Keynote Speaker - James Robinson

James Robinson is a University Professor at the Harris School for Public Policy and Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago and recipient of the 2024 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. He studied economics at the London School of Economics, the University of Warwick and Yale University and is co-author with Daron Acemoglu of Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, Why Nations Fail, (which has been translated into 51 languages including Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Mongolian and Somali), and The Narrow Corridor. His next book, on Sub-Saharan Africa, entitled Wealth in People will be published in 2026. He is currently conducting research in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Nigeria where he is a Fellow at the Institute of African Studies at the University of Nigeria-Nsukka. He taught every summer for 28 years at the University of the Andes in Bogota and now teaches research design in the pan-African collaborative PhD program in economics run by the African Economic Research Consortium in Nairobi.

Program Submission

The Program Chair invites submissions of papers that explore the intersection of religion and culture across a range of Social Sciences disciplines, including Economics, Political Science, Sociology, and Anthropology.

Submission Deadline: November 7, 2025 [ Submission Link ]

Workshop details

This one-day workshop will allow a select group of graduate students to explore the interdisciplinary study of the economics of religion. Participants will have the chance to receive comprehensive instruction from leaders in the field. After the workshop, students will attend and participate in the ASREC conference, which will cover recent research in the field.

Meals, receptions, and social events will be organized to encourage networking between participants and established scholars. Faculty leaders will include Daniel Hungerman (Notre Dame), Avital Livny (University of Illinois Urbana Champaign), Jared Rubin (Chapman University), and Jonathan Schulz (George Mason University).

The chosen participants will be awarded a travel grant covering an economy flight, transportation, hotel, and meals. If you are an F1 student on an immigration status, kindly consult with your designated school official to verify your eligibility for a travel grant payment. Applications should include a CV and your reason for applying.

Application Submission

Submit applications HERE by November 14, 2025.