Alliance of Civilizations Institute Hosts the Inaugural Islamic Studies Summer School at the Historic Sulaymaniyah Salis Madrasa

From July 12 to 20, 2025, the Alliance of Civilizations Institute at Ibn Haldun University proudly hosted the first edition of the Inaugural Islamic Studies Summer School (ISSS 2025) under the theme “Islamic Intellectual Traditions: Texts, Contexts, and Futures.” Co-organized with Istanbul University, Leiden University, and the University of Exeter, this pioneering program brought together internationally renowned scholars and a distinguished cohort of graduate students.

The sessions were held at the historic Salis Madrasa, located in the heart of Istanbul's Süleymaniye district. As an Ottoman-era educational complex meticulously restored by Ibn Haldun University, the madrasa provided a unique and inspiring setting where classical Islamic learning met contemporary academic inquiry.

The program drew participants from diverse academic backgrounds—primarily doctoral students—from institutions across the world. Among the countries represented were the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, Lebanon, and Indonesia. Students came from fields such as Islamic studies, philosophy, theology, sociology, history, and law, and brought with them a rich variety of research interests and intellectual perspectives.

Throughout this intensive, week-long program, participants attended morning lectures by internationally renowned scholars and engaged in afternoon workshops centered around classical Arabic texts. The schedule also included cultural excursions and visits to Istanbul’s historical sites, enriching the academic program with immersive civilizational experiences.

As the first of its kind, ISSS 2025 served as a significant platform for advancing research-oriented, interdisciplinary, and text-based approaches to Islamic intellectual history.

Highlights from the program included:

• Jonathan Brown (Georgetown University) – “Approaches to the Sunna and Hadith”
• Peter Adamson (Ludwig Maximilian University) – “The Heirs of Avicenna: 12th–13th Century Islamic Philosophy”
• Ahab Bdaiwi (Leiden University) – “Philosophy and Theology in Post-Classical Islam”
• Necmettin Kızılkaya (Istanbul University) – “The Emergence of Islamic Disciplines and Their Interrelation”
• Issam Eido (Vanderbilt University) – “Hadith and the Formation of Madhhabs”
• Amr Ryad (University of Leuven) – “Global Islam in the Colonial Age”
• Irfan Ahmad (Ibn Haldun University) – “Islamic Critique and the Decolonization of Knowledge”
• Sajjad Rizvi (University of Exeter) – “Islamic Philosophy as a Way of Life”
• Ali Fikri Yavuz (Istanbul University) – “Kalam in Ottoman Scholarship after al-Jurjani”
• Merve Özaykal (Istanbul University) – “Bio-Fiqh: From Founding Principles to Contemporary Medical Issues”
• Robert Gleave (University of Exeter) – “What Makes Twelver Shi’i Usul al-Fiqh Special”
• Ercüment Asil (Ibn Haldun University) – “Studying Islamic History in World History”
• Saliha Uysal (Istanbul University) – “From Tradition to the Future: Islamic Psychology”

In the Arabic text workshops, participants closely studied primary sources across hadith, theology, philosophy, and jurisprudence—representing both Sunni and Shi‘i traditions. These sessions encouraged direct textual engagement and cross-traditional learning in an intellectually pluralistic environment.

At the conclusion of the program, participants were awarded official certificates of attendance for their active contribution.