Colombo, Sri Lanka – June 2026 – The Ibn Battuta International Centre for Intercultural Studies is pleased to announce the Ibn Battuta International Conference (IBIC 2026), a prestigious global academic gathering that will take place on 2–3 December 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The conference will be held under the theme “Trade, Travel, Tradition, Sacred Voices, and Scripts.”
Building upon the success of previous conferences hosted in Morocco, India, and Indonesia, IBIC 2026 continues its mission of fostering intercultural dialogue, scholarly collaboration, and intellectual exchange inspired by the journeys and writings of the renowned Muslim traveler, Ibn Battuta. The conference series has established itself as an important international platform for exploring historical and contemporary connections among cultures, civilizations, and knowledge traditions.
Colombo has been selected as the host city due to its significant historical role within the Indian Ocean world. For centuries, Sri Lanka served as a major center of maritime trade, pilgrimage, scholarship, and intercultural interaction connecting the Middle East, East Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. During his travels in the fourteenth century, Ibn Battuta visited the island and documented its religious diversity, coastal trade networks, royal courts, sacred sites, and vibrant cultural encounters.
The conference theme seeks to examine the interconnected histories of trade, travel, cultural mobility, sacred traditions, manuscripts, and oral heritage. Discussions will explore a broad range of subjects, including maritime trade networks, historical travel narratives, sacred music traditions, manuscript cultures, pilgrimage routes, intercultural exchanges, linguistic diversity, and the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
IBIC 2026 aims to provide an interdisciplinary platform for scholars, researchers, historians, linguists, artists, cultural practitioners, and students from around the world. Through keynote lectures, academic paper presentations, panel discussions, cultural performances, and networking sessions, participants will engage in meaningful dialogue on the historical and contemporary relationships that continue to shape societies across South Asia and the wider Indian Ocean region.
The organizing committee invites scholars and researchers to submit abstracts related to the conference theme and sub-themes. Abstracts of approximately 250 words should be submitted by 15 July 2026, while authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit full papers by 30 August 2026. All submissions are expected to demonstrate original research and interdisciplinary engagement relevant to the conference objectives.
The conference is expected to generate new international academic collaborations, strengthen research partnerships, promote cultural heritage awareness, and contribute to the preservation of sacred traditions, oral heritage, and manuscript cultures. By bringing together scholars and cultural practitioners from diverse backgrounds, IBIC 2026 seeks to deepen intercultural understanding and create lasting scholarly networks for future generations.
As the fourth edition of this distinguished international conference series, IBIC 2026 offers a valuable opportunity for academics, researchers, students, and cultural practitioners to share knowledge, present innovative research, and contribute to ongoing conversations about trade, travel, spirituality, cultural traditions, and intercultural exchange across the Indian Ocean world.
Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 July 2026
Conference Dates: 2–3 December 2026
Venue: Colombo, Sri Lanka
