Islamic Studies Network Newsletter

No. 9. November 2012

Welcome to Issue 9 of the UK Islamic Studies Network online newsletter. This will be the final issue of the newsletter, as the Islamic Studies Network project is now drawing to a close. Please see below for further information about the recently-established British Association for Islamic Studies, which will build on the Network’s work over the past three years. We hope you have enjoyed the newsletter and would encourage you to join the new association to continue the development of Islamic Studies in the UK.

NEWS

British Association for Islamic Studies

Planning is underway for the formal establishment of the British Association for Islamic Studies (BRAIS) as a follow-up to all the work undertaken by the Islamic Studies Network over the past three years. The association will be a learned society and professional organisation focused on enhancing research and teaching about Islam and Muslim cultures and societies in UK higher education. It will provide a forum for academic exchange for scholars with an interest in any aspect of Islam and the Muslim world (including non-Muslim majority societies), and will act as an umbrella organisation for members working in a wide range of disciplines and geographical interest areas. For more information please click here or visit the BRAIS website.

Twitter and Islamic Studies Network Ning

The Islamic Studies Network Twitter account and our online social networking site (Ning) will be closing soon. Thanks and best wishes to our followers and Ning members! The British Association for Islamic Studies will be developing a web presence, including using social media, so please join the association to stay up to date on these developments.

BRISMES database of expertise

The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) is delighted to announce a collaborative database of expertise. The database aims to collect information from experts on the MENA region and in the area of Islamic Studies more generally. It also lists institutional links between UK institutions and those in the region. The database is fully searchable by discipline, region, and by keyword, and will be a valuable tool for researchers and others looking to draw on Middle East and Islamic Studies expertise in the UK and more widely. Islamic Studies Network members are encouraged to enter their details into the database using the link above.

PUBLICATIONS, RESOURCES AND FUNDING

Over the past three years the Islamic Studies Network has funded and supported the development of a wide variety of resources for teaching and research in Islamic Studies. These resources are housed on our website and will remain available for you to access and use in your own teaching.

Resources from funded projects

Reports and resources from the 14 learning and teaching projects funded by the Islamic Studies Network are now available online. These resources should be of use to Islamic Studies practitioners in a wide range of disciplines. They are:

Gateway to Islamic Manuscripts Online

The JISC-funded project ‘Fihrist: The Gateway to Manuscripts in Arabic Scripts’ builds on the significant work already funded by JISC that has facilitated online exposure of major ‘hidden’ Islamic manuscript collections held at Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham and Yale university libraries, the School of Oriental and African Studies and the Wellcome Library. The online searchable database of major manuscript collections in the UK now includes over 10,000 items and is available at on the Fihrist website.

Other resources developed through the Islamic Studies Network

The Islamic Studies Network project team has been involved in developing a number of resources for Islamic Studies teaching and research. These include:

Projects funded through the LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies:

The UK Centre for Legal Education project Developing an Islamic Law Curriculum:

Teaching Islamic Studies in the Social Sciences:

Case studies for teaching Islamic Studies in Business and related disciplines

Programmes and resources for recent events online

Post-event materials, such as presentations and reports, are now available online for the following recent events:

Meeting to discuss the future of the Islamic Studies Network

Date: 23 May 2012

Venue: HEFCE offices, Centrepoint, London

Social scientists examine Islam and the lives of Muslims: an expert seminar from the HEA Islamic Studies Network

Date: 18 May 2012

Venue: London Metropolitan University

Islamic Law special interest group

Date: 16 May 2012

Venue: Scarman House, University of Warwick

Teaching Islamic Studies in Wales

Date: 11 May 2012

Venue: Aberystwyth University

Teaching Islamic Studies: Methodological Concerns, Practical Solutions

Date: 28 April 2012

Venue: University of Leeds

Collaborative Partnerships for Islamic Studies in Higher Education

Date: 11 April 2012

Venue: SOAS

Journal of Islamic State Practices in International Law – call for papers

The Journal of Islamic State Practices in International Law (JISPIL) is pleased to announce a call for papers for its December 2012 edition. The journal comprises of two sections – articles and recent developments. Submissions for articles should be between 5,000 and 10,000 words, whereas, submissions to recent developments should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words. The deadline for submitting papers for the December edition is 15 November 2012. Submissions received after this date will only be considered for the following edition.

ISLAMIC STUDIES EVENTS

Islamic Studies Network event

Islamic finance, business ethics and cross-cultural understanding

Date: 8 March 2013

Venue: Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET

This event aims to discuss ethical business frameworks in a context of institutions run on Islamic principles. In particular we will look at how business ethics relate to the Islamic banking industry. The event is run in partnership with the El Shaarani Centre for Islamic Business & Finance at Aston University and the Association of Business Schools (ABS). Alongside guest speakers there will be opportunities to discuss topics and network.

Confirmed speakers:

Professor Mike West, Lancaster University: Virtuous organisations and good work

Simon Norton, Cardiff University: Corporate governance in financial institutions: an Islamic approach

Omneya Abdelsalam, Aston University and Marwa Elnahass, Lancaster University: Accountability of Middle East & North African (MENA) banks