celebration of the pisai's centenary

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PISAI

Roma 11-12 dicembre 2026

FOR A FUTURE OF EXCELLENCE: ONE HUNDRED YEARS
BETWEEN MISSION AND FORMATION

CALL FOR PAPERS

The year 2026 marks the centenary of the foundation of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), a training, study, and research institute dedicated to religious dialogue and a witness to a century of encounters, and which has always been linked to the activities of the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).
On the occasion of this important anniversary, PISAI is organising an international scientific conference dedicated to the past, present, and future of the Institute and invites researchers and scholars to submit original contributions.

 CONFERENCE TOPICS

1. The History: A Century-Long Journey
• The foundation in the Maghreb and the original mission
• The transfer of PISAI to Rome and the influence of the Second Vatican Council
• Commitment to Christian-Muslim Dialogue
• Events that have marked the life of the Institute and the Church

2. The Pillars of PISAI: Figures of Dialogue
• Profiles and contributions of key figures in interreligious dialogue: Maurice Borrmans, Robert Caspar, Étienne Renaud, Jean Fontaine, Michael Fitzgerald, etc.
• The legacy of the martyrs of Algeria, seven of whom had been students at PISAI
• Muslim-Christian relations as they are experienced in the field and their impact on the Institute’s studies

3. International Dimension: Publications, Conventions, and Research
• PISAI as an expression of the universal Church and a Centre of Excellence for training in Arabic and Islamic studies
• The important collaborative relationships the Institute has developed over time, with Western and Arab universities, networks and research centres (Gregorian University, Georgetown University, the Institut Français Centre Saint-Louis, IDÉO, ICM, Trends, CEI, Pluriel), and has also inspired various institutions in Africa (Dar Comboni in Cairo, IFIC in Bamako, IRDIS in Nairobi)
• The Chaire Méditerranée, religions et sociétés in the Mediterranean context, which is the result of a strategic partnership between PISAI and IFCSL, translating and putting into practice Pope Francis’ commitment to developing a dialogical theology in the Mediterranean context
• Academic journals as a reflection of the Institute’s scientific continuity: Islamochristiana, Études Arabes, Encounter

4. Teaching Today: Methods and Content Between Past and Future
• The approach to teaching Arabic, Islamic Sciences, and Christian-Muslim Relations
• The evolution of teaching methods and future prospects for specialised training
• The role of seminars, conferences, and study days as an integral part of PISAI’s pedagogy
• Enrolled students and alumni who have already completed their studies are invited to share their experiences, both during their studies and when the content they learned was put into practice as a lived experience
• The Library as the beating heart of PISAI. Since its foundation, it has specialised in works and journals on Arab and Islamic culture, in line with the Institute’s scientific approach to sources in their original language, without neglecting texts on Oriental studies and works dedicated to interreligious dialogue

For more information download Call for Papers