Humanities and social sciences: crises and changes

Early Career academic workshop

 

“Humanities and Social Sciences: crises and changes”

 

Tunis, 29 February–1 March 2024

 

The Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research organizes, in collaboration with St John’s College, the University of Oxford and the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts “Beit al-Hikma”, a workshop around the theme “Humanities and Social Sciences: crises and changes” on February 29–March 1, 2024, in “Beit al-Hikma”, Tunis.

 

The broad axes suggested here are meant to be open to approaches from all the disciplines covered by the Humanities and Social Sciences. This can be done in collaborative interdisciplinary work or within single disciplines. The main broad axes proposed are

conceived as umbrella concepts or themes, which can be divided into subthemes and narrower angles. They should allow the emergence of gathered fields of interventions related, but not restricted to, the following sub-themes.

1. Critical narratives of crises and changes. We seek research which addresses situated historical perspectives; literary representations; reconstructions in art and audio-visual media; critical analysis of discourses.

2. Borders and crises. Papers could address the paradoxical situation by which borders are both strengthened and challenged. Such borders include those between humans as well those between the human and non-human, such as artificial intelligence (AI);

migration, exile and refuge; citizenship and belonging; linguistic borders; the interface between the global and the local.

3. Ethics in times of crises and change. Ethics is understood broadly to encompass disciplinary ethics, global ethics and norms.

4. Beyond crises. Examining some of the ways through which crises are resolved and change is imagined. This includes literary and cinematic utopias and dystopias, and social, cultural and political dynamics of revolution and reform.

5. Critical reflections on the humanities and social sciences. While they offer ways of dealing with and analysing crises and changes in society, Human and Social Sciences, themselves, face challenges including paradigmatic changes; language change; economies of knowledge; revision of epistemologies; politics of knowledge

production; reception of concepts across cultures through translation, school curricula.

 

Interested participants are requested to submit an abstract of 300 words in English exclusively on the following link. https://forms.gle/vLytAhD2PEn79w9P6

 

We understand early career status to be within 10 years of the first academic appointment (Examples in the Tunisian system include permanent or contractual positions. In the UK system, examples include postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, assistant professors, lecturers). The working language of the workshop is English.

 

Timeline

- 15 October 2023: Deadline for submission of abstracts.

- 1 November 2023: Notification of acceptance.

- 8 November 2023: Confirmation of participation.

- 29 February- 1 March 2024: Workshop at Beit El Hikma.

 

Organizing Committee:

Mohamed-Salah Omri (University of Oxford, UK), coordinator

Samiha Khelifa (University of Manouba)

Mimoun Melliti (University of Kairouan)

Akila Sellami (University of Sfax)

Abdelhamid Henia (History, Beit El Hikma)

Hala Wertani (Beit El Hikma)

Hayet Souai (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research)

Saida Rafrafi Farhat (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research)

 

Academic Committee:

Ramzi Amara (Anthropology, University of Sousse/ English speaker)

Youssef ben Othman (Philosophy, CERES)

Ayman Boughanmi (Cultural Studies, University of Jendouba)

Mohsen ELKhouni (Philosophy, University of Tunis El Manar)

Abdelhamid Fenina (History, University Tunis 1)

Baccar Gherib (Political Economy, University of Tunis El Manar)

Amel Grami (Gender Studies, University of Manouba)

Abdelhamid Henia (History, Beit El Hikma)

Kamel Jerfel (History, University of Sousse)

Zouhair Ben Jannet (Sociology, University of Sfax)

Salwa Kammoun (Education, University of Gabes)

Samiha Khelifa (Sustainable Development, University of Manouba)

Mimoun Melliti (Linguistics, University of Kairouan)

Mohamed-Salah Omri (Comparative and Arabic Literature University of Oxford, UK)

Akila Sellami (Linguistics, University of Sfax)

Charles Tripp (Political Science, SOAS, UK)

Teresa Witcombe (History, St John’s College, University of Oxford, UK)

Hsan Zriba (Cultural Studies, University of Gafsa)

 

http://www.mes.tn/evenement_video.php?code_menu=21#?