Admission requirements
Admission to the MA Asian Studies (research) or another relevant Research MA. Students from other (regular MA) programmes are kindly referred to the course description of the regular MA course.
MA Asian studies students (60 EC, 120 EC or research) will be given priority in enrollment if demand exceeds the available places.
Description
This seminar explores the futures imagined, contested, and pursued by Muslim communities across Asia. We explore how Muslims in diverse Asian contexts articulate political aspirations, spiritual horizons, and their visions for their role in an unequal, interconnected, and technologically advanced world. Through an interdisciplinary lens—drawing on anthropology, religious studies, and postcolonial thought—we will analyze case studies ranging from state-led Islamic modernity projects to grassroots futurisms, diasporic visions, and artistic or theological imaginations of what is to come. Central to our inquiry are questions such as: What does the future look like from the standpoint of Muslim Asia? How are visions of the future shaped by colonial legacies, geopolitical precarity, inter-religious dialogue, and global Islamophobia? What roles do tradition, history, eschatology, and utopianism play in Muslims’ aspirations for themselves and their communities? Students in this class will engage critically with a range of different media from different contexts while developing their own research projects that explore the stakes of Muslim futures in Asia and beyond.
Course objectives
Students who have successfully completed this course will have attained the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge and understanding:
Foundational knowledge of the history and development of the study of Islam in the Asian context, including the legacies of colonialism and Orientalist scholarship
Knowledge of research in social sciences and humanities disciplines that is focused on Islam and grounded in Asian Studies
Knowledge of key concepts, terminologies, and contemporary approaches relevant to the contemporary study of Islam in Asia
Knowledge of cross-regional dynamics, parallels, and differences
Applying knowledge and understanding:
Competent use of key concepts and research methods in the study of Islam in Asia
Skills in locating, retrieving, assessing, and using both primary and secondary sources for the purpose of original research
The ability to design, conduct, and complete original research on an aspect of Islam in Asia
Communication:
- The ability to process, understand, and reproduce information on Islamic Asia in both written and oral form
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Attendance and active participation are obligatory for lectures and seminars. Students are required to prepare for and attend all sessions. The convenor needs to be informed without delay of any classes missed for a good reason (e.g. illness, family issues, problems with residence permits). In these cases, it is up to the discretion of the convener of the course whether or not the missed class will have to be made up with an extra assignment. The maximum of such absences during a semester is two. Being absent without notification and/or more than two times can result in exclusion from the term end exams and a failing grade for the course.
Assessment method
Assessment and weighing
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Participation in class discussion | 10% |
| Moderating discussion (in groups of 2-3) | 20% |
| Weekly reading responses, 300-500 words (excluding references), summarizing key points of readings and linking them to a primary source (newspaper article, website, social media post) | 30% |
| Final paper of 3000 words | 40% |
To complete the final mark, please take notice of the following:
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Attendance
Attendance and participation are obligatory for seminars and language courses. Students are required to attend all sessions. The lecturers need to be informed without delay of any classes missed for a good reason (i.e. due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, family issues, problems with residence permits, the Dutch railways in winter, etc.).
Absence without notification in 3 or more of classes without extenuating circumstances will result in a failing attendance grade.
Late papers
Students must complete all papers and assignment(s) on time.
Late submissions for all written work for the first or second attempt will result in a deduction of marks as follows:
1-24 hours late = -0.5;
24-48 hours late = -1.0;
48-72 hours late = -1.5;
Submissions more than 72 hours late, including weekends, will receive a failing grade of 1,0 for the assignment.
If students face extenuating circumstances they can request an extension by contacting the Board of Examiners.
[lecturers should specify the date and time a paper is due]
Word limits
A mark deduction applies to papers which exceed the world limit or word range specified in the course description. Students who exceed this word limit will receive an automatic penalty of 0.5 mark deduction.
AI and paper writing
The program reserves the right to assess students’ papers in form of an oral exam to ensure they conducted the research and authored their paper.
Resit
Only if the total weighted average is insufficient (5.49 or lower) and the insufficient grade is the result of an insufficient mark for the final paper, a resit is possible in the form of a new paper (40%). If the weekly responses are also insufficient the resit paper will replace the web post and paper (70%).
In those cases the lecturer of the course may assign a (new) topic and give a new deadline.
A resit of the other partial assessments is not possible.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange
Registration À la carte education and, Contract teaching: not applicable.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Herta Mohr