The College of Islamic Studies (CIS) recently hosted Dr. Sari Hanafi, Professor of Sociology at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Dr. Hanafi is publishing a book, entitled The Rupture between Religious and Social Sciences, which examines the educational models of Sharia studies across multiple countries in the Islamic world. Based on field research conducted between 2015 and 2020, the study appraises modes of teaching, curricula design, and its degree of inter- and multi-disciplinarity, in order to gauge progressive models of Islamic studies institutions. CIS is one of the exemplary case studies on all accounts alongside three others, including the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Dr. Hanafi has a long-standing affiliation with CIS, through the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE). He is the Director of the Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies, Chair of the Islamic Studies program at AUB. He also established the “Portal for Social Impact of Scientific Research in/on the Arab World” (Athar).