NUMBER 70 JANUARY 2018 OCIS NEWS OXFORD CENTRE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES

Conference on Political economy of the Middle East In October the Centre partnered with Oxford’s Department of International Development to host Professor Sir Timothy Besley for a talk on “State Capacity, Peace and Development: Challenges for the Middle East.” Professor Besley, CBE, FBA, is Sir W. Arthur Lewis Professor of Development Economics at LSE. His keynote address was part of a two-day international conference on “New Perspectives on Political Economy of the Middle East”. The conference hosted for the Centre by Dr Adeel Malik was organised in collaboration with Sciences-Po Lille, Heriot-Watt University, and University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. The main objective of the conference was to help develop a new understanding of Middle Eastern economies, Professor Timothy Besley (right), with Professor Christopher Adam while also providing a forum for young and established (left), Head of the Department of International Development researchers to submit their work to the scrutiny of their trade and macroeconomic policies, and politics after peers. the Arab Spring. It ended with a panel discussion on the Papers were presented on a diverse range of themes, potential for policy reform in the political economies of including new scholarship on Islamic finance, the Arab world. Eliciting strong interest from local and management of oil revenues, migration and conflict, international scholars, it attracted 60 participants.

Annual meeting of Trustees Retiring Trustees and new appointments one of the founding Trustees, and Professor Keith Griffin who had also served from 1985. The co-Chair, HRH Prince Turki Al-Faisal spoke of the Board’s appreciation and gratitude for their tireless contribution to the Centre and conscientious campaigning on its behalf over the years. The Trustees welcomed, as new members of the Board, His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto and The Rt Hon Dominic Grieve MP, former Attorney General for England and Wales. The Trustees elected Dr Nasseef as Chairman Emeritus and resolved to establish in recognition of Professor Griffin’s exceptional contribution to the Centre, an annual Keith Griffin Lecture. This Lecture would not The Centre’s Trustees in September only attract senior scholars to Oxford but it would also At their meeting in September, the Trustees marked the complement the Centre’s expanding commitment to the retirement from the Board of Dr Abdullah O. Nasseef, study of the economies of Muslim societies.

JANUARY 2018 / OCIS NEWS / Page 1 New Building wins prestigious International contacts award Morocco UAE The Centre was one During Ramadan the Director attended the The Centre welcomed of the winners in the Al Hassania Lectures hosted by His Majesty Mr Hamad Kardous New Building category King Mohammed VI. The series was instituted Alameri from the of the 40th annual Oxford Preservation by HM the late King Hassan II at which Zayed Bin Sultan Al Trust Awards. The other distinguished scholars from around the world Nahyan Foundation award categories were address issues relevant to Islamic beliefs and to discuss possible Landscape and the contemporary Muslim concerns. collaboration on Environment, Building The visit provided an opportunity to Centre activities Conservation and Small strengthen links with Moroccan academic and projects. The Mr Hamad Alamer meets Projects. The Award was the Director presented at a ceremony and cultural institutions. Morocco has Foundation was held in St Catherine’s generously supported a room in the Centre’s established in 2007 to support ‘Pioneering College in November. new building. Dr Ahmad Tawfiq, the Minister Initiatives for Welfare’. Its work is principally of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, has been focused on health and education at the local, a long standing supporter of the Centre’s work. regional and global levels.

India Azerbaijan

Michaelamas Term The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, The Centre has started with a lecture HE Mr Ilham Aliyev had designated 2017 as welcomed the interest by HE Mr Y K Sinha, the ‘Year of Islamic Solidarity: Interreligious in its building. Tours have been provided to High Commissioner and Intercultural Dialogue’. As part of the local groups including of India, on ‘The celebrations, the Mufti of the Caucasus, Oxford Open Doors, Indian Story: Past, Allahshukur Pashazadeh, hosted a conference the Oxford Literary Present and Future’. on inter-faith understanding which was Festival, the Oxford He spoke of the attended by the Director and scholars, Civic Society and a Mr Y.K. Sinha challenges that scientists, community and religious leaders number of local schools and church groups. India has faced since 1947 and highlighted from across the globe. The Centre has long The Centre has received the country’s potential as it enters a new and standing links with Azerbaijan. A number donations from the exciting stage in its social and technological of visiting fellows from Azerbaijan have Oxford Civic Society development. His Excellency’s lecture been in residence at the Centre and HE Mr and from the outgoing co-incided with India’s seventieth anniversary Tahir Taghizade, Azerbaijan Ambassador to Mayor, Mohammed celebrations. London, has participated in Centre activities. Altaf-Khan who, during his term as Mayor, had designated the United States Malaysia Centre’s scholarships programme as one of his personal charities. The Michaelmas Term seminar series on ‘Islam HM The Queen of and Bioscience’ was organised in collaboration Johor, Raja Zarith Special seminar with the University of Chicago and with the Sofiah, visited the Centre with a Dr Paul Shore, Adjunct support of the US-based Templeton Religion delegation including Professor of Religious Trust. Dr Afifi al-Akiti, KFAS Fellow, and Dr Studies, University Aasim Padela, Visiting Fellow (University of the State Secretary of Johor. Discussions of Regina, gave a Chicago) were the co-organisers of the series. were held with senior seminar on ‘A Baroque It is part of an eighteen-month collaboration Jesuit and the Qur’an: Centre members with Chicago’s ‘Initiative on Islam and The Translation and HM the Queen of Johor to identify areas of with the Director Commentaries of Medicine’ and the Templeton Trust and possible collaboration Ignazio Lomellini, SJ involves academic meetings, conferences, including the provision of visiting fellowships (1622)’. publications, websites and podcasts. and scholarships.

