The Druze Studies

The Druze Studies Project at the University of Kansas is planned as a multi-year project. It has these major components: the Druze Studies Journal, the Druze Studies Reference Portal, and the Reading Druze Studies Books.

In the news:Congratulations to Charlie Johnson on Receiving the Inaugural Druze Student Paper Prize from Georgetown University

We are thrilled to share the news that Mr. Charlie Johnson has been awarded the first-ever Druze Student Paper Prize by the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies (CCAS) at Georgetown University! This prestigious recognition honors exceptional academic work focused on the Druze, and Charlie Johnson’s paper stood out for its originality, depth, and scholarly contribution.
The Druze Student Paper Prize, launched in collaboration between Georgetown University and the American Druze Foundation, celebrates excellence in humanities and social sciences research by students at U.S.-based institutions. This achievement not only highlights Charlie Johnson’s dedication to rigorous scholarship but also marks an important moment in the growing academic engagement with Druze studies.
Please join us in congratulating Charlie on this outstanding accomplishment!

Read more about the award here on the Georgetown University website

In the news: Congratulations to Mael Baummar and Nawras Aziz for winning the 2025 Best Graduate Student and Early Career Scholars Paper Award in Druze Studies

The 2025 Best Graduate Student and Early Career Scholars Paper Award in Druze Studies has been awarded to: “The Role of Customary Law in a Context of Legal Vacuum: A Case Study of the Suwayda Governorate, Syria (1925–2025)”, by Mael Baummar and Nawras Aziz. The paper was presented in the conference as part of panel 6, which was a roundtable of experts on: “The Syrian Druze: From the 1925 Revolt to 2025 Challenges.”

Link to the announcement by the Druze Studies Journal

Watch the recordings from the 2025 Druze Conference at the University of Kansas

2025 Hybrid Bilingual Interdisciplinary Conference: “Druze in the Levant and the Diaspora - Tradition and Modernity”. 16-17 October 2025

Link to the conference webpage

Check out the new journal: Druze Studies Journal (DSJ)

Druze Studies Journal (DSJ) is a peer-reviewed open-access interdisciplinary journal that aims to advance scholarly understanding of the Druze communities, including their history, society, and faith.
Druze Studies Journal is a new initiative. The first articles were published online on 18 September 2024.

Druze Studies Journal

Druze Studies Reference Portal

Druze Studies Reference Portal aims to become a digital humanities project for studying Druze culture, literature, and history. The project will delve into the rich and diverse aspects of the Druze while considering their communities in the Middle East and global diasporic communities.
It is still in the early stages of development before applying for external grants. Check out our outcomes as of Fall 2025.

Druze Studies Reference Portal

Systematic literature reviews on the Druze

The project will publish exhaustive surveys on various scholarship topics and create a comprehensive bibliographic database. We have produced three systematic reviews with more than 150 bibliographic annotations.

Systematic literature reviews

A to Z of the Druze

The project aims to create a database of the Druze that will document Druze places, persons, prophets and sages, authors, and literature. The primary function of this database is to be a reference hub for digitally linking research findings and primary sources in the relevant languages. Please check back soon as we develop our plans for the future of this section

A to Z of the Druze

Reading Druze Studies Books

"Reading Druze Studies Books" provides current coverage of scholarly publications in Druze Studies, reviewed by experts with relevant specialized knowledge. It showcases books reviewed by the Druze Studies Journal.

Link to Reading Druze Studies Books