IAHR Regional & Special Conferences

Since the XIXth Quinquennial World Congress in Tokyo, March 24-30, 2005, on "Religion: Conflict and Peace" hosted by the Japanese Association for Religious Studies, the IAHR has sponsored the following Regional and Special conferences:

1. Thessaloniki – Greece, June 2-5, 2006. The Greek Society for the Study of Culture and Religion (GSSCR):  “Society in Transition. The Interdisciplinary Study of Religion in Modern Reality”. An IAHR special conference.
2. Bucharest – Romania, September 20-23, 2006. The Romanian Association for the History of Religions (RAHR): "Religious History of Europe and Asia". An IAHR special conference.
3. Stockholm-Sweden, April 19-22, 2007. The Swedish Association for the Study of Comparative Religion (SSRF): "Borders and Boundaries: New challenges in the academic study of religion". An IAHR special conference.
4.  Bangkok-Thailand, May 24 – 27, 2007. The South and Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion (SSEASR): ”Syncretism in South and South East Asia: Adoption and Adaptation" . An IAHR regional conference.
5. Gabarone, Botswana, July 8-12, 2007. The African Association for the Study of Religions (AASR): ”Health, Healing and the Academic Study of Religion in Africa". An IAHR regional conference.
6. Ankara-Turkey, October 22-24, 2007. The Turkish Association for the History of Religions (TAHR): ”Secularism and religious resurgence”. An IAHR special conference.
7. Brno-Czech Republic, September 7-11, 2008.  The Czech Society for the Study of Religions (CSSR) & The European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR): "Time of Decline, Time of Hope : Scientific, Cultural and Political Engagement of the Study of Religions". An IAHR special conference.
8. Denpasar-Bali/Indonesia, June 3-6, 2009. The South and Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion (SSEASR): "Waters in South and Southeast Asia: Interaction of Culture and Religion".  An IAHR regional conference.
9. Messina-Sicily/Italy, September 14-17, 2009. The Società Italiana di Storia delle Religioni (SISR) & The European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR): "Religion in the History of European Culture." An IAHR special conference.

The IAHR Executive Committee wishes to express its gratitude to all the colleagues whose engagement and hard work have made these conferences possible and successful.

The IAHR Executive Committee( see the Minutes from the International Committee Meeting, September 10, Brno, p. 13) has decided not to encourage IAHR regional or special conferences in 2010 because we want to focus our attention and effort (and sparse funding) on the XXth IAHR World Congress in Toronto, August 15-21, 2010.

So far we have no requests from member societies and associations in regard to IAHR special and regional conferences in 2011 and onwards, but we know that the SSEASR plans to have its 4th Conference in Bhutan in June 2011.

The IAHR Executive Committee is pursuing the same strategy as previous Executive Committees in regard to implementing and furthering the global character of the IAHR, and we encourage national or regional member societies and associations that have not recently hosted IAHR special and regional conferences to consider this possibility.

Likewise, we would very much like to ensure that the locations in which we have the Executive Committee meetings as well as the meeting of the International Committee that normally takes place in between two World Congresses (e.g. in Brno 2008, and thus again in 2013) also reflects the global character of the IAHR constituency.     

I thus encourage national and regional member societies and associations that might be contemplating hosting an IAHR special or regional conference in 2011-2014 to approach the IAHR General Secretary at the earliest possible stages of consideration and planning. An early approach is also recommended in regard to the possibility of obtaining CIPSH grants, since the IAHR has to apply for such several years in advance.

As for the rules and regulations for IAHR special and regional conferences, see http://www.iahr.dk/conferences.html.

As for those conferences that are not IAHR special or regional conferences: you are most welcome to inform the General Secretary about these conferences, and if you want the IAHR to announce them at the IAHR website, please tell us. Likewise, cf. below, we will be pleased to receive information, also 'after the fact', about conference and other activities within the IAHR member societies and associations.