JANUARY 2018 / OCIS NEWS / Page 2 Republic of Uzbekistan OIC Meeting on Strengthening academic collaboration Culture In November, the Director In December the Director attended, in Center of Islamic Civilisation and the Registrar, Taskent, a series of meetings with academics in Uzbekistan and the Center attended the 10th Meeting and government representatives, including for Research on Islamic of Ministers of Culture the Prime Minister of the Republic, His Studies of Tashkent Islamic of the Organization of Excellency Mr Abdulla Aripov. The purpose University. These agreements Islamic Cooperation, Prime Minister hosted in Khartoum by of these meetings was to consolidate the ties will facilitate effective Abdulla Aripov ISESCO and the Sudan between the Centre and academic institutions cooperation in research, education and training Ministry of Culture. in Uzbekistan. Memoranda of Understanding through the exchange of scholars, workshops Focused on ‘Culture were signed with the Imam Bukhari and conferences, research projects, academic and the Islamic city of International Scientific Research Centre, the publications and joint training programmes. the future’, the meeting provided an opportunity to explore new areas of cooperation with ISESCO Ambassador Idriss Jazairy speaks on and a number of member Citizenship Rights of Rohingyas countries. Ambassador Idriss Jazairy, Special neighbouring OIC Summit on Rapporteur to the UN Human Rights Bangladesh. He Science Council and Executive Director of Geneva argued that inclusivity Trustee and President Centre for Human Rights Advancement and is a characteristic of of Magdalen College, Global Dialogue, lectured at the Centre on progressive societies, Professor Sir David Clary, accompanied the Director ‘The challenge of equal citizenship rights: one fully compatible to the first Organization a case study of Myanmar’s Rohingyas’. with diversity in of Islamic Cooperation’s The Ambassador recounted the historical religious, cultural, Summit on Science and background to the long time presence of the ethnic or geographic Ambassador Jazairy Technology in Astana. mostly Muslim Rohingyas in what became background, in socio-political origins. Following conferences the modern state of Burma/Myanmar. However, he noted that even the most and seminars on the subject, the visit formed He described in some detail the terrible progressive societies were discovering (and part of a growing research conditions being suffered by the Rohingyas being tested by) the entail of economic neo- interest on Islam and both in Myanmar and as refugees in liberalism and financial globalisation. Science.

Islam in Indonesia Workshop on Islamicate networks During a visit to the Centre Fellows Dr Talal al-Azem and distinctive characteristics. By covering Centre in December, Dr Moin Nizami convened a two-day several geographical regions, the workshop Professor M. Din workshop in September on ‘Islamicate enabled useful comparative study of the Syamsuddin, the Special Networks in the Early Modern World: different ways in which these networks of Envoy of the President of Global and Regional Impact’. The workshop knowledge and culture interacted. the Republic of Indonesia for Inter-faith and Inter- explored how the early modern world was The keynote address was given by Professor Civilization Dialogue, interconnected via intellectual networks of Suraiya Faroqhi (Ludwig-Maximilian spoke at a roundtable Muslim scholars and mystics as well as by University). Among other speakers were on ‘Islam, Indonesia and networks of productive crafts and trade. Professor Judith Pfeiffer (University of Inter-Faith Relations’. In The workshop also looked into how the Bonn), Dr. Mahmood Kooria (University of addition to representatives networks were created and how sustained; Leiden), Professor Knut Vikor (University from the Indonesian embassy, the roundtable their role in the transmission of cultural of Bergen), Professor Anne K. Bang was attended by senior motifs between regions, and the features (University of Bergen), Professor Doris academic members of the that indicate a sharing of knowledge Behrens-Abouseif (SOAS), and Dr. Annabel Centre and the University and technique while preserving certain Teh Gallop from the British Library. of Oxford.

JANUARY 2018 / OCIS NEWS / Page 3 Lady English retires as Dean of ISESCO - OCIS Prize Scholars UNESCO Director-General Receives Award At the end of 2017, Lady English retired from At a prize-giving ceremony in Paris in her role as the Centre’s September, UNESCO was presented with Dean of Scholars. Since the establishment of the the ISESCO-OCIS Prize for Educators, position in 2011, she 2017, in recognition of its contribution to the has looked after, and Promotion of Peace and Co-existence. After overseen the academic speeches by His Excellency Dr Abdulaziz administration of, over Othman Altwaijri, Secretary General of the 70 OCIS scholars. Her Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural retirement marks the end of a fourteen year Organisation, and the Director of the Centre, formal association with Dr Nizami, the Prize shield was formally HE Dr Altwaijri, Mrs Bokova and the Director the Centre’s academic accepted by the Director-General of importance and distinction of the work activities. Lady English UNESCO, Mrs Irina Bokova. Earlier in the of UNESCO in recent years, notably will continue as a Senior year, the Prize jury had identified a number UNESCO’s ‘Different Aspects of Islamic Associate Member of very strong candidates (individuals Culture’ collection published earlier in the of the Centre and as such will continue to and institutions) who had been nominated year. The Prize is one of a number of formal participate in lectures, for consideration academic initiatives established between seminars and graduate for the award. The the Centre and ISESCO (itself formally colloquia. Centre Fellow, jury was unanimous established in 1981 to promote cooperation Dr George Malagaris, in its appreciation between OIC member states in the fields of has assumed the Dean’s for the exceptional education, science and culture). responsibilities from January 2018.

OXFORD CENTRE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES Marstson Road, Oxford, OX3 0EE, UK Tel: +44 1865 278730 Fax: +44 1865 248942 Email: [email protected] www.oxcis.ac.uk

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