The Prize
The inaugural prize for the Muslim Researchers’ Network Critical Thinker Award welcomes submissions from November 29th until December 25th. We will award a prize for Best Essay, Best Creative Response and Best Overall Response at the flagship MRN Conference in January. Prizes include a free place at the MRN Conference on 3rd January, the opportunity to present a summary of your response as a main speaker at the conference and a chance to be interviewed on the MRN podcast to discuss your response and wider research. The overall award winner will also receive a £50 cash prize.
Guidelines
Prizes will be awarded for the best essay and best creative response to one of the following questions, and the overall best response prize will be awarded the top prize. Essays should be written with academic sophistication for a non-technical audience (please note that judges will be from a wide range of specialities and therefore submissions should avoid or clearly explain jargon where appropriate). Essay responses must be no longer than 1500 words (excluding references). Creative responses can include poetry, literary non-fiction, video-essays, podcasts, art submissions or alternative formats. They must be submitted with a 500-word explanation that conveys how the intended response aligns with the question. Creative responses have no word, time, or size limit, but excessively short or long submissions may not be considered at the discretion of the judges. Submissions are open from November 29th to December 25th, 2023. Winners will be announced at the MRN Conference in January. Entries will only be accepted from those in first year of undergraduate studies (or Islamic equivalent) and above. Entries are encouraged from a broad range of academic disciplines – we welcome entries from STEM, social sciences, humanities, philosophy, and other subject backgrounds. Please choose 1 question to respond to; single entries answering both questions will not be considered. Applicants
may submit only one entry (creative response or essay response).
Essay submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Clarity of thought and communication
2. Originality of engagement with question
3. Depth of analysis sustained throughout argument
4. Relevance to the question and Quran verse provided
Creative submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Creativity of response
2. Technical proficiency appropriate to form (e.g., if poem submission, evidence of
literary skill, if video submission, sophistication in editing/graphics utilised)
3. Capacity to engage intended audience
4. Relevance to the question and Quran verse provided
may submit only one entry (creative response or essay response).
Essay submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Clarity of thought and communication
2. Originality of engagement with question
3. Depth of analysis sustained throughout argument
4. Relevance to the question and Quran verse provided
Creative submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Creativity of response
2. Technical proficiency appropriate to form (e.g., if poem submission, evidence of
literary skill, if video submission, sophistication in editing/graphics utilised)
3. Capacity to engage intended audience
4. Relevance to the question and Quran verse provided
Question 1
وَيَسَۡٔلُونَكَ عنِ ٱلرُّوحِۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّى وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱۡلعِۡلمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬
And they ask you about consciousness. Say, “Consciousness is from my Rabb’s affair; and you were given only little knowledge.” (Quran 17:85)
The rise of artificial intelligence in mainstream society has sharpened debate on the nature of consciousness. What tensions exist between an Islamic model of consciousness and a technological one? Can we reconcile these, and if so, how?
And they ask you about consciousness. Say, “Consciousness is from my Rabb’s affair; and you were given only little knowledge.” (Quran 17:85)
The rise of artificial intelligence in mainstream society has sharpened debate on the nature of consciousness. What tensions exist between an Islamic model of consciousness and a technological one? Can we reconcile these, and if so, how?
Question 2
إِنَّ ٱ للَّه لََا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍۢ وَۖ إِن تَكُ حَسَنَةًۭ يُضَٰعِفْهَا وَيُ ؤْ تِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا
“Verily, God does not do even an atom’s weight of injustice” (Qur’an 4:40)
An established criticism of artificial intelligence in its current form is the exacerbation of existing inequalities within society. To what extent could artificial intelligence be used to achieve justice in the Quranic sense?
“Verily, God does not do even an atom’s weight of injustice” (Qur’an 4:40)
An established criticism of artificial intelligence in its current form is the exacerbation of existing inequalities within society. To what extent could artificial intelligence be used to achieve justice in the Quranic sense?