PhD Students

Student information
	Afşın Murat Taştan Email address: afsin.tastan@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Civilization Studies, Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Prof. Tahsin Görgün PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Ottoman Thought, Islamic Political Thought, Contemporary Islamic Thought
	Ainun Ruzana Email address: ainun.razak@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Masters in Islamic Economics; Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Thought and Comparative Philosophy, National University of Malaysia (UKM), University of Darussalam Gontor Supervisor: TBA PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Oriental Philosophy, Liberal Arts and Classical Education, Tasawwuf Literature and Metaphysics of Islam
	Ali Sadiq Bayraq Email address: ali.sadiqbayraq@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Social Sciences Institute, Yeditepe University Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
	Dana Nawzar Jaf Email address: dana.jaf@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: MSc Politics and Government; MSc Development, Sustainability and Culture, University Putra Malaysia (2012–2014), Durham University, United Kingdom (2016–2017) Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Contemporary Islamic Thought, Governance in the Muslim World, Anti-Islamic Movements, Western-Islamicate Relations Akademik Biyografi: Dana Nawzar Jaf was born in Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, where he completed his early education and undergraduate studies. He travelled to Malaysia and the United Kingdom to pursue two separate master's degrees in Political Science and Anthropology respectively. Alongside his academic studies, he has worked professionally with a number of international organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. He joined Ibn Haldun University's MEDIT in 2025. He speaks Kurdish, Arabic, and Turkish fluently with an advanced knowledge of Persian.
	Elham Mohammed Auod Email address: elham.alhidabi@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA:International Relations and Political Science, Istanbul Aydin University Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Yemeni Affairs, Political Transformations, Regional and International Conflicts, Political Development, Political Theory and Its Applications, the Role of the Tribe and Other Actors in Political Stability/Instability, Civilizational Perspective and Its Impact on Societal Development Akademik Biyografi: Elham Alhidabi is a PhD candidate at Ibn Haldun University and a Strategic Fikir Center for Studies researcher. Her work focuses on political conflict, with an emphasis on identity and geopolitical dimensions. She also has a broader interest in local and regional political and social development.
	Elif Canaltay Email address: elif.canaltay@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Civilization StudiesCivilization Studies, Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University Supervisor: Prof. Alparslan Açıkgenç PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Chinese Philosophy, Sino-Muslim Heritage Akademik Biyografi: Elif Canaltay holds a BA in History of Science from Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University and an MA in Civilization Studies from Ibn Haldun University, where she completed her thesis on the concepts of human, society, and state in Confucius and al-Farabi. Her academic background has shaped her broader interest in the intellectual and cultural history of Chinese civilization, particularly classical Chinese philosophy. During her graduate studies, she developed a particular interest in Confucianism, while also exploring interactions between Chinese and Islamic intellectual traditions. Her current research focuses on the philosophical foundations of Chinese civilization, with particular attention to early Chinese conceptions of the Dao. Through a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, she aims to contribute to the field of Chinese studies that enables meaningful dialogue between Islamic and Chinese civilizations. Her goal is to help expand the scope of global academia beyond the dominant Western paradigms and highlight the enduring relevance of Eastern intellectual traditions.
	Enes Özcan Email address: enes.ozcan@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Politics. Economics. Philosophy, Higher School of Economics (HSE) Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Vahdettin Işık (prospective) PhD Thesis Topic: TBA (preliminarily: Reconceptualization of "Liberty" in Political Thought of the Late Ottoman Tajdid Movement) Research Interests: Political Thought, Contemporary Islamic Thought, Intellectual History Akademik Biyografi: Enes Özcan is a PhD student at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute (MEDIT) at Ibn Haldun University. He holds a Master's degree from the "Politics. Economics. Philosophy" (PEP) program at the Higher School of Economics (HSE). Currently, he serves as the Administrative Manager at the Institute of Knowledge Integration and is the founder and developer of Fikrist.com (Atlas of Political Thought). His research broadly spans political thought, economic thought, intellectual history, and contemporary Islamic thought, with a particular focus on late Ottoman political thought (19th–20th centuries).
	Ismaeel Elkhateeb Email address: ismaeel.elkhateeb@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Political Science – United Nations and Global Policy, Rutgers University Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Ercüment Asil PhD Thesis Topic: Shadow of the Caliphate: Ottoman Utilization of Awqaf for Transimperial Governance in Cairo under British Occupation, 1882–1914 Research Interests: Tanzimat, Social Welfare, Waqf/Vakıf, Ottomanism, Islamic Thought, Islamic Modernism, Caliphate Akademik Biyografi: Ismaeel is a PhD student at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute at Ibn Haldun University. His current research interests focus on the late Ottoman period and the relationship between the awqaf (pious endowments) in the Arab provinces with Caliphal authority in Istanbul. Ismaeel earned his MA degree in political science and has published op-eds on current events with Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor and others. Ismaeel is also the director and founder of Diwan Collective, a US-based waqf. His other interests include practicing Arabic calligraphy, traveling, reading about history or politics, gardening, and journaling.
	Sayed Mohammad Shojaei Esfahaninejad (Aria) Email address: sayed.esfahaninejad@stu.ihu.edu.tr MA: Philosophy, Mofid University Supervisor: TBA PhD Thesis Topic: TBA Research Interests: Philosophy, Islamic Theology, Philosophy of Mind, Islamic Mysticism, Rumi Akademik Biyografi: Mohammad Shojaei Esfahaninejad is a PhD student at Ibn Haldun University's Alliance of Civilizations Institute in Istanbul. He holds a BA in Islamic Theology and Philosophy from Shahid Motahari University and an MA in Philosophy from Mofid University, Qom. His research interests lie at the intersection of Philosophy of Mind, Islamic Philosophy, Islamic Mysticism, and Science and Religion. His current research explores the relationship between consciousness and the mind–body problem through a dialogue between contemporary philosophy and the philosophical tradition of Mulla Sadra and Avicenna. His ongoing projects include an interdisciplinary study of the mind–body relationship through the lens of wave–particle duality and research on Allamah Hasan-Zadeh Amoli's approach to the interaction between science and religion and the Qur'anic methodology in the empirical sciences.

