Third DCA Graduate Student Symposium

Call for Papers: The 3rd Annual DCA Social Sciences Graduate Student Symposium

Dear Graduate Students,

The Diyanet Center of America (DCA) is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual DCA Graduate Student Symposium, to be held May 2–3, 2026, at the Diyanet Center of America in Lanham, MD. Scheduled shortly after Ramadan 2026, this two-day conference brings together graduate students to present their work, engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, and build lasting scholarly networks.

The symposium is organized by the Diyanet Center of America (DCA) and the Diyanet Islamic Research Institute (DIRI), in academic collaboration with:

• Center for Islamic Studies (İSAM)
• Center for Islam in the Contemporary World (CICW) at Shenandoah University
• Istanbul University Institute of Islamic Studies

The symposium is generously supported by the Zakat Foundation of America Institute and Turkish Airlines, whose commitment to education, research, and community development makes this academic gathering possible.

The symposium forms part of DCA’s broader academic mission to promote rigorous social-science scholarship, highlight the contemporary relevance of Islamic thought, and foster cross-institutional intellectual exchange in the United States and internationally.

This year’s symposium will feature:

• Integrated thematic panels across the social sciences
• Roundtable discussions
• Assigned discussants providing structured feedback
• Hybrid participation options (in-person + online)
• Opportunities for cross-institutional collaboration

We particularly encourage graduate students from the DMV area to participate and contribute to regional academic engagement.

Symposium Themes

The symposium welcomes research presentations from all disciplines within the social sciences, including but not limited to:

• Religious Studies & Theology
• Sociology & Anthropology
• Political Science, Public Policy & Law
• History & Cultural Studies
• Islamic Art, Literature & Architecture
• Economics & Development Studies
• Psychology, Behavioral Sciences & Education
• Communication & Media Studies
• Language & Linguistics
• AI and Islamic Studies
• Interdisciplinary Studies

This year especially encourages interdisciplinary work that bridges Islamic Studies with broader social science methodologies and debates.

Submission Guidelines

Graduate students (MA & PhD) are invited to submit:

• Abstract (250–300 words) outlining their research topic, methodology, and key findings.
• Short bio (max 150 words)
• Institutional affiliation

Registration and Participation

Participation is free of charge. Presenters are encouraged to seek institutional travel support; however, DCA may provide accommodation and meal assistance for accepted speakers upon request and subject to availability.

Hybrid (online) participation is available for those unable to attend in person.

Symposium Language

The official language of the symposium is English. All presentations, papers, and panel discussions will be conducted in English.

Support the DCA Graduate Student Symposium

The DCA Graduate Student Symposium is free of charge for all participants and audience members. Donations help support accommodation, meals, and other symposium-related expenses.

Publication Opportunity

We plan to publish symposium proceedings featuring extended abstracts and selected papers presented at the symposium.

Symposium Committee

• Fatih Kanca – Associate Professor of Qur’anic Studies; Religious Services Counselor of Türkiye (Washington, DC); Chairman, Diyanet Center of America
• Mürteza Bedir - Professor of Islamic Law, President of ISAM - Centre for Islamic Studies
• Yaşar Çolak - Associate Professor of Islamic History - Centre for Islamic Studies
• Cemil Aydin – Professor of Global History, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
• Hayrettin Yücesoy – Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, History (Affiliate), and Global Studies, Washington University in St. Louis
• Ahmet T. Karamustafa – Professor & Chair, Department of History, University of Maryland
• Asım Yapıcı – Professor of Islamic Psychology, Ankara Social Sciences University
• Cengiz Şişman – Professor of History, College of Human Sciences and Humanities, University of Houston-Clear Lake
• İsmail Demirezen – Professor of Islamic Studies, Religious Services Attaché of Türkiye, Los Angeles
• Halide Rumeysa Küçükköner – Associate Professor, Faculty of Theology, Dicle University, Türkiye
• Ahmet Selim Tekelioğlu – Executive Director, CAIR-Philadelphia & Research Fellow, Abu Sulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies
• Huzeyfe Çeker – Associate Professor, Faculty of Theology, Necmettin Erbakan University; Religious Services Attaché of Türkiye, Chicago
• Mahmut Salihoğlu – Associate Professor, Faculty of Theology, Istanbul University; Religious Services Attaché of Türkiye, Houston
• Zainab Alwani – Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Howard University
• Mehmet Salih Sayilgan – Assoc. Prof., Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Georgetown University
• Ermin Sinanović – Executive Director, Center for Islam in the Contemporary World at Shenandoah University; Faculty Associate in Research, Cornell University
• M. Fatih Çalışır – Associate Professor of History, Istanbul University Institute of Islamic Studies
• Mehmet Emin Gulecyuz – Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Loyola University Chicago
• Hatice Koç Kanca – Assoc. Prof. of Islamic Psychology, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University
• Zishan Khalid Siddiqui – Assistant Professor of Medicine & Senior Physician Advisor, Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Ali Tos – Religious Services Attaché of Türkiye, New York
• Kadir Ustun – Executive Director, SETA Foundation at Washington, DC
• Ramazan Oduncu – PhD, Political Science, Indiana University
• Yusuf Yapıcı – Visiting Scholar, University of California, Davis; Research Assistant in Islamic Studies, Ondokuz Mayıs University
• Nisa Yağmur Yapıcı – Visiting Scholar, University of Maryland & Research Assistant in Islamic Studies, Kilis 7 Aralık University
• Okan Uzunöz – Visiting Scholar, Brandeis University & Research Assistant, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Department of Islamic History
• Aygün Yılmaz Uzunöz – Visiting Scholar, Harvard University; PhD Candidate, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Department of Islamic History
• Yılmaz Acar – Research Fellow, Diyanet Islamic Research Institute (DIRI), Diyanet Center of America

We look forward to welcoming you to the 3rd Annual DCA Social Sciences Graduate Student Symposium 2026!