Massey College x Aga Khan Museum: The Global Legacy of Rumi

Date: 2023
Price: Free with Museum admission.

The Global Legacy of Rumi Talk Series

Presented in partnership with Massey College, the Global Legacy of Rumi Talk Series brings together notable speakers from across diverse disciplines. This series delves deeper into the major and timeless themes explored in and arising from the Aga Khan Museum’s upcoming exhibition, Rumi, and offers an insightful examination of the life and impact of one of history’s most storied poets. Each discussion in the three-part series features a different theme and panel of speakers.

Life and Wisdom

May 13 | 2 pm | Free with Admission

Join Dr. Azim Nanji, Special Advisor to the Provost of the Aga Khan University, Reza Tabandeh, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of History at Brock University, and Dr. Michael Chagnon, Curator at the Aga Khan Museum, as they sit down to discuss the life and legacy of Rumi, what people should know about him, how he has impacted Muslim identity, and why we should celebrate the prolific poet. Moderated by Junior Fellow Mohaddesseh Abdolhosseini, the panel will also examine and reflect on one of the objects on display in the exhibition. 

Poetry and Mysticism

May 28 | 2 pm | Free with Admission

Listen in as Dr. Albert F. Moritz, Canadian poet, teacher, and scholar, Blake C. Goldring, Professor of the Arts and Society at the University of Toronto, Chief Stacey LaForme, elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Merin Shobhana Xavier, author of The Dervishes of the North: Rumi, Whirling, and the Making of Sufism in Canada, Nathalie Des Rosiers, Principal of Massey College, and Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis, Director and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum, as they discuss the ways in which Rumi was inspired by his spirituality and mysticism discuss their own work and what makes them want to write poetry. They will explore the rhythm of language as they delve into how poetry is used as a vehicle for expression. 

Seeing Through Translations

June 3 | 2 pm | Free with Admission

Rumi’s work has been translated all over the world and with each translation, a new perspective is uncovered. Join Anishnabowin teacher, Ninaatig Philip Staats Pangowish, Associate Teaching Professor in Arabic, Dr. Nargis Virani, and visual artist, Erdem Taşdelen as they explore the difficulty of capturing Rumi's essence and how different languages contextualize each translation. In this talk, moderated by Junior Fellow, Thomas Ayouti, they will reflect on their own translations and processes and discuss whether becoming truly fluent in another language requires them to embrace that culture and perspective. 

Massey College

Gifted by The Massey Foundation in 1963, Massey College’s mission is to nourish learning and serve the public good. It is a Centre of discussion where people and ideas intersect to address critical issues related to the rapidly changing world, to bring together cross-cultural and inter-generational understanding and ethical leadership to answer complex problems facing society today.