Dean of College of Arts Participates in International Conference

Doctor Ismail Hamed, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the Islamic University of Minnesota - Main Center - participated in the activities of a prestigious international conference in African Studies held in the historic city of Toruń, Poland. He also delivered academic lectures to students of the Department of African Cultures at the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Warsaw in his capacity as a Visiting Scholar.

Dr. Hamed's participation came within the framework of the international conference known as the International African Congress, which is considered one of the leading scientific conferences specializing in African studies. The conference was attended by approximately 200 researchers and academics from various universities and research centers around the world, specializing in African cultural and social studies.

During the conference sessions, Dr. Ismail Hamed chaired one of the scientific panels and presented a research paper entitled “Some Aspects of Worshipping Ancestors in African Societies.” The paper addressed several manifestations of ancestor veneration in African societies, offering a scholarly perspective that highlights the cultural and anthropological dimensions of this phenomenon in a number of African contexts.

The conference was also attended by several ambassadors and diplomatic officials in Poland, including the Polish Ambassador to Cairo, as well as the ambassadors of Senegal, Algeria, and Uganda in Warsaw, in addition to a distinguished group of academics and researchers specializing in African studies.

In a related context, Dr. Ismail Hamed delivered a series of academic lectures to students of the Department of African Cultures at the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of Warsaw, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe, founded in 1816. The invitation was extended to him in his capacity as a Visiting Scholar, reflecting active academic engagement and fruitful knowledge exchange among scholars in the fields of humanities and cultural studies.

Dr. Ismail Hamed expressed his appreciation for this academic experience, describing it as valuable and significant in his scholarly career, as it provided opportunities for academic interaction and the exchange of expertise with researchers and students in an international academic environment. He also expressed his gratitude and appreciation to his academic colleagues, Professor Hannah Rubinkowska and Professor Nagmeldin Karamalla, acknowledging their support and scholarly cooperation in the success of this participation.