The first World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies was initiated by the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and held as a joint congress of the European Association for Middle Eastern Studies (EURAMES), the Association Française pour l’Etude du Monde Arabe et Musulman (AFEMAM), the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES), the German Middle East Studies Association (DAVO) and the Italian Società por gli Studi sul Medio Oriente (SeSaMO).
It was supported by Middle Eastern studies associations in North America, the Middle East and 14 other member countries of EURAMES, comprising about 3000 scholars.
- The Institute of Ismaili Studies contributed a two-part panel, entitled “Multidimensional Approaches to Shi'i Studies”, exploring perspectives in Shi‘i Studies.
- Chair: Farhad Daftary Head, Department of Academic Research and Publications, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
- “Imam ‘Ali and the Remembrance of God”
- Reza Shah-KazemiResearch Associate, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
- “The Ijaza Kabira of Abdallah al-Musawi al-Jaza’iri al-Tustari (1112/1701-1173/1759-60)”
- Sabine Schmidtke Professor, Institute for Islamic Studies, Free University of Berlin
- “Exegetical Discourse on the Word ‘Shi‘a’”
- Arzina R. Lalani Research Associate, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
- “The Relationship between Chief Qadi and Chief Da‘i under the Fatimids”
- Paul E. Walker Independent Scholar Discussant: Paul E. Walker Independent Scholar