In a world increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions, rising nationalism, and cultural divides, the idea of a shared universality can feel distant or even impossible. Senegalese philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne invites us to see universality not as a fixed truth, but as something we build together — through dialogue, translation, and mutual recognition. This conversation explores how different traditions and perspectives can meet without erasing each other, and how the universal might be reimagined as a common horizon, shaped by diversity and solidarity.

Souleymane Bachir Diagne is a specialist in the history of logic and mathematics, Islamic philosophy, and contemporary African thought. He is widely recognised for his approach to intercultural and interreligious dialogue. After teaching in Dakar, he was a professor at Columbia University (New York) from 2008 to 2025, where he taught philosophy and Francophone studies. In April 2025, he was universally praised for his outstanding career, which he continues through publications and international seminars.

His keynote speech will be followed by a discussion with Davide Rodogno, Professor of International History and Politics, and Umut Yıldırım, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

This bilingual French-English conference is organised in partnership with the Salon du livre de Genève.