The Institute for the Humanities at the University of Illinois at Chicago seeks to foster an intellectually vital, interdisciplinary community of scholars working at one of the nation’s most exciting urban research centers. As the hub of humanities scholarship on campus, the Institute provides a forum for intellectual exchange among faculty and students at UIC and other colleges and universities in the region. At its base, the Institute for the Humanities highlights the importance of public higher education and provides a space for the vigorous debate and exchange so crucial in a democratic society.
The UIC Institute for the Humanities will celebrate its thirty-sixth year of operation in 2018-2019. Founded in 1983, the Institute is one of the oldest humanities centers in the United States. Over the years the Institute has become the major hub for all humanities activities on campus creating an intellectual space in which faculty and graduate students can broaden their perspectives, conduct original research, and engage with scholars and communities both in and outside the university.
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The Refugee Crisis Conference Oct. 24-25
The world is in the grip of an international refugee crisis. Over 68 million people have been displaced from their homes due to war, state collapse, persecution, terrorism, poverty, and climate catastrophes. While these numbers have never been greater, many refugee destination countries have responded with restrictionist and anti-immigrant policies. Those seeking refuge are treated as unwelcome intruders and are subject to marginalization, dehumanizing detention, or deportation. The precarious position of refugees is further exacerbated by unstable conditions in host states. This conference gathers scholars, activists, and artists to examine the refugee crisis from a comparative regional perspective. Through panels, storytelling, lectures, and performances, it will interrogate the conditions that have led to the crisis; critically examine existing legal definitions of refugees; analyze responses to the crisis by governments, organizations, activists, and refugees; and explore new strategies for protecting and accommodating precarious populations.
The conference is organized by Andreas Feldmann, Lynette Jackson, and Sultan Tepe, in a collaboration with the Institute for the Humanities. More detailed information on speakers and schedule will be announced.
Upcoming Events
Religion in the World Working Group
Race and US Empire Book discussion
Engaged Humanities Working Group
Discussion of Elizabeth Anderson’s book Private Government: How Employers Rule Our Lives (and Why We Don’t Talk about It)
Ta-Nehisi Coates: The Water Dancer
Russian Formalism: The Theory of Literary Estrangement and the Estrangement of Social Practices
Digital Explorations of U.S. Sleep Culture in the Modern Age
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