Launched in the fall of 2009 with the support of a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Center for Global Islamic Studies is a growing intellectual community committed to the comparative study of Islamic civilization. The Center is distinguished by its integrated undergraduate academic program that provides Lehigh students with multiple outlets to encounter the diversity and dynamism of global Islam. Our comparative, interdisciplinary approach to Islamic studies goes beyond narrow geographic areas and political issues to explore the broader landscape of Islamic civilization, both past and present. We translate theory into practice, linking rigorous scholarship on the Muslim world to direct, practical, hands-on learning beyond the boundaries of the Lehigh campus.
Inside and Outside the Classroom
In order to spotlight Islam's global, transnational and cross-cultural reach, CGIS aims to partner with a number of other interdisciplinary programs on campus including initiatives with Asian Studies, Africana Studies, American Studies, Jewish Studies, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Global Studies. The College of Arts and Sciences has a sustained interest in Arabic language instruction, strong enrollments for courses on Islam via the Religion Studies department, frequent requests for class visits in multiple departments and speaking engagements in various forums, a range of Islam-related campus events, off-campus lectures in the Lehigh Valley community, large turnouts for an annual Islam lecture series and "Middle East Week," and an active and growing Muslim Student Association on campus.
A Vision for the Future
We hope to expand research across the university; create new opportunities for interactions with the large and diverse Muslim communities of the Lehigh Valley and the surrounding urban centers of New York and Philadelphia; sponsor a variety of student and faculty research exchanges; host curriculum workshops, conferences, lectures and symposia; and promote diversity among a new generation of Lehigh faculty and students.