PhD Candidates

Student information
	Ana Sulem Email address: ana.sulem@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: School of Islamic Studies (Tafseer), Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Prof. Alparslan Açıkgenç PhD Thesis Topic: Qur'anic Method of Moral Education in Naquib al-Attas's Concept of Religion Research Interests: Islamic Epistemology, Historical Ethics, Prophetology in Ancient Judaism and Christian Thought and History, Moral Education Academic Biography: Ana's current research interest lies in bridging scriptural reasoning, contemporary understanding, and moral concepts and education. Aside from this, she occasionally but passionately immerses herself in exploring historical connections among ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam while reflecting on moral struggles in modern life. Aside from her academic interests, Ana loves watching her feet dangle above the waves while riding the Bosphorus ferries.
	Cyrus McGoldrick Email address: cyrus.mcgoldrick@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Prof. Nagihan Haliloğlu PhD Thesis Topic: The Muslim Outlaw in American Hiphop Research Interests: History of Islam in the West, History of Islamic Thought Academic Biography: Cyrus McGoldrick is a Muslim activist, artist, and academic, born in the United States and living in Istanbul, Türkiye. Cyrus graduated from Columbia University in 2010 with a B.A. in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. In 2015 Cyrus moved to Istanbul to pursue graduate education at Ibn Haldun University and traditional Islamic studies, completing an M.A. in 2018 and now working on a Ph.D. In 2017 his chapter on the political thought of Kalim Siddiqui was published in the edited volume Al-Deen wa l-Insaan wa l-'Aalam (Tahreer, Arabic language). In 2019, his translation from Turkish to English of Recep Şentürk's Malcolm X: The Struggle for Human Rights was published by Claritas Books. To Asim Qureshi's edited volume I Refuse to Condemn (Manchester University Press, 2020), he contributed the chapter "It is Allah that Condemns."
	Esra Ukallo Email address: esraukallo@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Islamic Studies/ Intellectual Encounters of the Islamicate World / Freie Universität Berlin Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Tuba Erkoç Baydar (Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Recep Şentürk) PhD Thesis Topic: Liability of Artificial Intelligence: Can Muslims leave their legal responsibility to medical ai applications? Research Interests: Islamic law, Bioethics, Islamic thought Academic Biography: Esra Ukallo is a Ph.D. candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. Her dissertation, "Liability of Artificial Intelligence: Can Muslims Leave Their Legal Responsibility to Medical AI Applications?", examines whether legal responsibility can be delegated to AI systems, drawing on concepts such as taklīf, ahliyya, and dhimma. She earned her Theology degree at Marmara University (2009–2014) and completed her Master's at Freie Universität Berlin (2015) with a thesis on fatwas concerning Muslims under non-Muslim rule. Since 2015 she has taught Ḥanafī fiqh as an assistant at the Center for Excellence in Education (EDEP), and her research interests span uṣūl al-fiqh, bioethics, and the philosophy of technology. A native speaker of Turkish and German who is also proficient in Arabic and English, she brings cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives to current debates on AI ethics and Islamic law.
	Furkan Acerbaş Email address: furkan.acerbas@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Civilization Studies, Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Ercüment Asil PhD Thesis Topic: The Intellectual History of İstibdad in Late Ottoman Political Thought Research Interests: History of Political Thought, Ottoman Political Thought, Islamic Political Thought, Sufism and Politics in the Ottoman Empire Academic Biography: Furkan Acerbaş is a PhD candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul University and his master's degree at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University, with a thesis titled "The Legitimacy of Political Power in The New Ottoman Thought: The Case of Hürriyet Newspaper." His doctoral research focuses on the conceptual history of istibdad in the post-Tanzimat Ottoman period. He also serves as a teaching fellow at Ibn Haldun University. In addition to his academic work, he holds a degree from Marmara University's School of Applied Sciences in Tourist Guidance and is a professional tourist guide candidate.
	Goncagül Şahin Email address: goncagul.kaya@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Sociology, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Önder Küçükural PhD Thesis Topic: A Comparison of the Tradition of Balāgha with Western Rhetoric and Its Potential Contributions Research Interests: Sociology, Argumentation, Rhetoric, Dialectic, Discourse Analysis Academic Biography: Goncagül Şahin is a graduate of Hacettepe University's Faculty of Engineering and Istanbul University's Faculty of Theology (English). She completed her master's degree in discourse analysis at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University. She is currently working on rhetorical theories in the Islamic tradition at the same institute and exploring the potential contributions of this tradition to Western rhetoric.
