Award Ceremony for the 2026 Thesis Prizes in Islam, the Middle East and the Muslim World
Promoting excellence in early-career research
The Scientific Interest Group on the Middle East and Muslim Worlds (GIS MOMM) and theInstitute for the Study of Islam and Muslim Societies (IISMM) organise the annual Islam, Middle East and Muslim Worlds Thesis Awards. These awards recognise young PhD graduates who have successfully defended their theses in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and highlight research that is particularly innovative, both in terms of its methods and theoretical approaches and in its use of original sources.
For the 2026 edition, 83 applications were assessed. Following the jury’s deliberations, five thematic prizes were awarded, along with the two general prizes from the GIS MOMM and the IISMM, and two special mentions.
The Inalco Foundation is a partner in this edition and is involved in the presentation of several prizes, including the Prize for a Francophone Thesis, the Prize for a Thesis in Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures, and the Minou Amir-Aslani Prize. It is also associated with the RAAMI Prize for Research in Art History and Archaeology of the Islamic Worlds.
The ceremony will also mark the conclusion of the HoRÉA-Maghreb 3D Doctoral Academy (2024–2026) and the presentation of certificates of attendance to the members of its second cohort. The programme also includes the presentation of the Michel Seurat Prize, designed to support a young researcher whose current thesis stands out in particular for its originality, excellence and strong fieldwork.
First edition of the Minou Amir-Aslani Prize
Established in memory of Minou Amir-Aslani, the foundation that bears her name carries on the legacy of a woman who embodied quiet strength, the passing on of knowledge and high standards. The Minou Amir-Aslani Foundation is delighted to contribute to the development of Iranian studies through a strategic partnership with the Inalco Foundation, in keeping with this spirit: to encourage knowledge, intercultural dialogue and bridges between the past and the future.
This year marks the first edition of the Minou Amir-Aslani Prize for Research on the Iranian Worlds, awarded, by a tied vote of the jury, to Guillaume Beaud and Werner Gaboreau.
Programme
5.00 pm – Opening of the ceremony
Anne-Claire Legendre, President of the Arab World Institute
Frédéric Abécassis, Director of GIS MOMM
Philippe Pétriat, Director of the IISMM
Hubert Bazin, President of the Inalco Foundation
5.15 pm – Closing ceremony for the 2024–2026 cohort of the HoRÉA-Maghreb 3D Doctoral Academy
Presentation by Iyas Hassan, Choukri Hmed, Antoine Perrier and Éric Vallet, followed by the awarding of certificates.
5.30 pm – Presentation of the Michel Seurat Prize
By Charlotte Courreye, chair of the jury.
5.45 pm – Presentation of the Islam, the Middle East and the Muslim Worlds (IMOMM) thematic awards
Mohammed Arkoun Prize in Islamic Studies
Prize for the best Francophone thesis
Prize for the best thesis in the languages and literatures of the Middle
Minou Amir-Aslani Prize for Research on Iranian Worlds
RAAMI Prize for Research in Art History and Archaeology of the Islamic Worlds
7.20 pm – IMOMM General Awards Ceremony
IISMM Prize
GIS MOMM Prize
7.50 pm – Reception
The programme and list of speakers are detailed in the official ceremony programme.
