UPDATE: The Jan. 15 chancellor's colloquium has been canceled, owing to health reasons that keep the speaker, Columbia University's Hamid Dabashi, from traveling to Davis.

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Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi next week hosts a talk by Columbia University Professor Hamid Dabashi, addressing “Why Persian Humanism Matters Today.” He is a guest in the 2013-14 Chancellor’s Colloquium Distinguished Speaker Series, free and open to the public.

Dabashi

Dabashi is the Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature, considered the most prestigious chair in the field. He is a founding member of the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, and the Center for Palestine Studies, both at Columbia University.

He is the author of more than 20 books on such subjects as Iranian culture, medieval and modern Islam, the world of cinema and the philosophy of art. His most recent book, Being a Muslim in the World, re-examines the role of Muslim identity and Islam more generally in the context of contemporary global politics.

He is the series editor of “Literatures and Cultures of the Islamic World” for Palgrave Macmillan, and founded Dreams of a Nation, dedicated to honoring and preserving Palestinian cinema.

The Dabashi program is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, in the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. A question-and-answer session, moderated by Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter, is planned after Dabashi’s talk.

Two more Chancellor’s Colloquia are in store through the end of the academic year:

• Stephen Petronio, artistic director of the Stephen Petronio Company, a New York City-based dance studio. He has collaborated with musicians and artists from across the globe to create performances that explore new forms of dance, music, art and fashion. 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, Vanderhoef Studio Theatre.

• Henry Jenkins, Provost’s Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts and Education at the University of Southern Californi. He is a preeminent voice in the effort to redefine the role of journalism, scholarship and consumerism in the digital age. As a leading scholar in this area, he has been at the forefront of investigating the concept of “participatory culture,” a system that blurs the line between content providers and consumers. 4 p.m. Thursday, May 1, ballroom, Activities and Recreation Center.

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