Why Us?

The Al-Maktoum Institute is an exciting and innovative development in teaching and research in the study of Islam and Muslims.
As an independent, research-led centre of higher education, it offers postgraduate programmes of study, taught masters and PhD with its degree programmes validated by the University of Aberdeen.
The Institute is a centre of excellence that aims to promote intelligent debate and understanding of Islam and the role of Muslims in the contemporary world. It is a place of knowledge and reflection on the issues facing a diverse and multicultural world in the twenty-first century. In pursuit of its aims, the Institute is actively working to educate the next generation of scholars – both nationally and internationally – in the study of Islam and Muslims to enable them to face the challenges and opportunities of today.
The Institute was established in Dundee in 2001, through the initiative of HH Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance. HH Shaikh Hamdan, whose vision for multiculturalism and education is at the heart of the Institute, is its Patron and Sponsor. It is neither a mosque nor a religious Institution. Students and staff are from all over the world, including Dundee itself. The students and staff of the Institute are of all religions and none.
The Institute aims to work at academic, community and business levels. A major goal is to promote multiculturalism while building bridges between the Muslim and western worlds.
This creates first-class academic training in a friendly atmosphere, where students form a lively community in and out of the classroom. At the community level, the Institute is located within the multicultural city of Dundee and has developed - and maintained - strong vibrant ties with the local, national and international communities.
Promotion of educational, cultural and business links is another key feature and it is continually seeking to establish mutually beneficial relationships between Dubai and Scotland.
·          The Institute currently offers four taught masters programmes in: Islamic Studies; Islamicjerusalem Studies; Multiculturalism; and Muslims, Globalisation and the West.
·          Since its foundation in 2001, students from over 24 countries have studied with us. These countries include Scotland, the UAE, India, Turkey, Ghana, Pakistan and Cyprus.
·          56 per cent of our students are male and 44 per cent are female. 26 per cent are from the UK, 30 per cent are from the EU and 70 per cent are from other overseas countries.
·          The average age of students at the Institute is currently 27, thus contributing to the Institute’s student diversity.
·          In its relatively short history, a total of 91 students have successfully graduated from the Institute's postgraduate degree programmes.