Georgetown Announces Historic Conference “Seeing Sudan” Featuring Zeinab Badawi and Other Acclaimed Artists and Intellectuals

In Sudan, a little-covered war has torn apart lives, crippled institutions, and forced more than thirteen million people from their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis that ravages the present and threatens both past and future. At this pivotal moment, Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) invites the public to “Seeing Sudan: Politics Through Art,” a landmark three-day conference that promises not just to inform, but to transform the way the world views Sudan.
“At a time when Sudan’s crisis risks invisibility, this conference amplifies Sudanese voices and highlights the transformative role of culture in sustaining resilience and hope,” said Safwan M.

Masri, Dean of Georgetown University in Qatar. “The 50 leading scholars, artists, and activists speaking at the conference will show how art functions as politics by other means, with memory as its medium, imagination as its arena, and survival as its aim.”

Anchoring the program is the keynote panel “Eyes on Sudan,” featuring Zeinab Badawi, legendary broadcaster, President of SOAS University of London, and author of the bestselling book An African History of Africa (2024). She will be joined by Khalid Albaih, internationally celebrated Sudanese political cartoonist and GU-Q’s 2025 Artist-in-Residence; Nesrine Malik, award-winning journalist and author whose writing has reshaped global understandings of politics and identity; and Rashid Diab, one of Sudan’s most influential contemporary artists. Together with Dr. Masri as moderator, they will ask urgent questions about Sudan’s past, present, and future, and challenge audiences to engage with a rich cultural legacy in peril.

Beyond the keynote, attendees will experience live music by Alsarah of Alsarah & The Nubatones, and musician and composer Huda Asfour; attend a special art exhibition and book launch for “Sudan Retold” at Alhosh Gallery; and engage in immersive discussions on art, film, music, and life in Sudan and the Diaspora. The event extends beyond academic dialogue, offering participants the chance to engage with Sudan’s cultural heartbeat in the midst of crisis.

As Georgetown University in Qatar marks its 20th anniversary, “Seeing Sudan” exemplifies its aim to foster bold scholarship and dialogue that bridges cultures, honors diverse histories, and addresses the world’s most pressing challenges.

Event Details

Seeing Sudan: Politics through Art
September 18–20, 2025
Four Seasons Hotel Doha

For more information and registration, visit https://hiwaraat.qatar.georgetown.edu/seeing-sudan-politics-through-art/