Qatar Foundation announces endowment of Islamic Studies Chair
05 Nov 08
The Qatar Foundation has announced the endowment of a new Chair of Contemporary Islamic Studies. The holder of the new chair, titled His Highness Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Chair, will be a member of the Faculty of Oriental Studies and a Fellow of St Antony’s College.
Dr John Hood, the University of Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor, and Dr Eugene Rogan, Director of the Middle East Centre at St Antony’s College, have welcomed the announcement, issuing a joint statement saying: "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."
Dr John Hood, Vice-Chancellor, and Dr Eugene Rogan, Director of the Middle East CentreGiven 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.
The Qatar Foundation was established in 1995 by the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, with the aim of investing in human capital and innovative technology. Its flagship project is Education City, a 1,000-hectare campus on the edge of the Qatari capital, Doha. Education City already holds the branch campuses of six US universities and will soon be the site of a new centre of robotic surgery, a partnership project between the Qatar Foundation and Imperial College London.
The Qatar Foundation’s President Dr Mohammed Fathy Saoud has said of the announcement that: "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."
The announcement of the endowment coincided with a visit to the Qatar Foundation's Education City campus by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who has congratulated the Qatar Foundation and the University of Oxford.
