MEICON – BC

The Middle East and Islamic Consortium of British Columbia (MEICON-BC)  was founded in 2008 as a collaborative project of Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, and the University of British Columbia with the participation of other British Columbian universities and colleges. It is hosted by the Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures at Simon Fraser University.

Purpose

The purpose of MEICON-BC is to provide an organizational basis for communication and cooperation among all British Columbian academics interested in the study of the Middle East and Muslim societies and cultures.

Organization

MEICON has no dues or officers, and is open to all British Columbian academics.

Functions

MEICON-BC provides an email list to post information on events of interest to its members and organizes an annual student conference.

Membership

You may join the MEICON listserve by e-mailing meiconbc@sfu.ca.

Annual Student Conference

The MEICON student conference is an annual student conference open to undergraduate students in all departments whose work focuses on Islam or the Middle East.

MEICON-BC 2013: Fifth annual student conference

Click here for more information.

MEICON-BC 2012: Fourth annual student conference

Click here for more information

MEICON-BC 2011: Third annual student conference

Saturday March12, 2011
University of British Columbia
To view the program click here

MEICON-BC: 2010 Student Conference
Saturday March 27, 2010
University of Victoria

MEICON– BC: 2009 Student Conference
MEICON-BC: First Annual Student Conference, May 9, 2009
Simon Fraser University, Harbour Centre 
To view the conference program click here.

The inaugural student conference was held at SFU's Harbour Centre campus on May 9, 2009. Twenty-six participants presented papers on eight different panels, ranging from "Negotiating the Everyday", through "Conceptualizing/Practicing Islam", to "Situating the State". The first prize went to Nawal Musleh-Motut (SFU) for “The Holocaust and Nakba: Contending Collective Memories in the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict,” and second prize went to Ezra Karmal (Victoria), “Eretz Yisrael or Islamic Waqf: Gush Emunium and the Rise of Religio-Political Movements.” An entertaining reception followed and featured the music of Gordon Grdina (oud) and Tim Gerwing (daf).

 
The keynote address (“Shia-Sunni Relations: Ideology, Rituals, and Communal Identity”) was provided by Dr. David Pinault, Director of the Arabic, Islamic, and Middle East Program at Santa Clara University. Dr. Pinault focused on the controversy surrounding Muharram lamentation rituals, especially their use to assert or deny communal identity. 

The third annual MEICON-BC student conference was hosted on March 12, 2011 at Green College, UBC.  The responsibility for hosting the event rotates annually among SFU, UBC, and the University of Victoria. In 2011, the conference featured eight panels, with subjects such as "Muslims Between East and West", "Women's Bodies: Past and Present", and "Reconfiguration in Iran and the Iranian Diaspora".   In addition to providing a valuable opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to share their work, the conference was open to the public. 

Students are encouraged to consider participating in our 2012 Conference. Deadline for abstract submissions is January 15th, 2012.

The University of Victoria's chapter of MEICON-BC invites papers on the subject of Canada's contribution to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, seen in a larger perspective.  Colleagues across disciplines who address the topic of the scholarship of Canadian institutions or of scholars who have written or taught in Canada are especially encouraged to participate.  Is there something distinctively "Canadian" about these contributions to knowledge, especially in whether or not they promote or contain values, religious perspectives, or political postures associated with Canada, such as peace-building, peacekeeping, the social gospel, multiculturalism, and multilateralism, interculturalism?  The workshop also wishes to strengthen the network of scholars and scholarship in Western Canada and beyond.

Travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for selected participants depending on the outcome of SSHRC grant application.

The deadline for receipt of paper proposals has been extended to September 30, 2012.  For further information and application forms, see http://csrs.uvic.ca/Programs/meicon-bc.php or contact Mona Goode goodems@uvic.ca.ca

UVic MEICON faculty group

This is the site of the UVic MEICON group. News and information from the University of Victoria will be moderated and posted on this site.
Please forward information that you would like posted to the UVic MEICON coordinator Mona Goode (goodems@uvic.ca).

• Mona Goode (History, MEICON Coordinator)
• Eva Baboula (History in Art)
• Greg Blue (History)
• Martin Bunton (History)
• Marcus Milwright (History in Art)
• Peyman Vahabzadeh (Sociology)
• Andrew Rippin (History)
• Anthony Welch (History in Art)

Join MEICON. You may join the MEICON listserve by emailing meiconbc@sfu.ca. For more information visit the home site at MEICON-BC.