Hosted by Ibn Haldun University and organized with the contributions of the School of Islamic Studies Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, the “AISSHA Strategic Planning Workshop and Writing Retreat” brought together academics from various countries to focus on Islam-centered academic work and strategic collaborations.
Held between July 15 and 25, the program brought together representatives from AISSHA (Africana Islamic Social Sciences and Humanities Association) and our university’s academics for strategic planning meetings, academic writing sessions, conferences, book presentations, and workshops over ten days. In addition to the academic program, various events (such as a Bosphorus tour, Sema and Dhikr programs, and organized dinners) were held to provide an opportunity to experience Istanbul’s cultural and historical heritage firsthand.
The program’s opening ceremony took place on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Moderated by Dr. Intissar Kherigi, a visiting researcher at our university, the opening ceremony began with a welcoming address by our Vice Rector. Prof. Özcan Erkan Akgün expressed his hope that the academic and institutional ties established through this program would evolve into long-term, sustainable collaborations.
Representing AISSHA, Dr. Youssef Carter from the University of North Carolina and Dr. Fatima Siwaju from the University of Virginia also delivered speeches, highlighting the importance of the friendship and cooperation to be fostered between different academic traditions. Additionally, Dr. Intissar Kherigi noted that intellectual freedom faces serious threats in many parts of the world.
On the first day of the program, Dr. Heba Raouf Ezzat, a faculty member at our university, delivered a keynote speech titled “Ilm, Umran and Ijtihad: Towards a Dialogical Reformation of Islamic Studies.” Addressing the strong relationship between Islamic studies and the social sciences, Dr. Ezzat stated that the fact that Muslims live across a vast geography and within diverse cultural contexts has led to significant variations in academic scholarship on Islam.
The ISAM program, which opened with presentations by Dr. Feyza Uzunoğlu and Dr. Mehmet Ali Başak (faculty members from the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences) featured a variety of meetings, presentations, and academic evaluations over the course of two days.
As part of the “Writing Retreat”—a key component of the program—participating students took part in hands-on academic writing training designed to enhance their scholarly work. Through sessions guided by Dr. Wendell Marsh and supported by Dr. Martin Nguyen, students gained practical experience in drafting academic texts, structuring their research, and refining their writing.
At the certificate presentation ceremony held at the conclusion of the program, Dr. Wendell Marsh, Dr. Rabiat Akande, and Dr. Feyza Uzunoğlu presented certificates to the participating students.
Throughout the program (held across our Başakşehir Complex, Süleymaniye Campus, and ISAM) lectures, book presentations, and workshops were conducted under titles such as "Prospects of Collaboration on Africana Studies," "Mapping the Theology of Malcolm X: A Cartographic Exploration of Love," "Freedom Is a Place," and "AISSHA and the Future of Africana Islamic Studies."
In addition to the University’s relevant institutional units and the International Relations Office, significant contributions to the planning and execution of the program were made by Dr. Feyza Uzunoğlu and Dr. Mehmet Ali Başak from the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies (Faculty of Islamic Sciences), as well as Research Assistant Besim Enes Alper.
This program provided a significant foundation for strengthening the interaction between Islamic sciences, philosophy and religious studies, and the social sciences and humanities; for developing new academic perspectives regarding the future of African Islamic studies; and for establishing sustainable collaborations on an international scale.
