt
11:00–13:00: Visit to religious bookshops (Dār al-Kitāb al-Muqaddas, Maktabat Majallat Marqus and Maktabat al-Maḥabba al-Qibṭiyya)
13:30–15:30: Visit and lunch at the Mar Girgis Association
16:00–17:00: Visit to the Mar Girgis Khamrawiya church, Saint Theresa church and Khalāṣ al-Nufūs association
17:00–18:00: Group debriefing on the day and on the fieldwork conducted at Mar Girgis Khamrawiya
20:00: Dinner at the Greek Club (City Center)
14 October 2026
Media and Techniques for the Transmission of Religion (2): Sound Technologies – CEDEJ
9:00–10:30: Keynote by Frédéric Lagrange (CEDEJ) – Recording tajwīd
10:30–12:30: Séverine Gabry (CNRS, IDEAS) and Véronique Ginouvès (MMSH) – Presentation of different sound amplification devices and uses of sound technologies
12:30–14:00: Lunch at Falak
14:00–15:00: Séverine Gabry (CNRS, IDEAS) and Véronique Ginouvès (MMSH) – Ethical issues and guidelines for good practice
15:00–18:00: Recording workshop with the students
20:00: Buffet dinner at IFAO
15 October 2026
Missionary Encounters and the Challenges of Preaching
Morning – IDEO
9:00–9:30: Welcome at IDEO
9:30–10:30: Exchange and discussion with the IDEO Brothers
10:30–12:00: Group work on the Anawati archival collection
12:00–13:00: Presentation of the students’ work
13:00-14:00: Lunch at the IDEO
Afternoon – IFAO & NVIC
14:30–15:30: Visit to the printing press
15:30–16:00: Coffee break
16:00–17:30: Presentation of the students’ work and debriefing on the fieldwork conducted during the week
18:30: Keynote lecture by Umar Riyad (University of Leuven) “Al-Azhar in the 20th Century: Reform, Religious Authority and Global Mission” , NVIC.