CALL FOR PAPERS

ASREC Europe 2026 Conference

University of Warwick

Venice, Italy

Friday/Saturday 25/26 September, 2026

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The Association for the Study of Religion and Culture (ASREC) is calling for papers from researchers, scholars, and graduate students in the fields of religion, economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology. We seek innovative research and insights into the economic and cultural dimensions of religion. This is an opportunity to present your research, engage with keynote speakers from top academic institutions, and participate in workshops focusing on the economics of religion.

The Program Chairs will consider papers on religion and culture from across the Social Sciences, including Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, and Anthropology.

Submission Deadline: 30 April 2026

Keynote Speakers

Joel Mokyr

Joel Mokyr is Robert H. Strotz Professor at Northwestern University. He conducts research on the economic history of Europe, and specializes in the period 1750-1914. His current research is concerned with the understanding of the economic and intellectual roots of technological progress and the growth of useful knowledge in European societies, as well as the impact that industrialization and economic progress have had on economic welfare. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Econometric Society, and the Cliometric Society as well as the British Academy, the Italian Accademia dei Lincei and the Dutch Royal Academy. He has been the President of the Economic History Association, editor in chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History, and a co-editor of the Journal of Economic History. He is currently co-editor of a book series, the Princeton University Press Economic History of the World. He was the 2006 winner of the biennial Heineken Award for History offered by the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences and the winner of the 2015 Balzan International Prize for economic history. His most recent book is A Culture of Growth: Origins of the Modern Economy, published by Princeton University Press in 2016. He has supervised over forty doctoral dissertations in the departments of Economics and History. He was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in economics alongside Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt "for having explained innovation-driven economic growth".

Mara Squicciarini

Mara Squicciarini is an Associate Professor at Bocconi University. Her research interests are in Economic History and the Economics of Culture, with a special focus on the Economics of Religion. In her work, exploiting historical data, she has studied the role of religiosity for accumulation of human capital and economic development, the relationship between religiosity and scientific progress, as well the role of religious leaders in politics. She has recently received an ERC starting grant on "Education, Diversity, Innovation, and Politics.' Her research has appeared in journals such as the American Economic Review, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and the Journal of Political Economy. She also co-edited the book the "Economics of Chocolate' (Oxford University Press).

Saumitra Jha

Saumitra Jha is an Associate Professor of Political Economy at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, a senior fellow at the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Affairs and convenes the Stanford Conflict and Polarization Lab. Jha's research has been published in leading journals in both economics and political science, including the American Economic Review, Econometrica, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, the American Political Science Review and the Journal of Development Economics. His research on ethnic tolerance has been recognized with the Michael Wallerstein Award for best-published article in political economy from the American Political Science Association and his co-authored work on heroic networks received the Oliver Williamson Award for best paper by the Society for Institutional and Organizational Economics. Jha was also honored to receive the Teacher of the Year Award, voted by the students of the Stanford GSB Sloan Fellows Program. He was a CASBS fellow in 2020-21 and is a current faculty fellow.

Local organizers: Valeria Rueda (Nottingham) and Sascha O. Becker (Warwick)

We are excited to announce that the Institute for the Study of Religion, Economics and Society (IRES) is now accepting applications for its Annual Graduate Student Workshop taking place at Chapman University in Orange, CA. This engaging workshop is primarily tailored for advanced students in economics, sociology, and political science, though we enthusiastically welcome proposals from scholars across all disciplines.

Over the course of two dynamic days, participants will engage in intensive instruction, lively interactions, and valuable feedback opportunities with a select group of advanced graduate students. Each participant will be required to submit a completed paper in advance, which will be thoroughly circulated and reviewed. Our sessions will emphasize both presentations and discussions, allowing faculty and fellow students to provide constructive and detailed feedback on each paper.

**APPLICATION PROCESS**

To apply, please submit a one-page summary along with your CV. The summary should include your name, university affiliation, email, graduate advisor, and a brief 300-500 word description of your work. Applications must be submitted by clicking HERE no later than April 17, 2026. Please include a draft of your paper in the proposal if one is available, even if it is not complete. We will strongly favor submissions that include a paper.

**ACCOMMODATIONS & FUNDING**

IRES will provide funding to cover expenses for an economy flight, hotel, and group meals during the workshop. Federal regulations prohibit payment of honoraria to F-1 students and individuals on certain other visa types. Depending on your situation and status, travel grants, reimbursements, and other funding options may be available.

**FACULTY PARTICIPANTS**

• Guillaume Blanc (Simon Fraser University)
• Asli Cansunar (University of Washington)
• Larry Iannaccone (Chapman University)
• Mohammad Isaqzadeh (Chapman University)
• Avital Livny (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
• Erik Kimbrough (Chapman University)
• Michael McBride (University of California, Irvine)
• Steve Pfaff (Chapman University)
• Hannah Ridge (Chapman University)
• Jared Rubin (Chapman University)
• Benjamin Tremblay-Auger (Chapman University)
• Carolyn Warner (University of Nevada, Reno)