Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Islamic Studies (CIS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has released the fifth edition of Astrolabe: A CIS Student Research Journal, an open-access compilation of exceptional academic papers produced by the College’s graduate students.

Reflecting CIS’ commitment to furthering the application and understanding of Islamic studies across multiple disciplines, the six research papers featured in this edition examine a diverse array of topics, ranging from virtue ethics and the history of hadith scholarship to the Shari’a perspective on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the circular economy in Qatar.

Published by Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press on behalf of CIS, Astrolabe comprises submissions by students from across the College’s programs, including its graduate programs in Islamic Studies; Islamic Finance; Islamic Art, Architecture and Urbanism; Applied Islamic Ethics; and Islam and Global Affairs. 

Noting the long-running success of Astrolabe, Sabika Shaban, Academics Journal and Publications Specialist and the Journal Manager for Astrolabe, CIS, said: “For five years, we have consistently demonstrated the depth of scholarship practiced by our students across the College’s interdisciplinary academic graduate-level programs. Each contribution to the journal is an effort to engage in a contemporary debate through a contextualized lens. Every edition of Astrolabe continues to feature compelling insights on contemporary global debates within the cross-cutting realm of Islamic scholarship.”

In line with HBKU and the college’s innate dedication to dialogue, CIS overcomes intellectual fault lines to facilitate expertise and build capacity in Qatar and beyond. The College’s research output is rooted in carefully designed research clusters that together promote interdisciplinary research agendas and inject new contributions to the world of global Islamic scholarship.