Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani
School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Traditions and Transitions: New Directions in the Study of Islam and Society in South Asia

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Registration for the 2025 Annual HSS Conference for Non-Panelists

The 2025 Annual Conference of the Humanities and Social Sciences at LUMS will focus on Islam and society in historical and contemporary South Asia.

Conference Dates: April 18 - 20, 2025

As the most awaited and prestigious event of the Humanities and Social Sciences, this year’s annual conference centers on the theme of Islam and society in historical and contemporary South Asia. In an effort to think creatively about the region, the conference aims for a richer understanding of the variety of Islamic traditions and their lived expressions in South Asia, as well as the relationship between Islam and other religions.

At the heart of this project is our effort to bring together a diverse array of scholars from different disciplines, institutions, and perspectives to expand the current state of knowledge. We have curated a range of themes that address the intersections of Islam with history, politics, culture, and social life in South Asia. Moving beyond simplistic and essentialist readings of religious traditions that treat religious traditions as fixed or monolithic, scholars shall examine their evolution, adaptation, and contestation in response to intellectual, societal, and existential concerns. The conference will also engage with the broader question of how religious traditions intersect with colonial modernity and continue to shape and be shaped by postcolonial contexts.