	İbrahim Akkuç Email address: ibrahim.akkuc@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Politics and International Relations, SOAS University of London Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat PhD Thesis Topic: Outsourcing Violence and the Transformation of Sovereignty: A Comparative Study of Janjaweed Militias, Blackwater (Academi), and the Wagner Group Research Interests: Political Theory, Political Thought, Modernity and Post Modernity, Turkish Politics, Middle East Politics Academic Biography: İbrahim Akkuç completed his undergraduate degree in Education; however, he has always had a keen interest in politics and related subjects, reading about them whenever he had the opportunity. Later, during his stay in London, he came across one of the leading institutions in his field of interest: in SOAS, University of London he completed his master's degree in Middle East Politics there and subsequently returned to Türkiye. To deepen his academic work, he applied to Ibn Haldun University, Medit, where he is currently pursuing his PhD in Political Theory. His subjects of interests are political theory, political thought, modernity and post modernity, Turkish politics, middle east politics.
	Nesibe Şahin Email address: nesibe.sahin@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Sociology, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Prof. Alev Erkilet PhD Thesis Topic: Analysis of civil society-state relations in IHH's humanitarian diplomacy activities: The Mavi Marmara case Research Interests: Political sociology, sociology of international relations, civil society, critical humanitarianism Academic Biography: Nesibe Şahin is a Teaching Fellow at the Ibn Haldun University. She had bachelor in Theology and master in Sociology. Currently a PhD candidate in Sociology, Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University.
	Ömer Şipal Email address: omer.sipal@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Political Science and International Relations, Istanbul City University Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat PhD Thesis Topic: The Transformation of the Political in the Postmodern Era Research Interests: Political Theory, Postmodern Politics, Modernity and Its Political Manifestations Academic Biography: Ömer Şipal is a PhD candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute at İbn Haldun University. He holds a bachelor's degree in Foreign Language Education from Boğaziçi University and completed his master’s degree at İstanbul Şehir University, where his thesis examined the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt through a comparative analysis of the 1950s and 2013 coups. His current doctoral research focuses on political theory, specifically investigating how the concept of the political is undergoing transformation under the postmodern condition. By exploring contemporary shifts in sovereignty and citizenship, his work analyzes how political theory thrives and adapts in the postmodern era.
	Rabiul Islam Email address: rabiul.islam@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Political Science and International Relations, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat PhD Thesis Topic: Discourse Construction and Public Perception of War: A Comparative Analysis of Media Discourses on Israel's War on Gaza in Bangladesh and India Research Interests: Narrative Analysis, Media and Politics, Islam and Politics
	Rajeev Kumar Email address: rajeev.kumar@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Civilization Studies, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Prof. Bruce Bennett Lawrence PhD Thesis Topic: The Longing-Belonging Paradigm: Negotiating “Kahat Kabir” in south asia with focus on bihar Research Interests: I am a Social Anthropologist and Ethnographer of South Asian Islam and Sufi-Bhakti traditions, currently completing my PhD under Professor Bruce B. Lawrence at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. My doctoral research utilizes an interdisciplinary approach combining ethnography and vernacular literary studies to examine the oral-performative traditions of Kabir in Bihar and their contemporary reception. Alongside my research, I have spent three years as a teaching fellow for "World History through Art and Literature" and have instructed the course "Introduction to Indian Literature." Professionally, I bring extensive experience in international academic publishing with houses like Springer and De Gruyter, and I currently serve as the Managing Editor of U-Talk Magazine. Beyond academia, I am a social activist and the founder of the Umran Green Perspective Foundation, an independent initiative dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and peace through language, education, and research (www.umran.org.in).
	Saadat Eskandarifar Email address: saadat.eskandarifar@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Media and Communication, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Prof. Alparslan Açıkgenç PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Persian Literature, English Literature, Sufism, Women's Studies, Cinema Studies, Mevlana Rumi Academic Biography: Saadat Eskandarifar received a B.A. in English Literature in Iran and an M.A. in Media and Communication from Ibn Haldun University. Her master's thesis focused on the representation of women in post-revolutionary Iranian cinema. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Alliance of Civilisations programme, where her research examines the concept of the human subject in Rumi's Masnavi and the poetry of T. S. Eliot.
