Launch of Centre for Islam and the Modern World.
The Monash Staff Club recently hosted a lunch at which the guest of honour, the Hon. Laurie Ferguson MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, launched the Faculty of Arts’ new Centre for Islam and the Modern World. He was accompanied by state and federal parliamentary representatives, Ms Anna Burke MP and Mr Hong Lim MP, Monash Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins, Dean of Arts Professor Rae Frances, Counsel General for Turkey Mr Aydin Nurhan, Counsel General of the Sultanate of Oman His Excellency Mr Hamed Al-Hajri, Head of the Delegation of Palestine Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi and leading members of Victoria’s Muslim communities.
In introducing the occasion, Professor Frances noted that the new Centre for Islam and the Modern World was the next step in the Faculty’s plan to promote research that increased interfaith understanding. ‘A centre focussing on Islam will complement existing research and teaching strengths in the Centre for Jewish Civilisation and the Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology’, she said. She acknowledged the generous assistance of the Australian Intercultural Society (AIS), a Muslim nongovernmental organization focussing on interfaith dialogue, in sponsoring a lectureship in Islamic Studies in the School of Historical Studies. This lectureship commenced at the beginning of 2008 with the appointment of Dr Salih Yucel.
In launching the Centre for Islam and the Modern World (CIMOW), the Hon Laurie Ferguson noted the Centre’s mission to better understand the evolving dynamics linking Islam, modernity and the modern nation state. CIMOW is intended to be a place in which Muslim and non-Muslim researchers, writers and teachers, both from Australia and around the world, can come together to work in a positive, collegial environment that respects difference and diversity and values synergistic collaboration and learning. The Centre will support not just research and publication, but will also contribute to public debates and offer advisory, educational and training services to national and international governments and the community.
CIMOW works closely with its sister centre in the school of Political and Social Inquiry (PSI), the Global Terrorism Research Centre (GTRC). CIMOW and GTRC share a commitment to empathetic engagement with Muslim communities and finely nuanced analysis contributing to the development of sophisticated, humanitarian social policies. Many of the researchers associated with CIMOW and GTRC participate in research projects in both centres.
Also joining the occasion were Prof Barbara Caine, Head of the School of Historical Studies, Prof James Walter, Head of the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Prof Greg Barton, Acting Director of the Centre for Islam and the Modern World, Prof Constant Mews, Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology, Associate Prof Mark Baker, Director of the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation and Dr Salih Yucel.