Announcements

Call for Applications: Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies (BGSMCS)

The Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies—a joint project of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO)—invites prospective doctoral researchers to submit their applications. Application Deadline: October 31, 2026 More Information & Guidelines: Visit the BGSMCS Application Portal for detailed guidelines and submission requirements.

Sep 01, 2026

Dr. Emad Alali: "Stat-Building and Social Contract in Post-Assad Syria: A Constitutive Approach"

BGSMCS postdoc Dr. Emad Alali has recently published his Article " State-Building and Social Contract in Post-Assad Syria: A Consitutive Approach ".

Aug 21, 2026

Congratulations, Philip!

Philip Geisler has been selected as the recipient of the DAVO Dissertation Award 2026 ( https://davo1.de/davo-dissertation-award-2026/?lang=en ) for his thesis, "Dis-playing the Arts of Islam from the World’s Fairs to the 21st-Century Museum: Configurations of Objects, Performance, and Space."

Aug 21, 2026

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Stefan Kirmse

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Stefan Kirmse The BGSMS is pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Stefan Kirmse has officially been awarded the title of Professor in recognition of his excellent scholarly achievements.

Aug 08, 2026

Histories Best PhD Thesis Award for Okcan Yildirimtürk!

Congratulations, Okcan! Okcan Yildirimtürk has been selected as the recipient of the Histories Best PhD Thesis Award for his thesis, 'Reviving a Ruined City between Communities and Empires: Competing Visions for Famagusta in Cyprus, 1840s-1870s'. The official announcement can be found on the following webpage: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/histories/awards/3624 .

Aug 03, 2026

Q&S Graduate School Applicants 2026

Jul 30, 2026

Lecture by Professor Abdelatif Fetheddine (in Arabic)

From Kant to Contemporary Arab Thought: The Appropriation of Critical Philosophy and the Reconfiguration of Knowledge

Jul 13, 2026

Podcasts

This podcast series documents a student-led lecture series held at BGSMCS during the summer semester of 2024. Audio 1: Historical Contextualisation and Complexity of German-Israeli Relation. Panelist: Daniel Marwecki; Moderator: Nagat Emara (30 April 2024) Audio 2: Research and Politics: Anti-Palestinian Racism in Germany. Panelists: Sophia Hoffinger, Udi Raz; Moderator: Schirin Amir-Moazami (7 May 2024) Audio 3: Scholar-Activism/Positionality: Intersection between Academia and Politics . Panelists: Rosa Cordillera A. Castillo, Hossam el-Hamalawy; Moderator: Samuli Schielke (13 May 2024) Audio 4: The Hundred Years' War on Palestine . Panelist: Rashid Khalidi; Moderator: Sophie Richter-DevroeBook Talk (16 May 2024) Audio 5: Defining Anti-Semitism in Academia. Panelists: Nahed Sammour, Hannah Tzuberi; Moderator: Gudrun Krämer (30 May 2024) Audio 6: Historical Contextualization of the Palestine-Israel Conflict. Panelists: Ilan Pappe, Sherene Seikaly; Moderator: Udi Raz (11 June 2024)

Jul 12, 2026

Lecture @ Boğaziçi University in Istanbul

Jun 17, 2026

Kai Kresse's book on Swahili Muslim Publics translated in Kiswahili

BGSMCS PI Kai Kresse launched a Kiswahili Edition of his book “Swahili Muslim Publics and Postcolonial Experience in Coastal Kenya”, translated by William Mkufya as “Haki na Mamlaka: Kadhia za Waislamu wa Kenya Baada ya Ukoloni, at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) on 14.4.2026. Congratulations! The book launch was organised by Prof. Hamza Njozi (MUM), Prof. Aldin Mutembei (UDSM), Prof. Issa Ziddy (SUZA) and Dr. Jackson Coy

Apr 22, 2026

FU President Ziegler visits Cairo

FU President Günter Ziegler and a FU-delegation, including three members of the BGSMCS: Beatrice Gründler, Cilja Harders and Florian Zemmin visited Cairo in April 2026

Apr 09, 2026