Thirteenth Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern and Studies

Call for papers - Thirteenth Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies

A new world order - a new Middle East?

Oslo, Norway, 25–27 September 2025

The Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies (NSMES) and the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS) at the University of Oslo are pleased to announce the call for papers for the Thirteenth Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies. The NSMES is an independent non-profit association for scholars in the Nordic countries working on the Middle East. It covers all subjects in the humanities and social sciences, from antiquity to the present day. The NSMES conference takes place every third year in one of the Nordic countries, and is also open for participants beyond the Nordic countries. This time the theme for the multidisciplinary conference is “A new world order - a new Middle East?” As usual, we also welcome all other papers dealing with Middle Eastern and Islamic studies.

The present decade represents a defining political moment for the world, and the Middle East and North Africa is deeply entangled in crucial processes. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and subsequent reactions from Europe and the United States have raised questions about the universality of international law, possibly marking a turning point for the Israel-Palestine conflict. Democracy is in decline globally, and populist leaders call for disintegration from international institutions and treaties. China is becoming a more powerful global actor, investing heavily in the Middle East and African countries, while the United States is losing its role as the world’s only superpower. Artificial intelligence poses global promises and threats, not least with respect to democracy, and Arab countries are investing heavily in the new technology. At the same time, the climate crisis is growing, posing a grave threat to all countries in the Middle East, as evidenced through recent floods in Libya, Oman, and UAE, while the necessary energy transition proves challenging for the petro-states of the region. The NSMES conference in 2025 spotlights the role that the MENA region plays in the ongoing changes, as well as the implications of these changes on politics, people, and everyday lives in the region.

We encourage papers that address different aspects of these developments, ranging from the religious, cultural, historical, and social to the political. In line with the NSMES’s role as a hub for Middle East and Islamic studies in the Nordic countries, we also welcome papers on other relevant themes pertinent to Middle Eastern and/or Islamic Studies, including the disciplines of Middle Eastern history, anthropology, archaeology, religion, politics, sociology, language, and literature. Membership in the Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies at the time of the conference is a prerequisite for attendance - membership can be purchased at the NSMES website.

Abstract Submission

The deadline for submitting proposals is 15 December 2024.

For a roundtable, please submit a proposal comprising an abstract of about 150 words on the theme as well as the names and institutional affiliations of convener, chair, and panelists. Submit your proposal here.

For pre-organized panels, please submit a proposal comprising the names and institutional affiliations of convener, chair, and panelists, as well as title and abstract of about 150 words for the panel itself and for each paper presented. A pre-organized panel consists of a chair plus 3–4 panelists with single papers. Submit your proposal here.

For individual papers please submit your name, institutional affiliation, contact information, the title, 3–5 keywords, and abstract of your paper not exceeding 150 words. Submit your proposal here.