The College of Islamic Studies (CIS), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), recently concluded its Student Research Conference 2021. The conference presented an important platform for students to engage, inspire, and share significant outcomes of the research they have conducted throughout the course of their studies. The conference builds on the recently launched CIS student journal, Astrolabe, and complements its overarching aim of celebrating compelling research works with applicability to contemporary Islamic subjects.

The conference’s participants included Dr. Evren Tok, Assistant Dean for Innovation and Community Engagement, who presented the opening remarks. As part of the Master’s program in Islamic Studies, Ameen Omar, specializing in Islamic Civilizations and Societies, next discussed his research around The Limits of Islamic Legalism in Saudi Arabia: An Analysis of Haifaa al-Mansour’s ‘Wadjda’. Abdoul Ahad Lo from the concentration in Contemporary Qur’anic Studies delved into The Theory of Tolerance: From the Perspective of Qur’anic Diplomacy. Zehra Hazratji explored concepts around ethical dilemmas surrounding child abuse within her Comparative Fiqh specialization. The afternoon sessions concluded with a participation from Adam Olowo, specializing in Comparative Religion, who probed into whether Islamophobia is a new phenomenon or part of a continuum.

Evening discussions further enriched the day-long event with students deliberating a wide range of subjects from other programs. Hamim Azad from Applied Islamic Ethics explored the ethics of procreation. Yuhan Satapo and Mubarak Musa shared their analyses of SDG performance in the context of financial performance and margin trading and short selling from a shari’a perspective respectively. Sameeha Abdussamad outlined Islamic perspectives and alternatives to the existing model within Islamic architecture. Lastly, Nataliya Lukova, studying Islam and Global Affairs, evaluated women’s labour rights in the Arabian Gulf.

Speaking after the event, Sabika Shaban, Academic Journals and Publications Specialist and coordinator of the associated journal at CIS, said: “The 2021 Student Research Conference has provided ample food for thought and enlightenment around topics that tie into the very foundation of what CIS stands for. We are immensely proud of all of the student participants for their thought-provoking and timely research topics and their active participation. The conference is just one of many and an important platform by which our students formally engage with their research interests, disseminate their ideas to the wider community, and showcase the complexities and applied nature of contemporary debates they investigate.”

CIS offers six state-of-the-art degrees within the fields of Islamic Studies; Islamic Finance; Islam and Global Affairs; Applied Islamic Ethics; and Art, Architecture, and Urbanism. The Student Research Conference 2021 can be viewed here.