OPEN CIVILIZATION THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL IBN KHALDUN SYMPOSIUM

CALL FOR PAPERS
OPEN CIVILIZATION
Encounters, Differences and Uncertainties
THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL IBN KHALDUN
SYMPOSIUM
19-21 May 2017, Istanbul
Deadline for Abstracts: 6 March 2017
(Languages of the Symposium are Turkish, Arabic, and English)
http://symposium.ihu.edu.tr/index.en.php

OPEN CIVILIZATION
Encounters, Differences and Uncertainties
It is not possible for a civilization to live by isolating itself from the influence of other
civilizations in our day. Humanity is living within an integrated “open civilization” with no
borders. Every civilization has become party to obligatory or voluntary interaction with other
civilizations. Similarly, states are also in a relation of high interdependency with each other.
This state of “encounter”, where the relations among “different” cultures and civilizations,
states, social groups and individuals are intensifying, paves the way for civilizations to
intertwine rapidly. When we consider the speed and dynamism with which these interactions
are taking place, we see that this era is different from periods of great interweavings in
history. This atmosphere offers a new basis for coexistence which we can call “multicivilizational
society” or “open civilization”, as people from different civilizations don’t live
in different geographies any longer but they share the same space together. The cities are
getting more cosmopolitan. People from very different religions, civilizations and cultural
spheres are living side by side in the same country, same system, same institution or the same
neighbourhood. Moreover, this state of co-existence is getting reflected on all walks of life
such as education, economy and politics. This state of affairs brings about “encounters,
differences and uncertainties”.
The inevitable question becomes: How are relations among people who are from different
civilizations that encounter and blend into each other going to be regulated within this “state
of open civilization”? While such “encounters and uncertainties” offer new opportunities on
the one hand, they can also be grounds for various conflicts on the other. It is possible to say
that the most important challenge that all civilizations and countries face is reading these
ambiguities and differences correctly, transforming the opportunities into action, and
preventing possible conflicts; in short being able to manage this diversity.
Although we are confronted with a new situation in terms of its scale, speed and dynamism,
different cultures and civilizations co-existing in an intertwined way is not a new
phenomenon. In order to benefit from the opportunities created by ambiguities and differences
and to cope with the threats, it is essential to make recourse to humanity’s heritage of

knowledge and wisdom. In this respect, there is no doubt that Ibn Khaldun is one of the most
significant thinkers to take into consideration. Within the framework of “Encounter,
Difference and Uncertainty” we want to make use of Ibn Khaldun’s approach, and using
theories, concepts and methods, to contribute, bringing together as many different experiences
as possible, to the effort of understanding and explaining the reality we live in. The principle
theme of the Fourth International Ibn Khaldun Symposium, organized by Ibn Khaldun
University this year, will be Open Civilization: Encounters, Differences and
Uncertainties.
Symposium Topics
We assume that the significance of Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah and its place in intellectual
history have been sufficiently stressed both in the Islamic and the Western world for the last
two centuries. However, we observe that the living aspects of Ibn Khaldun’s thought which
are relevant to today’s circumstances have not yet been studied extensively. Therefore, in this
series of symposiums we encourage studies that focus on reflections of Ibn Khaldun’s
thoughts on today’s world and the applied analysis of his model. In this framework, the
symposium is open to academic contributions mainly related, but not strictly limited to the
topics below.
Through a Khaldunian approach;
• Method in social sciences and humanities
o Unit of analysis, level of analysis
o Historiography
o Eurocentrism and Orientalism
• Knowledge, science and education
o New developments in kalam, fiqh, ijtihad, tafseer and other understanding
methods
o Education of the individual in the world of “open civilization”
• Society and culture
o Cultural pluralism
o Identity and asabiyyah
o Human mobility such as migration and asylum

o Social media and collective action groups
• Political issues
o Justice, law and legitimacy
o Relation between morality and politics
o Constitution, political regimes, democracy, elections
o Citizenship, belonging and asabiyyah
• International relations
o Great powers politics and transformation
o Future of US, EU and MENA
o Human mobility
o Global governance
o Sectarian tensions and politics
• Urban policies
• Economic-political issues
o Increasing inequalities and injustice in resource and income distribution
o Social politics issues
• Business administration
o Family companies
Round table meeting
Application of Khaldunian model in current issues.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Abstracts should be uploaded on http://symposium.ihu.edu.tr/application.php
Before uploading the abstracts on the link above please make sure that the following
information is ready with you.
1- Participant’s first and second name, institution of affiliation and title, e-mail address, phone
numbers
2- Paper abstract of 350 words
3- Participant’s short bio stating their research interests and latest publications (to be added as
a separate word document).

LANGUAGE OF THE SYMPOSIUM
The papers can be presented in Turkish, Arabic and English.
There will be simultaneous translation.
CALENDAR
6 March 2017: Deadline for the submission of abstracts
13 March 2017: Announcement of accepted applications
8 May 20017: Deadline for the submission of presentations
19-21 May 2017: Symposium
PROGRAM
The symposium will start on 19 May 2017 Friday and close on 21 May 2017 Sunday.
EXPENSES
Transportation and accommodation will be covered for the authors of the accepted papers. For
detailed information, you may contact the symposium secretary.
SYMPOSIUM BOOK
Presentations will be published in the form of academic articles in an edited volume following
the Symposium.
ACADEMIC COMMITTEE
Recep ŞENTÜRK (Chair, İbn Haldun University)
Sayid Farid ALATAS (National University of Singapore)
Mürteza BEDİR (İstanbul University)
miriam cooke (Duke University)
Heba Raouf EZZAT (İbn Haldun University)
Tahsin GÖRGÜN (29 Mayıs University)
Bruce LAWRENCE (Duke University)

ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE
Vahdettin IŞIK (Chair, İbn Haldun University)
Halil İbrahim ALEGÖZ (İbn Haldun University)
Nurullah ARDIÇ (İstanbul Şehir University)
Ercüment ASİL (İbn Haldun University)
Vehbi BAYSAN (İbn Haldun University)
Sönmez ÇELİK (İbn Haldun University)
Mudar Haj FARESS (İbn Haldun University)
Nagihan HALİLOĞLU (İbn Haldun University)
Ebubekir KALKAN (İbn Haldun University)
M. Akif KAYAPINAR (İstanbul Şehir University)
Necmettin KIZILKAYA (İstanbul University)
Önder KÜÇÜKURAL (İbn Haldun University)
Lütfi SUNAR (İstanbul University)
CONTACT
Web site: http://symposium.ihu.edu.tr/index.en.php
Email: ibnkhaldunsociety@gmail.com
Phone: +90 212 582 9070 Ext.: 2019