RCIS organized its first international symposium “Decentring the Irish World: Contemporary and New Directions in Global Irish Studies” May 7-8, 2022 at the British University in Egypt. H.E. Ambassador Seán O’Regan, Irish Ambassador to Egypt, and Prof. Shadia Fahim, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, inaugurated the symposium. On-site and virtual presenters took part in the symposium from Ireland, UK, Canada, USA, Argentina, India, Spain, Tunisia, South Korea, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and from the Egyptian governorates of Marsa Matrouh, Menoufia, Tanta, Alexandria and Cairo.

The symposium was organized in partnership with University College Dublin, Mental Health Ireland, Embassy of Ireland in Cairo, Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, MenaGEN and AfricaELTA. Keynote Speaker Dr. Darragh Gannon, Head of Irish Studies at University College Dublin and Vice President of the Global Irish Diaspora Congress, presented a short talk exploring multi-cultural approaches for the study of contemporary issues of citizenship, diaspora, ethnicity, culture and race in Irish Studies. Decentring the discipline of Irish studies has turned all eyes on the British University in Egypt and has emphasized the role of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities as a major influencer in shaping the research map for literary and social science scholars both locally and internationally