Wallace in the Muslim World: Translating “The Malay Archipelago” from the Middle East to Southeast Asia.

Abstract of the event theme

This project addresses the reception of “science” in general and “natural sciences” in particular from the Middle East to Southeast Asia at the turn of the 20th century. In so doing, the works of the 19th-century naturalists like Alfred Russel Wallace, especially his “The Malay Archipelago” is taken into account. This project aims to review the literature through examining lesser known aspects of natural sciences in the 19th- and 20th-century Muslims world. To complete this project, scholars from different sectors and universities with different backgrounds will join the team to discuss the topic. Further, the outcomes of the project may be useful for graduate students and researchers in the fields of History of Science, Philosophy, Southeast Asian Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Religion and Science, among others.