Events
Lectures, conferences, symposia, a film series, field-trips and special events—these are some of the channels through which knowledge generated from CSRS research is shared with the community. With few exceptions, CSRS events are free and open to all members of the public and university community.
Our lecture formats:
- Scholars in the Square lectures (SITS-see the lecture line up below) - this is a CSRS original lecture format fostering more conversations among the attendees.
- Special Events - we host many events by collaborating with inside and outside the CSRS community. Visit Special Events such as these for more.
- Distinguished Lectures in Islam (DLI)
- Other special events including "Can We Talk?"
How to attend our lectures
Option 1: Online: click the button below from 5 minutes prior to the lecture to attend it online. No registration is required.
Option 2: In-person: sign up for our weekly CSRS Lecture Notices from the button below to receive the in-person attendance registration information.
The CSRS Weekly Lecture Series
September-December 2025
These CSRS lectures feature our fellows and special guests. They are held from 5:00-6:00 pm Pacific Time on Thursdays throughout the academic year, with the exception of some special lectures (see dates below with an asterisk* for exceptions).
Scholars in the Square (SITS): Our Public Lecture Format
We are pleased to highlight the research of our fellows and visiting scholars in our Scholars in the Square public lecture series. The lectures are held weekly in an intimate venue, with a maximum audience of 20 people. The unique format includes a 20 minute lecture, a 20 minute discussion with a designated dialogue partner, and 20 minutes of audience Q&A. This format helps us to share with the world the very best of the CSRS: collegial conversations that build bridges between specialists and broadly curious members of the public.
The general public is welcome to join us online. To join the lecture online, click the button below. Please sign in at least five minutes prior to the lecture.
All lectures include audience Q&A. Click the lecturer's name to see more details.
An invitation for in-person attendance for each lecture is sent to subscribers of our Lecture Notices. Please sign up from the green button above.
Video/audio recordings of our past lectures are available on , , and page.
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Sept. 18th, 2025 |
Rachel Brown | Beyond Food Fights: Religion, Food, Power and Politics |
| Sept. 25th, 2025 | Ken Derry | Religion 101: How do we introduce students to the study of religion? |
| Oct. 9th, 2025 | John Thatamanil | The Enlightenment: Cause or Cure for the Post-Truth Crisis? |
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Oct. 16th, 2025 |
Shemine Gulamhusein | Navigating Muslimhood in Sport and Recreational Spaces |
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Oct. 23rd, 2025 |
Matt Sheedy | Muslims in North American Popular Culture |
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Oct. 30th, 2025 |
Brian Pollick | The Shape of the World: Knowledge Visualization in the Medieval Ages |
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Nov. 6th, 2025 |
Mélisande Séguin | Indigenous Campesino Resistance to Extractivism in Guatemala |
| Nov. 13th, 2025 | Sarah Kathleen Johnston |
John Albert Hall Lecture Understanding and Valuing Occasional Religious Practice |
| Nov. 20th, 2025 | Sarah Roberts | Occult Visions: Surrealism, Spirituality and Resistance in Film |
| Nov. 27th, 2025 | Martin Adam | What is Life? Buddhist Reflections on Artificial Consciousness |
The CSRS Weekly Lecture Series
January-April 2026
These CSRS lectures feature our fellows and special guests. They are held from 5:00-6:00 pm Pacific Time on Thursdays throughout the academic year, with the exception of some special lectures (see dates below with an asterisk* for exceptions).
Scholars in the Square (SITS): Our New Public Lecture Format
We are delighted to launch the brand-new Scholars in the Square format in September 2023. These lectures will be held in an intimate venue, with a maximum in-person audience of 20 people (except for special lectures. Please email us at csrs@uvic.ca if you are interested in attending in person). The speaker will present their lecture in 20 minutes, after which the CSRS director and an interlocutor with expertise in the speaker’s topic will engage the speaker in conversation for 20 minutes. The “Square” in our new format refers to the public square, and so in the final 20 minutes of the event, we will take questions from the other people in the room and from an online audience. The talks will then be posted on our website. This format helps us to share with the world the very best of the CSRS: collegial conversations that build bridges between specialists and broadly curious members of the public.
The general public is welcome to join us online. To join the lecture online, click the button below. Please sign in at least five minutes prior to the lecture.
Click here to attend the lecture (will become available in January)
Click speakers' names for more details. Click to access our YouTube channel for recordings.
All lectures include audience Q&A.
Video/audio recordings of our past lectures are available on , , and page.
| Jan. 15th, 2026 | Todd Klaiman | Buddhist Relics and Beauty Pageant Winners in Cold War Asia |
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Jan. 22nd, 2026 |
Bouchra Mossmann | North of Ordinary: Muslim Lives in the Canadian Arctic |
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Jan 29th, 2026 |
Peter Evans | Imitation and Scapegoat in Coast Salish Myth |
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Feb. 5th, 2026 |
Youssef Benzouine | Muslim Men in Quebec: Reflections |
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Feb. 12th, 2026 |
Megan Swift | The Revival of Indigenous Religions in Russia |
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Feb. 26th 2026 |
Suad Ahmed | Through our Eyes: The Social and Emotional Lives of Somali Muslim Youth |
| March 5th, 2026 | Jessica Fichtner-Nolin | Un-silencing Voices of Religious Trauma |
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March 12th, 2026 |
Sarah Madsen | Anti-Populist Conspiracy Theories during the Popish Plot Crisis |
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March 19th, 2026 |
Distinguished Lecture in Islam | TBA |
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March 26th, 2026 |
Melanie Siebert and Neil Griffin | Artist-in-Residence Gala |
The CSRS Weekly Lecture Series - April-May 2025
These CSRS lectures feature our fellows and special guests. They are held from 12:00-1:00 pm Pacific Time on Wednesdays (unless otherwise noted). The location of the lecture is available upon registration for limited in-person audience. The general public is welcome to join us online without registration. Simply click the lecture attendance button on top of this events page to do so. Please sign in at least five minutes prior to the lecture. Click lecturers' names to see more details.
Scholars in the Square (SITS): Our Public Lecture Format
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April 26th, 2025 9:30am-3:30pm Saturday |
John Albert Hall Symposium Christ Church Cathedral |
John Albert Hall Lecture series Where We Live: Critical Perspectives on Our Natural and Built Environments |
| April 30th, 2025 | Zaheera Jinnah |
Belief and Belonging among Muslims in British Columbia |
| May 7th, 2025 | Dietrich Jung |
Arctic Muslims. Studying Religion in Deep Snow |
| May 14th, 2025 | Laura Gillis |
YouTube History: The Emissaries of Divine Light |
| May 21th, 2025 | Bob Gibbs |
Disagree for God's Sake: The Idea of Discord in the University |
| May 28th, 2025 | Françoise Keating |
Artful Dealings: The Noble Vision of René d’Anjou |
