Pluriel

University platform for research on Islam

Initiated by
the Federation
of European
Catholic
Universities

Supported by
the International
Federation
of Catholic
Universities

Who we are

Created in 2014 under the impetus of the Federation of European Catholic Universities, Pluriel is the university platform for research on Islam. It aims to foster the link between researchers working on Islam and Islamic-Christian dialogue in relation to Eastern Christians. It also develops exchanges between academics and actors in society, particularly at the level of companies, to decompartmentalize the fields of research on Islam and develop methodological tools capable of avoiding situations of blockage.

<em>Pluriel</em> is a scientific research space with an academic and societal dimension. It allows to connect research groups and teacher-researchers with structured research centers. It also promotes collaboration between researchers from European and Middle Eastern universities so that they can mutually benefit from the knowledge and academic approach methods in force.

Today, the network brings together 180 researchers, 14 active research groups and is represented in 27 countries. At the methodological level, the emphasis is on the organization of interdisciplinary working groups that bring together researchers from various institutions around a common theme.

In the process of cross-cultural and interreligious dialogue these encounters are essential, as they contribute to the removal of prejudices. The project is a vital challenge for Europe where millions of Muslims dwell and for the Middle East where millions of Christians live.


Digital platform

The Pluriel website is designed as a portal for information and resources concerning all member research groups and researchers.

Information relay: The site informs about news concerning the academic partners. It relays calls for contributions and events organised by partners or when network members are involved.

Available resources: The site also offers a library of resources available online: articles published by members in open access journals or authorized to be shared, presentation of publications, videos of conferences and interviews.

All the scientific content, gathered under the term "Resources", is indexed by keywords in order to facilitate thematic navigation.

The Youtube channel gathers the audiovisual productions of the platform: lectures of the congresses, messages of the coordination committee, presentations and retrospectives of the congresses, and since 2021 interviews with member researchers.


Congress

PLURIEL organizes an international congress every two years. It brings together researchers, converges perspectives and allows the development of new collaborations. It results in a publication of the proceedings in several languages in order to highlight the contribution of Catholic universities in Europe and Lebanon to issues related to Islam and Islamic-Christian dialogue in the European and Middle Eastern space.

"The first congress was held in 2016 at the Catholic University of Lyon around the theme ""Islam in the plural. Thought, faith, society"". The second was held in 2018 at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome around the theme ""Islam and belongings"". The third congress was exceptionally extended over 2021 and 2022 due to the health crisis. Its theme ""Islam and otherness"" was approached in two stages: a webinar on April 13, 2021, then a symposium and study stay in May 2022 in Beirut. The fourth Pluriel congress was held in Abu Dhabi from February 4 to 7, 2024, on the theme ""Islam and fraternity"", five years after the signing in this same city of the ""Document on human fraternity for world peace and living together""."


Team

A coordination committee ensures the development of PLURIEL's activities and its scientific orientation. It meets twice a year in a European or Middle Eastern city. It monitors ongoing projects, coordinates new contacts and prepares the biennial congress.

The team is composed of the general coordinator who is mandated by the FUCE (Michel Younès), a scientific delegate (Mohamed-Ali Mostfa), and nine members elected for a three-year term by the general assembly of group referents.

The administration, logistics, communication and production of video programmes are handled by a team integrated into the Research Unit of the Catholic University of Lyon. It is composed of Lorraine Guitton (management assistant), Raphaël Georgy (research assistant), Antoine Meyer (digital communication officer), and Gaëlle Hartmann (training development officer).

Dirk Ansorge – Frankfurt

Beate Bengard – Geneva

Alessandro Ferrari - Como and Varese

Jaime Flaquer Garcia – Granada - Europe

Renée Hattar – Amman

Claudio Monge – IDEO Istanbul

Ali Mostfa – Lyon
Scientific Delegate

Michaela Quast-Neulinger – Innsbruck

Wael Saleh – Montreal, Abu Dhabi

Wasim Salman - Rome

Guy Sarkis – Beirut

Deputy General Coordinator

Emmanuel Pisani – IDEO

General Coordinator

Michel Younès

Collaborators

Lorraine Guitton A graduate in law from the Panthéon-Assas University, Lorraine Guitton is an executive assistant for Pluriel, within the vice-rectorate in charge of research at the Catholic University of Lyon.

Raphaël Georgy A graduate of the Sciences Po Paris School of Journalism and in theology from the Institut supérieur d'études œcuméniques de Paris, Raphaël Georgy has been in charge of video strategy since December 2020. Since December 2022, he has taken over from Antoine Meyer in digital development.

Previous collaborators

Antoine Meyer Communication officer from 2018 to 2022, Antoine Meyer was at the forefront of the development of the website, the resource portal of Pluriel, the launch of its Arabic version and the support of the congresses in Lyon, Rome and Beirut.

Vianney Vandrely Former assistant coordinator

Coordination committee