	Sena Temel Email address: sena.temel@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Sociology, Marmara University Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Vahdettin Işık PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Civilizational Studies, Contemporary Islamic thought, Modernity and Decolonial Critiques, Memory Studies, sociology of religion, Political Sociology Academic Biography: Sena Temel is a PhD candidate in Civilization Studies at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University. She holds a BA and an MA in Sociology. Her master's research at Marmara University examined the political construction of social identity and collective memory in Turkey. Her current research focuses on civilizational crisis and contemporary Islamic thought, with particular interest in epistemology, ethical renewal, and the intellectual foundations of civilizational recovery.
	Shahzada Rahim Abbas Email address: rahim.abbas@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: International Relations, Erciyes University Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Önder Küçükural PhD Thesis Topic: The Role of Education in Managing State-Relations in Pakistan: A Case Study of Musharraf Era (1999-2008) Research Interests: Political Philosophy, Political Economy, Sociology of Religion, Civilizational States Academic Biography: Shahzada Rahim Abbas is a PhD Candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, where his work intersects civilizational theory, Civilizational States, Civilizational history, Religion and Politics and global governance. Driven by a keen interest in contemporary global dynamics, his academic inquiries explore the structural evolution of global governance during the current transition toward a multipolar world order through civilizational lens.
	Tavarish Kumar Email address: tavarish.kumar@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Cultural Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia (India) Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Political philosophy, Political thought in the Subcontinent, Partition Studies Academic Biography: I completed my undergraduate studies in History and later pursued a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies. I was drawn to Civilizational Studies in part due to its interdisciplinary nature. I am particularly interested in the concept of sovereignty and territoriality, especially in the context of the Indian subcontinent and partition. I hope to explore categories such as law, cartography, political thought and imagination at the site of postcolonial sovereignty in South Asia.
	Zahid Jalaly Email address: zahid.jalaly@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: International Law, International Islamic University, Islamabad Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Vahdettin Işık PhD Thesis Topic: Codification, Constitutionalism, and the Place of Sharia: Legal Developments in Afghanistan, 1880–1933 Research Interests: Islamic thought, international law, islamic history, education. Academic Biography: Zahid Jalaly is a Ph.D. candidate in Civilization Studies at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. He holds an LL.B. (Hons.) in Sharīʿah and Law and an LL.M. in International Law (Gold Medalist) from the International Islamic University, Islamabad. Before joining Ibn Haldun University, he served as Academic Administrator of Department of Political Science at Kardan University in Kabul and taught at several higher education institutions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His doctoral research examines the interaction between codification, constitutionalism, and Sharīʿah in Afghanistan between 1880 and 1931, with a particular focus on legal reform, judicial institutions, and state-building. His broader research interests include Islamic legal history, constitutional history, political thought, and the intellectual history of the Muslim world.
	Zehra Vlug Ünver Email address: zehra.vlug@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Ercüment Asil PhD Thesis Topic: Between Formation and Instruction: Exploring Islamic Pedagogy and Didactics in Postclassical Ottoman Thought Research Interests: Islamic Pedagogy and Educational Thought; Ottoman Intellectual History; History of Education; Islamic Ethics and Moral Formation; Curriculum and Didactics in the Islamic Intellectual Tradition; Knowledge Transmission and Teacher-Student Relations Academic Biography: Zehra Vlug-Ünver is a PhD candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute at Ibn Haldun University. She holds a degree in primary teacher education from HAN University of Applied Sciences and a master's degree from Ibn Haldun University. Her doctoral research explores Islamic pedagogy and didactics in postclassical Ottoman thought. She focuses on the relationship between knowledge transmission, moral formation, curriculum, and teacher-student relations. Her research draws on Arabic and Ottoman Turkish scholarly works from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Her broader interests include Islamic educational thought, Ottoman intellectual history, and moral education.