Afşın Murat Taştan

Email address: afsin.tastan@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Civilization Studies, Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Prof. Tahsin Görgün
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Ottoman Thought, Islamic Political Thought, Contemporary Islamic Thought

Ainun Ruzana

Email address: ainun.razak@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Masters in Islamic Economics; Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Thought and Comparative Philosophy, National University of Malaysia (UKM), University of Darussalam Gontor
Supervisor: TBA
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Oriental Philosophy, Liberal Arts and Classical Education, Tasawwuf Literature and Metaphysics of Islam

Ali Sadiq Bayraq

Email address: ali.sadiqbayraq@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Social Sciences Institute, Yeditepe University
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA

Dana Nawzar Jaf

Email address: dana.jaf@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: MSc Politics and Government; MSc Development, Sustainability and Culture, University Putra Malaysia (2012–2014), Durham University, United Kingdom (2016–2017)
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Contemporary Islamic Thought, Governance in the Muslim World, Anti-Islamic Movements, Western-Islamicate Relations
Akademik Biyografi: Dana Nawzar Jaf was born in Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, where he completed his early education and undergraduate studies. He travelled to Malaysia and the United Kingdom to pursue two separate master's degrees in Political Science and Anthropology respectively. Alongside his academic studies, he has worked professionally with a number of international organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. He joined Ibn Haldun University's MEDIT in 2025. He speaks Kurdish, Arabic, and Turkish fluently with an advanced knowledge of Persian.

Elham Mohammed Auod

Email address: elham.alhidabi@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA:International Relations and Political Science, Istanbul Aydin University
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Heba Raouf Ezzat
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Yemeni Affairs, Political Transformations, Regional and International Conflicts, Political Development, Political Theory and Its Applications, the Role of the Tribe and Other Actors in Political Stability/Instability, Civilizational Perspective and Its Impact on Societal Development
Akademik Biyografi: Elham Alhidabi is a PhD candidate at Ibn Haldun University and a Strategic Fikir Center for Studies researcher. Her work focuses on political conflict, with an emphasis on identity and geopolitical dimensions. She also has a broader interest in local and regional political and social development.

