International

For PhDs and post­docs: Course on re­li­gion, con­flict and rec­on­cil­i­a­tion

The topics of religion, conflict and reconciliation open a truly interdisciplinary field for young researchers. Photo: Geert Van Oyen

Circle U. invites early career researchers to explore the intricate relations between religion, conflict and reconciliation through an interdisciplinary lens. The course combines four online sessions and an intensive in-person week in Belgium (18 through 22 May 2026).

Religion, conflict, and reconciliation are often entangled with deep taboos. This interdisciplinary programme invites early career researchers to explore how religious traditions, texts and communities engage with, resist, or perpetuate such taboos in conflicted societies. Through a combination of scholarly presentations, workshops, peer feedback, and thematic seminars, participants will examine how religion can both fuel division and foster repair.

The questions addressed touch on themes such as: gender studies (norms, authority, resistance), arts and narratives as ways to mediate trauma, memory and post-conflict justice, sacred spaces and symbols in ecological or political struggles, forms of dissent (feminist, queer, ecological), care ethics and empathy within communities, and the role of power, silence, and institutional dynamics in reconciliation.

A limited number of travel grants is available. The deadline for applications is 15 December.

Find out more and apply

07.11.2025