Ana Sulem

Email address: ana.sulem@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: School of Islamic Studies (Tafseer), Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Prof. Alparslan Açıkgenç
PhD Thesis Topic: Qur'anic Method of Moral Education in Naquib al-Attas's Concept of Religion
Research Interests: Islamic Epistemology, Historical Ethics, Prophetology in Ancient Judaism and Christian Thought and History, Moral Education
Academic Biography: Ana's current research interest lies in bridging scriptural reasoning, contemporary understanding, and moral concepts and education. Aside from this, she occasionally but passionately immerses herself in exploring historical connections among ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Islam while reflecting on moral struggles in modern life. Aside from her academic interests, Ana loves watching her feet dangle above the waves while riding the Bosphorus ferries.

Cyrus McGoldrick

Email address: cyrus.mcgoldrick@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Prof. Nagihan Haliloğlu
PhD Thesis Topic: The Muslim Outlaw in American Hiphop
Research Interests: History of Islam in the West, History of Islamic Thought
Academic Biography: Cyrus McGoldrick is a Muslim activist, artist, and academic, born in the United States and living in Istanbul, Türkiye. Cyrus graduated from Columbia University in 2010 with a B.A. in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. In 2015 Cyrus moved to Istanbul to pursue graduate education at Ibn Haldun University and traditional Islamic studies, completing an M.A. in 2018 and now working on a Ph.D. In 2017 his chapter on the political thought of Kalim Siddiqui was published in the edited volume Al-Deen wa l-Insaan wa l-'Aalam (Tahreer, Arabic language). In 2019, his translation from Turkish to English of Recep Şentürk's Malcolm X: The Struggle for Human Rights was published by Claritas Books. To Asim Qureshi's edited volume I Refuse to Condemn (Manchester University Press, 2020), he contributed the chapter "It is Allah that Condemns."

Esra Ukallo

Email address: esraukallo@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Islamic Studies/ Intellectual Encounters of the Islamicate World / Freie Universität Berlin
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Tuba Erkoç Baydar (Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Recep Şentürk)
PhD Thesis Topic: Liability of Artificial Intelligence: Can Muslims leave their legal responsibility to medical ai applications?
Research Interests: Islamic law, Bioethics, Islamic thought
Academic Biography: Esra Ukallo is a Ph.D. candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. Her dissertation, "Liability of Artificial Intelligence: Can Muslims Leave Their Legal Responsibility to Medical AI Applications?", examines whether legal responsibility can be delegated to AI systems, drawing on concepts such as taklīf, ahliyya, and dhimma. She earned her Theology degree at Marmara University (2009–2014) and completed her Master's at Freie Universität Berlin (2015) with a thesis on fatwas concerning Muslims under non-Muslim rule. Since 2015 she has taught Ḥanafī fiqh as an assistant at the Center for Excellence in Education (EDEP), and her research interests span uṣūl al-fiqh, bioethics, and the philosophy of technology. A native speaker of Turkish and German who is also proficient in Arabic and English, she brings cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives to current debates on AI ethics and Islamic law.

Furkan Acerbaş

Email address: furkan.acerbas@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Civilization Studies, Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Ercüment Asil
PhD Thesis Topic: The Intellectual History of İstibdad in Late Ottoman Political Thought
Research Interests: History of Political Thought, Ottoman Political Thought, Islamic Political Thought, Sufism and Politics in the Ottoman Empire
Academic Biography: Furkan Acerbaş is a PhD candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul University and his master's degree at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University, with a thesis titled "The Legitimacy of Political Power in The New Ottoman Thought: The Case of Hürriyet Newspaper." His doctoral research focuses on the conceptual history of istibdad in the post-Tanzimat Ottoman period. He also serves as a teaching fellow at Ibn Haldun University. In addition to his academic work, he holds a degree from Marmara University's School of Applied Sciences in Tourist Guidance and is a professional tourist guide candidate.

Goncagül Şahin

Email address: goncagul.kaya@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Sociology, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Önder Küçükural
PhD Thesis Topic: A Comparison of the Tradition of Balāgha with Western Rhetoric and Its Potential Contributions
Research Interests: Sociology, Argumentation, Rhetoric, Dialectic, Discourse Analysis
Academic Biography: Goncagül Şahin is a graduate of Hacettepe University's Faculty of Engineering and Istanbul University's Faculty of Theology (English). She completed her master's degree in discourse analysis at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University. She is currently working on rhetorical theories in the Islamic tradition at the same institute and exploring the potential contributions of this tradition to Western rhetoric.

