Fifteenth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference

The Fifteenth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference will be hosted by the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Utrecht University from 5th to 8th August 2026. Bringing together some 400 speakers from a wide range of disciplines connected to the Persian and Iranian world, the conference creates a platform for presenting and discussing the most recent research in the field. 

The Beyond Sharia team is honoured to host this major international gathering at a particularly difficult moment for Iranian people, after the heartrending bloodbath of 8 and 9 January, and the US-Israeli war against Iran. Leading experts on Iran, the Iranian plateau, and the broader Persianate world come together to discuss topical issues such as the current situation in Iran, but also international relations, Persian literature and poetry, visual arts and iconography, music and performative arts, history and historiography, Iranian religions, mysticism (Sufism) and philosophy, and archeology.  

Scholars, students, and all those interested in Iranian Studies are more than welcome to join this international gathering.