Thanks to funding from the Oxford-Tunisia Hazem Ben Gacem programme, the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, in collaboration with the Association Tunisienne d'Etudes sur les Lumières (ATEL) and the Association Culturelle de Kairouan (ACK) held a very successful conference in Kairouan on 22-23 April 2026. "Le Maghreb et les Lumières: Interactions, Convergences, Résistances", convened by Professor Catriona Seth (Oxford), Professor Halima Ouanada (Tunis El Manar/ATEL) and Dr Anissa Zrigue (Kairouan/ACK) brought together academics from across Tunisia and beyond including specialists from a wide variety of disciplines (Literature, Philosophy, History, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology etc.). The rich discussions will serve as the starting point for future collaborations and the proceedings will be published. A cross-disciplinary doctoral seminar for students from different Tunisian universities was heralded as a major milestone by all involved.
Catriona Seth says: "This was a fascinating opportunity for all involved to exchange views and discover new and exciting research in different fields. I look forward to future collaborations between Oxford and my Tunisian colleagues."