Hosting a series of public lectures on critical social, political and humanitarian challenges affecting Muslims around the world, Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Islamic Studies (CIS) will bring the findings and perspectives of resident and visiting scholars to the forefront of public deliberation early this year.

HBKU is a member of Qatar Foundation for education, science, and community development. 

Describing the importance of supporting the development of strong civic knowledge on current affairs, Dr. Muhammad Khalifa, director of Al-Qaradawi Center for Islamic Moderation and Renewal and professor of comparative religion at CIS said: “At CIS, we routinely reach out to local and international scholars and request them to share the benefit of their research and subject matter expertise. By opening these lectures to the public, we raise the scales of general awareness on trending topics that are of theological, political, social and cultural significance, thereby effectively promoting thought, discourse and informed action on themes that commonly affect the Islamic world.”

On January 14, Dr. Kambiz GhaneaBassiri, professor of religion and humanities at Reed College will deliver a public lecture titled Religion and the State in Muslim America. The lecture will discuss how Islam has played an increasingly prominent role in how the relation between state and religion are negotiated in U.S. politics since the end of the cold war. The lecture will place contemporary polemics around Islam within the larger historical context of the politics of religion in U.S. history.

In Qatar's New Humanitarian Paradigm: Lessons Learned and Prospects, scheduled on January 15, CIS will bring Dr. Laurent A. Lambert to its dais in collaboration with the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University. In his address, QU’s senior policy analyst and professor will shed light on Qatar’s experience in humanitarian aid and support. By analyzing historical and contemporary aspects and the dynamics of Qatar’s humanitarian engagements, the event will yield valuable insights for academics, policy makers, analysts, and students. 

The following month, on February 7, CIS is scheduled to host the director of Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University, Dr. John L. Esposito. His address during a public lecture titled The Future of Islam and Muslim-West Relations will focus on the challenges of coexisting and the price of clashes between the non-Islamic and Islamic worlds.

These upcoming public lectures are the latest to be announced in a series of year-round CIS events. 

All events are currently open for registration to the public and will be hosted at Education City.