HBKU’s CIS Explores State of Education in Islamic Psychology

Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Islamic Studies (CIS) collaborated with Khalil Center to organize a panel discussion featuring international experts in Islamic psychology to explore the impact of various educational programs in the field.

Dr. Recep Şentürk, Dean, and Dr. Hooman Keshavarzi, Program Director of the upcoming MA in Counseling Psychology program represented CIS on the panel. Several of their academic peers joined them, including Dr. Khalid Elzamzamy, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Dr. Vahdet Görmez, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, Istanbul Medeniyat University; Dr. Venus Mahmoodi, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center; and Dr. Abdullah Rothman, Executive Director, International Association for Islamic Psychology.

Together, the panelists delved into both emerging and established international academic programs specializing in Islamic psychology offered around the world. They explored the transformative potential of these programs on the global landscape of mental health care delivery for Muslim communities.

Commenting on the insightful panel discussion, Dr. Keshavarzi said: “This knowledge exchange allowed us to examine the evolving trends, dynamics, and developments that shape the study of Islamic psychology, enabling us to strengthen the educational programs we offer and better look after the mental well-being of fellow Muslims. It demonstrates CIS’ commitment to contributing to a constructive dialogue on Islam and Muslims in various contexts.”

In line with HBKU and the college’s innate dedication to dialogue, CIS overcomes borders, 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.