The Acting Principal of Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Dundee hopes to build on the success of its first five years through the development of new courses and a boost in student numbers.
Professor Malory Nye, a recognised expert in multiculturalism, also believes a key role of the Institute is to continue to meet the needs of Scotland and to build multicultural bridges at an international level.
He believes the Institute has gained international respect since it opened to students in 2002 – and he has no doubt that this is set to continue. “We have students joining us this year from many different countries and this is extremely encouraging,” said Professor Nye, who joined the Institute in 2003 as Professor in Multiculturalism before promotion to the post as Depute Principal for Academic Affairs a year later. “Our course development is continuing and this, we hope, will persuade more students from here in Scotland, the UK as a whole and, of course, from overseas to come to Dundee to study. Our aim is to continue educating the next generation of scholars, nationally, and internationally, in the study of Islam and Muslims to face the challenges and opportunities of a diverse and multicultural 21st century.”
At present, the Institute has 25 students and in November, the graduation roll will rise to 62. Professor Nye, in post following the decision by founding principal, Professor Abd al-Fattah El-Awaisi to take leave to pursue new academic and cultural priorities at an international level, said he was confident about the continuing success of the Institute. “We have the strong foundations here and a clear vision to implement,” said Professor Nye, who was born in Wales and educated both in Edinburgh and London. “Our focus and new agenda will continue to be developed by all the staff of the Institute. We have celebrated our first five years and we are looking ahead not only to the next five years, but also the next fifty and beyond.”
Last year, Professor Nye jointly published a report “Time For Change” with Professor El-Awaisi calling on the Government to set up an immediate inquiry into the future of Islamic Studies at the UK higher educational institutions to determine a new agenda for the study of Islam and Muslims in the UK. Their two-year study was highly critical of the courses on offer at other UK Universities and Colleges stating they were “failing to meet the needs of a 21st-century multicultural Britain.”