Elif Canaltay

Email address: elif.canaltay@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Civilization StudiesCivilization Studies, Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University
Supervisor: Prof. Alparslan Açıkgenç
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Chinese Philosophy, Sino-Muslim Heritage
Akademik Biyografi: Elif Canaltay holds a BA in History of Science from Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University and an MA in Civilization Studies from Ibn Haldun University, where she completed her thesis on the concepts of human, society, and state in Confucius and al-Farabi. Her academic background has shaped her broader interest in the intellectual and cultural history of Chinese civilization, particularly classical Chinese philosophy. During her graduate studies, she developed a particular interest in Confucianism, while also exploring interactions between Chinese and Islamic intellectual traditions. Her current research focuses on the philosophical foundations of Chinese civilization, with particular attention to early Chinese conceptions of the Dao. Through a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, she aims to contribute to the field of Chinese studies that enables meaningful dialogue between Islamic and Chinese civilizations. Her goal is to help expand the scope of global academia beyond the dominant Western paradigms and highlight the enduring relevance of Eastern intellectual traditions.

Enes Özcan

Email address: enes.ozcan@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Politics. Economics. Philosophy, Higher School of Economics (HSE)
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Vahdettin Işık (prospective)
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA (preliminarily: Reconceptualization of "Liberty" in Political Thought of the Late Ottoman Tajdid Movement)
Research Interests: Political Thought, Contemporary Islamic Thought, Intellectual History
Akademik Biyografi: Enes Özcan is a PhD student at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute (MEDIT) at Ibn Haldun University. He holds a Master's degree from the "Politics. Economics. Philosophy" (PEP) program at the Higher School of Economics (HSE). Currently, he serves as the Administrative Manager at the Institute of Knowledge Integration and is the founder and developer of Fikrist.com (Atlas of Political Thought). His research broadly spans political thought, economic thought, intellectual history, and contemporary Islamic thought, with a particular focus on late Ottoman political thought (19th–20th centuries).

Ismaeel Elkhateeb

Email address: ismaeel.elkhateeb@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Political Science – United Nations and Global Policy, Rutgers University
Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Ercüment Asil
PhD Thesis Topic: Shadow of the Caliphate: Ottoman Utilization of Awqaf for Transimperial Governance in Cairo under British Occupation, 1882–1914
Research Interests: Tanzimat, Social Welfare, Waqf/Vakıf, Ottomanism, Islamic Thought, Islamic Modernism, Caliphate
Akademik Biyografi: Ismaeel is a PhD student at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute at Ibn Haldun University. His current research interests focus on the late Ottoman period and the relationship between the awqaf (pious endowments) in the Arab provinces with Caliphal authority in Istanbul. Ismaeel earned his MA degree in political science and has published op-eds on current events with Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor and others. Ismaeel is also the director and founder of Diwan Collective, a US-based waqf. His other interests include practicing Arabic calligraphy, traveling, reading about history or politics, gardening, and journaling.

Sayed Mohammad Shojaei Esfahaninejad (Aria)

Email address: sayed.esfahaninejad@stu.ihu.edu.tr
MA: Philosophy, Mofid University
Supervisor: TBA
PhD Thesis Topic: TBA
Research Interests: Philosophy, Islamic Theology, Philosophy of Mind, Islamic Mysticism, Rumi
Akademik Biyografi: Mohammad Shojaei Esfahaninejad is a PhD student at Ibn Haldun University's Alliance of Civilizations Institute in Istanbul. He holds a BA in Islamic Theology and Philosophy from Shahid Motahari University and an MA in Philosophy from Mofid University, Qom. His research interests lie at the intersection of Philosophy of Mind, Islamic Philosophy, Islamic Mysticism, and Science and Religion. His current research explores the relationship between consciousness and the mind–body problem through a dialogue between contemporary philosophy and the philosophical tradition of Mulla Sadra and Avicenna. His ongoing projects include an interdisciplinary study of the mind–body relationship through the lens of wave–particle duality and research on Allamah Hasan-Zadeh Amoli's approach to the interaction between science and religion and the Qur'anic methodology in the empirical sciences.