The international symposium “Mani, the Prophet of Light” will be held in collaboration with the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies at the University of California, Irvine, and the Encyclopaedia Iranica. This symposium is scheduled for June 6, 2025, and is part of the Nastaran Akhavan Symposium on Iranian Religions — a series of academic gatherings initiated and supported by Nastaran Akhavan and her family to advance the study of Iranian religions. As one of the leading patrons of Iranian studies, Nastaran Akhavan has played a vital role in supporting research on Iranian culture and religions since the founding of the Jordan Center.

The symposium is organized by Matthew P. Canepa, Carlo G. Cereti, and Touraj Daryaee, and will feature contributions from scholars representing various institutions around the world. The event will be structured around four main panels:

• Manichaeism and Sasanian Iran
• Manichaeism and Cultural Exchanges between Late Antique Egypt, Iran, and India
• Manichaean Cosmologies
• New Approaches to the Manichaean Book

Among the participating speakers are Touraj Daryaee (University of California, Irvine), Jason BeDuhn (Northern Arizona University), Andrea Piras (University of Bologna), Filippo Gerace (Sapienza University of Rome), and Adam Benkato (University of California, Berkeley). A final roundtable discussion will bring together scholars from Irvine, Bologna, and other institutions for a reflective conversation on Manichaean studies.

The symposium will take place at the Humanities Gateway building on the UC Irvine campus, from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Online attendance is also available.

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