CIMOW Researchers and their Fields of Interest
The Centre for Islam and the Modern World is based in the School of Political and Social Inquiry of the Faculty of Arts. The School of Political and Social Inquiry is one of the largest schools within the Faculty of Arts. Established in 1999, it comprises the following discipline areas: Anthropology, Behavioural Studies, Criminal Justice and Criminology, Politics, Sociology, Women's Studies and Gender Research. Also within PSI are the Centres for Population and Urban Research, Work and Society in the Global Era and the Global Terrorism Research Unit.
Academics associated with CIMOW
- Professor Greg Barton - Greg is the Acting Director of CIMOW and UNESCO Deputy Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations – Asia Pacific. Herb Feith Research Professor for the Study of Indonesia, PSI.
Greg is currently completing a book on the role of Islam in post-Suharto Indonesia; studying the evolution of Islamist movements in Southeast Asia and researching progressive Islamic thought and social movements in Indonesia and Turkey.
- Dr Irfan Ahmad - Irfan’s research will focus on anthropological exploration of the premises and the working of liberalism, nationalism and the subalternated collectivities. Through an in-depth examination of Indian Muslims, he aims to develop a comparative framework of understanding the religious and political life of Muslims minorities in South Asia and the West. A pivotal question for Irfan is how the figure of minority is fashioned and how this figure negotiates its identity in liberal, secular democratic nation-states such as those in the West and in India.
- Professor Emeritus Gary Bouma - UNESCO Chair for Inter-religious & Inter-cultural Relations – Asia Pacific
A sociologist of religion of international standing, Gary is leading a research team studying the diversity of Muslim communities in Australia
- Dr Faridullah Bezhan - Research Fellow in Monash Asia Institute
Faridullah is studying Afghani Literature, Satire, War and Anti-war Literature
- Hanifa Deen - Honorary Research Fellow
Award-winning author Hanifa is researching the development of Australia Muslim identity
- Prof Constant Mews -Director, Centre for Religion and Theology
An expert in medieval religious thought and practice Constant is researching the contributions of Islam to medieval and renaissance thought and culture
- Dr Julian Millie -Post Doctoral Research Fellow in PSI
Julian is currently studying the evolution of contemporary Islamic observance in Indonesia, as performed by villagers, santri (students) and followers of the mystical orders.
- Dr Peter Lentini -Director of the Global Terrorism Research Centre (GTRC)
A scholar of social movements Pete is researching the psychology and social dynamics of Islamist movements and researching Muslim identity in Australia
- Dr Tahmina Rashid - Research Fellow
- Prof Marika Vicziany - Director, Monash Asia Institute
One of Australia’s leading scholars of South Asia Marika is researching Muslims in Western China, Islamic terrorism in India and the role of Islam in Malaysian political culture
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Dr Salih Yucel - Appointed at the end of 2007 as Lecturer in Islamic Studies in the school of Historical Studies and the Centre for Studies in Religion and Theology, at Monash Salih has broad interests in Islamic thought and contemporary Muslim society. Prior to moving to Melbourne he studied and worked in Ankara, Sydney and Boston. His current research is about "Memories of early Muslim immigrants in Australia." He is also a consultant to the Australian Intercultural Society and working on a research about how dialogue can be promoted between Muslims and non-Muslims.
- Waleed Aly - Lecturer in Politics, Political and Social Inquiry
Waleed explored the mistaken thinking behind ideas of essential difference in his 2007 book People Like Us and is currently researching these issues further in his PhD research.
- Dr Aneela Baber - Research Fellow in Monash Asia Institute
Aneela is researching civil society, gender and migration in Pakistan, and Islam and Pashtun identity politics