CURA
the oldest center for the study of religion and world affairs in the United States, is dedicated to supporting research and education on the role of religion in world affairs.
Latest Stories
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CURA Student Staff Member Alexia Nastasia Named 2026–2027 Harold C. Case Scholar
Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies is proud to announce that Alexia Nastasia (BA ’27) has been Read more
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Laura Anne Thompson Explores Blasphemy, Islamophobia, and Hate Speech in Tunisia
In June 2026, CURA travel grantee Laura Anne Thompson traveled to Tunis, Tunisia, to participate in the conference Islamophobia: Maghrebi Read more
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Former CURA Fellow Candace Lukasik Conducts Fieldwork on Coptic Christian Migration in Egypt
Former CURA Fellow Candace Lukasik traveled to Upper Egypt to conduct ethnographic research with Coptic Christian communities. Her fieldwork explores Read more
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Jeremy Menchik Receives Adil Najam Prize for Advancing Public Understanding
Professor Jeremy Menchik, Director of CURA: The Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs, has been awarded the Adil Najam Read more
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PhD candidate Aixin Yi co-organized panel at 2026 Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies
With support from a CURA Travel Grant, Boston University PhD student Aixin Yi (GRS'28) traveled to Vancouver in March to Read more
Fast Facts
CURA is an academic research center with a public mission to lift up the peacemakers, and we’ve been doing that for 40 yearsJeremy Menchik
The Jewish left Event
Each year, CURA Fellows join bimonthly sessions at BU to refine research aligned with a shared theme—fostering deep academic dialogue before publication.
Colloquium Program
Since 1985, CURA has supported 140+ global projects, resulting in the publication of over 160 books on religion and world affairs.
CURA Publications
BU’s World Religion Database offers comprehensive global statistics on religious affiliation—past, present, and future—based on censuses and expert estimates.
World Religion Database