İbrahim Akkuç

Email address: ibrahim.akkuc@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Politics and International Relations, SOAS University of London
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat
PhD Thesis Topic: Outsourcing Violence and the Transformation of Sovereignty: A Comparative Study of Janjaweed Militias, Blackwater (Academi), and the Wagner Group
Research Interests: Political Theory, Political Thought, Modernity and Post Modernity, Turkish Politics, Middle East Politics
Academic Biography: İbrahim Akkuç completed his undergraduate degree in Education; however, he has always had a keen interest in politics and related subjects, reading about them whenever he had the opportunity. Later, during his stay in London, he came across one of the leading institutions in his field of interest: in SOAS, University of London he completed his master's degree in Middle East Politics there and subsequently returned to Türkiye. To deepen his academic work, he applied to Ibn Haldun University, Medit, where he is currently pursuing his PhD in Political Theory. His subjects of interests are political theory, political thought, modernity and post modernity, Turkish politics, middle east politics.

Nesibe Şahin

Email address: nesibe.sahin@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Sociology, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Prof. Alev Erkilet
PhD Thesis Topic: Analysis of civil society-state relations in IHH's humanitarian diplomacy activities: The Mavi Marmara case
Research Interests: Political sociology, sociology of international relations, civil society, critical humanitarianism
Academic Biography: Nesibe Şahin is a Teaching Fellow at the Ibn Haldun University. She had bachelor in Theology and master in Sociology. Currently a PhD candidate in Sociology, Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University.

Ömer Şipal

Email address: omer.sipal@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Political Science and International Relations, Istanbul City University
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat
PhD Thesis Topic: The Transformation of the Political in the Postmodern Era
Research Interests: Political Theory, Postmodern Politics, Modernity and Its Political Manifestations
Academic Biography: Ömer Şipal is a PhD candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute at İbn Haldun University. He holds a bachelor's degree in Foreign Language Education from Boğaziçi University and completed his master’s degree at İstanbul Şehir University, where his thesis examined the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt through a comparative analysis of the 1950s and 2013 coups. His current doctoral research focuses on political theory, specifically investigating how the concept of the political is undergoing transformation under the postmodern condition. By exploring contemporary shifts in sovereignty and citizenship, his work analyzes how political theory thrives and adapts in the postmodern era.

Rabiul Islam

Email address: rabiul.islam@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Political Science and International Relations, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat
PhD Thesis Topic: Discourse Construction and Public Perception of War: A Comparative Analysis of Media Discourses on Israel's War on Gaza in Bangladesh and India
Research Interests: Narrative Analysis, Media and Politics, Islam and Politics

Rajeev Kumar

Email address: rajeev.kumar@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Civilization Studies, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Prof. Bruce Bennett Lawrence
PhD Thesis Topic: The Longing-Belonging Paradigm: Negotiating “Kahat Kabir” in south asia with focus on bihar
Research Interests: I am a Social Anthropologist and Ethnographer of South Asian Islam and Sufi-Bhakti traditions, currently completing my PhD under Professor Bruce B. Lawrence at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. My doctoral research utilizes an interdisciplinary approach combining ethnography and vernacular literary studies to examine the oral-performative traditions of Kabir in Bihar and their contemporary reception. Alongside my research, I have spent three years as a teaching fellow for "World History through Art and Literature" and have instructed the course "Introduction to Indian Literature." Professionally, I bring extensive experience in international academic publishing with houses like Springer and De Gruyter, and I currently serve as the Managing Editor of U-Talk Magazine. Beyond academia, I am a social activist and the founder of the Umran Green Perspective Foundation, an independent initiative dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and peace through language, education, and research (www.umran.org.in).

