College of Public Policy Workshop Considers Principles and Values of Islamic Governance

Education City’s Minaretein building was the venue for a graduate student research workshop on November 11, 2024, considering key issues and concepts shaping Islamic governance and public value discourse.

Organized by the College of Public Policy (CPP) in collaboration with University College London (UCL), the workshop attracted 20 master’s students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers from 12 countries to explore the foundational principles and values of Islamic governance, offering new perspectives on public purpose and addressing societal challenges. Participants had the opportunity to present their research and receive feedback from a distinguished panel of scholars, practitioners, and policy experts. Esteemed panelists included CPP professors, Peter Gould, a renowned design leader and entrepreneur, and Dr. Salah Chafik, Senior research Fellow, UCL.

Dr. Leslie Pal, Founding Dean, CPP, HBKU, noted: “This workshop brought together emerging and young scholars from the region working in the field of public administration and governance from an Islamic perspective. The preoccupation with best practices from the western tradition sometimes blinds us to other civilizational approaches to governing communities. Islam has rich and varied governance traditions, which the workshop explored. We were particularly grateful to our partners at UCL and through the Islamic Public Value Project, headed by Dr. Wolfgang Drechsler.”

The workshop was organized by Dr. Afag Javadova, Postdoctoral Fellow, CPP, sponsored by the Islamic Public Value Project, and funded by the John Templeton Foundation.