New Contemporary Islamic Studies chair
07 Nov 08
Oxford University has created a new chair in Contemporary Islamic Studies with the support of a benefaction from the Qatar Foundation.
The endowment of the His Highness Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Chair in Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University will include a programme of activities and includes a secondment at the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies. The post-holder will be a member of the Faculty of Oriental Studies and a fellow of St Antony's College, where the Middle East Centre is based.
Dr John Hood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: ‘The establishment of the new chair in contemporary Islamic studies opens an exciting new era of exchange and cooperation between Oxford and the Middle East, through the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies. Given the importance of Islam today, both in European society and in world affairs generally, there could be no subject of greater importance for Oxford’s Middle East studies community to address. We look forward to working with our colleagues in this excellent new centre, to promote a new generation of thinkers in Europe and the Muslim world committed to innovative scholarship and mutual understanding.’
The Rt Hon Gordon Brown, Prime MinisterThese two announcements form exciting new strands to our shared pursuit of technological and academic excellence.
The Qatar Foundation has also announced a partnership with Imperial College London. A centre for robotic surgery will be established with the London university at the recently opened Qatar Science & Technology Park, where commercially-oriented research and development is being conducted alongside branches of six leading US universities.
The announcements coincided with a visit to the Foundation’s flagship Education City campus by British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.
Gordon Brown said: ‘I welcome the increasingly close educational and research links between top British universities and Qatar Foundation. These two announcements form exciting new strands to our shared pursuit of technological and academic excellence. I congratulate Qatar Foundation, Imperial College London and Oxford University.’
Qatar Foundation President, Dr Mohammed Fathy Saoud, said: ‘Qatar Foundation is creating one of the world’s most exciting educational and research clusters because it knows the Middle East region’s future lies in the development of human capital and the application of knowledge. We are partnering with elite universities that are leaders in select areas of education and research. Oxford University and Imperial College will make the UK’s first substantial contribution to the creation of a knowledge-based society in the heart of the Middle East.'