Saadat Eskandarifar

Email address: saadat.eskandarifar@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Media and Communication, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Prof. Alparslan Açıkgenç
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Persian Literature, English Literature, Sufism, Women's Studies, Cinema Studies, Mevlana Rumi
Academic Biography: Saadat Eskandarifar received a B.A. in English Literature in Iran and an M.A. in Media and Communication from Ibn Haldun University. Her master's thesis focused on the representation of women in post-revolutionary Iranian cinema. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Alliance of Civilisations programme, where her research examines the concept of the human subject in Rumi's Masnavi and the poetry of T. S. Eliot.

Sena Temel

Email address: sena.temel@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Sociology, Marmara University
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Vahdettin Işık
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Civilizational Studies, Contemporary Islamic thought, Modernity and Decolonial Critiques, Memory Studies, sociology of religion, Political Sociology
Academic Biography: Sena Temel is a PhD candidate in Civilization Studies at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University. She holds a BA and an MA in Sociology. Her master's research at Marmara University examined the political construction of social identity and collective memory in Turkey. Her current research focuses on civilizational crisis and contemporary Islamic thought, with particular interest in epistemology, ethical renewal, and the intellectual foundations of civilizational recovery.

Shahzada Rahim Abbas

Email address: rahim.abbas@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: International Relations, Erciyes University
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Önder Küçükural
PhD Thesis Topic: The Role of Education in Managing State-Relations in Pakistan: A Case Study of Musharraf Era (1999-2008)
Research Interests: Political Philosophy, Political Economy, Sociology of Religion, Civilizational States
Academic Biography: Shahzada Rahim Abbas is a PhD Candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, where his work intersects civilizational theory, Civilizational States, Civilizational history, Religion and Politics and global governance. Driven by a keen interest in contemporary global dynamics, his academic inquiries explore the structural evolution of global governance during the current transition toward a multipolar world order through civilizational lens.

Tavarish Kumar

Email address: tavarish.kumar@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Cultural Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia (India)
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Political philosophy, Political thought in the Subcontinent, Partition Studies
Academic Biography: I completed my undergraduate studies in History and later pursued a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies. I was drawn to Civilizational Studies in part due to its interdisciplinary nature. I am particularly interested in the concept of sovereignty and territoriality, especially in the context of the Indian subcontinent and partition. I hope to explore categories such as law, cartography, political thought and imagination at the site of postcolonial sovereignty in South Asia.

Zahid Jalaly

Email address: zahid.jalaly@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: International Law, International Islamic University, Islamabad
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Vahdettin Işık
PhD Thesis Topic: Codification, Constitutionalism, and the Place of Sharia: Legal Developments in Afghanistan, 1880–1933
Research Interests: Islamic thought, international law, islamic history, education.
Academic Biography: Zahid Jalaly is a Ph.D. candidate in Civilization Studies at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. He holds an LL.B. (Hons.) in Sharīʿah and Law and an LL.M. in International Law (Gold Medalist) from the International Islamic University, Islamabad. Before joining Ibn Haldun University, he served as Academic Administrator of Department of Political Science at Kardan University in Kabul and taught at several higher education institutions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His doctoral research examines the interaction between codification, constitutionalism, and Sharīʿah in Afghanistan between 1880 and 1931, with a particular focus on legal reform, judicial institutions, and state-building. His broader research interests include Islamic legal history, constitutional history, political thought, and the intellectual history of the Muslim world.

Zehra Vlug Ünver

Email address: zehra.vlug@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Ercüment Asil
PhD Thesis Topic: Between Formation and Instruction: Exploring Islamic Pedagogy and Didactics in Postclassical Ottoman Thought
Research Interests: Islamic Pedagogy and Educational Thought; Ottoman Intellectual History; History of Education; Islamic Ethics and Moral Formation; Curriculum and Didactics in the Islamic Intellectual Tradition; Knowledge Transmission and Teacher-Student Relations
Academic Biography: Zehra Vlug-Ünver is a PhD candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute at Ibn Haldun University. She holds a degree in primary teacher education from HAN University of Applied Sciences and a master's degree from Ibn Haldun University. Her doctoral research explores Islamic pedagogy and didactics in postclassical Ottoman thought. She focuses on the relationship between knowledge transmission, moral formation, curriculum, and teacher-student relations. Her research draws on Arabic and Ottoman Turkish scholarly works from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Her broader interests include Islamic educational thought, Ottoman intellectual history, and moral education.