National Islamic studies centre launched at University of Melbourne
Media Release, Tuesday 23 October 2007
A National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies – operated by a three-state consortium of universities – was officially launched today at the University of Melbourne.
The Centre brings together academic expertise in Islamic Studies from the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Griffith University in Queensland and the University of Western Sydney in New South Wales. Earlier this year, the Centre received $8 million in Commonwealth support.
University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis, officially launched the Centre today with representatives of the partner universities.
Speaking at the launch, Professor Davis said the Centre will be able to deliver world-class, multi-disciplinary teaching and research in Islamic Studies at a regional, national and international level.
“The Centre has a key role to play in producing graduates who are well-versed in both the Australian and Islamic contexts, who can bridge the gap between the two worlds. It will contribute to public debate and will be an important think tank in relation to Islamic issues.”
Also speaking at the launch were the Minister for Vocational and Further Education, Mr Andrew Robb, the Mufti of Australia, Sheikh Fehmi Naji El-Imam, and the Director of the Centre, Professor Abdullah Saeed, the University of Melbourne’s Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies, and Head of the Asia Institute at Melbourne.
The Centre’s academic program will include a major in Islamic Studies within the Bachelor of Arts program for students of consortium universities and, where possible, for students enrolled in other Australian universities and to individuals in community access programs. It will also promote ¬postgraduate study in Islamic Studies.
The consortium is also committed to exploring the use of new technologies to expand distance education access to current and newly-developed subjects.
Professor Saeed says that the development of these programs on a national basis will help the consortium universities develop national responses to needs in research, teaching and community engagement in Islamic Studies.
“The Centre’s strength is its capacity to bring together established expertise in teaching, research and knowledge transfer in broad aspects of Islamic studies,” he said.
Following the launch will be the inaugural meeting of the Centre’s national consultative committee which will advise on Muslim community needs.
About the consortium partners
The University of Melbourne has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies for more than four decades. Research on various dimensions of Muslim societies - modern Islamic thought, philosophy, literature, gender and law, for instance - is carried out through the Asia Institute and the Centre for Islamic Law and Society, a joint centre located in both the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Arts
The Griffith Islamic Research Unit, established with substantial funding from the Queensland Islamic Community, has quickly developed a strong relationship and reputation with State and Federal government agencies and the Islamic community.
The University of Western Sydney has a substantial program of studies in Arabic at undergraduate and postgraduate level and research expertise in Arabic language, interpreting and translation, sociological and cultural studies.
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