An Institution for the Advanced Study of Islam and the Muslim World

The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies was founded in 1985, an institution for the advanced study of Islam and the Muslim world. In 1993, HRH The former Prince of Wales became its Patron. It is a registered educational charity. In 2012 it was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth II. The governance of the Centre is managed by a Board of Trustees made up of scholars and statesmen from around the world, and representatives of the University of Oxford nominated by the Council.

The Centre is dedicated to the study, from a multi-disciplinary perspective, of all aspects of Islamic culture and civilization and of contemporary Muslim societies. The Centre arranges lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences, exhibitions and other academic events throughout the academic year.

Many distinguished statesmen and scholars have lectured at the Centre in a program that began in 1993 with HRH The former Prince of Wales’ inaugural lecture, ‘Islam and the West’. Lecturers in this series have included heads of state and government, internationally renowned scholars from the Muslim world and beyond, secretary generals of international organizations, including the UN, OIC, Arab League, UNESCO, and the Commonwealth.

The Centre’s research areas include:

• classical Islamic sciences
• the social and intellectual history of the Muslim world
• Islamic finance (related to the social and economic development of Muslim societies)
• Muslims in Britain and the West
• Public Health, Science and Technology

The Centre’s current research projects include:

• Atlas
• Muslims in Britain
• Islamic Finance
• Maldives Heritage Survey
• Public Health, Science and Technology

The Centre’s publications include the Journal of Islamic Studies, the series Makers of Muslim Civilization and publications by individual Centre Fellows and members.

• The Journal, published for the Centre by Oxford University Press since 1990, places the study of Islam and modern societies in their global context.

• The Makers of Muslim Civilization is a continuing series of concise, accessible essays explaining the life and achievement of influential figures in the history of Islam.

• Centre Fellows have published on a variety of topics: law, politics, philosophy, theology, history, art and architecture, economic concepts and development.

An important priority for the Centre is to facilitate understanding of issues that require knowledge of the culture and civilization of Islam and of contemporary Muslim societies. The Centre’s outreach activities can broadly be divided into five areas:

• Young Muslim Leadership Program (YMLP)
• Exhibitions
• Local and National
• International Outreach

Short Courses

The Centre runs short courses on Qur’anic Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic. These courses run through the academic year. Applications for places on the course are usually accepted between August and October. The Centre also occasionally runs short (weekend) courses on Islam.

Contacts

Address: Marston Road, Oxford OX3 0EE, UK

Phone: +44 1865 618 500

Website: https://www.oxcis.ac.uk/