DAR AL HARB - U.S.A. - MASSACHUSETTS: HARVARD OPENS MOSLEM INDOCTRINATION CENTER FOR FUTURE LEADERS OF AMERICA

Harvard starts Islamic Studies programme

The new Islamic Studies Programme at Harvard University named 'Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic Studies Programme' has been inaugurated.

The Islamic Studies Programme was established with a $20 million gift from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

Prince Alwaleed's donation to Harvard University's Islamic Studies programme was made in 2005 and Roy P Mottahedeh, Gurney Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences was appointed inaugural director of the programme.

The new programme will build on Harvard's strong commitment to the study of the religious traditions of the world. It will also augment Harvard's existing strength by increasing the number of faculty focused on Islamic studies, providing additional support to graduate students, and making rare Islamic textual sources available in digital format, said a Harvard official.

'I am pleased to support Islamic Studies at Harvard and I hope that this programme will enable generations of students and scholars to gain a thorough understanding of Islam and its role both in the past and in today's world,' said Prince Alwaleed.

'Bridging the understanding between East and West is important for peace and tolerance.'

Scholarship on the Islamic tradition at Harvard currently encompasses a broad range of disciplines, from religious studies, history, and law, to art and literature. This gift will make it possible to add strength in important disciplines such as the history of science and new areas of study, such as Islamic Inner-Asian, Southeast Asian, or South Asian studies.



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1) Harvard starts Islamic Studies programme