Religion and Shared Humanity: Contemporary Approaches in Theology and Religious Studies
2 and 3 October 2026
from 9 a.m.
Sala delle Edicole at Palazzo del Capitanio
piazza Capitaniato (entrance from the main staircase in corte Arco Valaresso) - Padua
Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities (MBZUH) in Abu Dhabi, with University of Padua and Università del Piemonte Orientale
On 2 and 3 October 2026, the Sala delle Edicole of the University of Padua hosts the first international conference on Religious Studies, promoted by the Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities (MBZUH) of Abu Dhabi, which brings together scholars from all over the world for an interdisciplinary exchange between theology, religious studies and the humanities.
The conference, entitled “Religion and Shared Humanity: Contemporary Approaches to Theology and Religious Studies” (“Religion and shared humanity: contemporary approaches to theology and religious studies”), explores the role of the study of religions in understanding the transformations of contemporary societies, cultural differences, pluralism and shared values.
On Friday 2 October, representatives of the three promoting universities will speak at the opening ceremony: Marco Ferrante for the University of Padua, Menico Rizzi for the University of Eastern Piedmont and Khalifa Mubarak Al Dhaheri for the Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities.
At the heart of the two-day event is the discussion of the concept of “shared humanity”, understood as a basis for dialogue between the specific features of different religious and cultural traditions and the search for common values.