How Can Education in Muslim Societies Respond to Global Humanitarian Crises?

The world is currently witnessing a growing number of humanitarian crises driven by factors such as armed conflicts, climate change, economic instability, and political oppression. These crises result in large-scale displacement, food insecurity, human rights violations, and disrupted education systems. According to UNHCR data from 2023, the global refugee population has surpassed 114 million, with a significant proportion residing in Muslim-majority countries. Global power dynamics, economic disparities, and the misuse of technology compound many crises. For instance, while artificial intelligence (AI) poses risks, such as surveillance and algorithmic bias that can marginalize vulnerable populations, it offers potential solutions like crisis prediction and humanitarian aid optimization. This duality raises important ethical and practical questions for educators, academics, and policymakers who need to grapple with these fast-moving changes and their educational implications in the contemporary world.

Muslim societies have a rich intellectual tradition and a community-oriented ethos that have historically driven their responses to humanitarian challenges through education, social welfare, and ethical governance. Today, education scholars can play a vital role in shaping responses informed by Islamic ethical frameworks that are adaptable to global realities.

The Journal of Education in Muslim Societies (JEMS) invites scholars, researchers, and writers to participate in a three-day writing workshop to explore the key role of education in Muslim societies especially in addressing contemporary humanitarian crises. We welcome contributions from various disciplines within education such as technology, ethics, refugees and displacement, and policy.

Some of the areas of interest (but not limited to) are:

Curricular reform
Addressing humanitarian services in education and social systems
The role of AI in humanitarian crises
Digital colonialism and humanitarian aid
Social media and education
Neo-liberalism and crisis in Muslim education
Islamophobia and crisis perception
Inter-religious solidarity in the face of global crises
Refugee education and education in crises

Workshop Details:

The workshop will offer a retreat-style space for ten selected authors to critically examine issues relevant to this theme while also developing solutions. It will also offer a structured environment for participants to engage in deep reflection and peer collaboration as well as receive mentorship from experts and editorial feedback on their manuscripts. The journal will support the travel and accommodation of the selected participants.

Workshop Location (UPDATED):

Istanbul, Türkiye.

Workshop Schedule (December 5-7, 2025):

Day 1: Introductions and presentations
Day 2: Group work sessions with peer discussions and expert mentoring
Day 3: Editors' feedback and wrap-up

Submission Details:

Interested participants should submit an initial draft of their research studies (approximately between 3000- 4000 words). The selected papers will be developed further, and a final draft will be completed through peer and mentors’ feedback during the workshop.

When preparing your article, the structure of your paper must be evident. That is, to include the following:

Your submission needs to have all the components of a paper including:
Abstract (100 words)
Review of relevant literature
Research methods or conceptual framework
Findings/ recommendations.
Both empirical and conceptual papers are welcome.
Your paper can be a draft and can have incomplete sections. In this case, a plan for completing all sections should be incorporated and specified clearly including your timeline for completion.
Your submission should follow APA style of writing.

The deadline for submission to participate in the workshop is August 15, 2025. To submit, click here. For more information contact the co editors of the journal: ilham@iiit.org, nur@sun.ac.za and JEMS.ManagingEditor@iiit.org.

All accepted papers are expected to be submitted in their final versions to the Journal of Education in Muslim Societies (JEMS) to be published in a special issue of the journal.