About the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies

The Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies seeks to facilitate and promote the study of Islamic cultures and societies, including history from the beginnings of Islam to the twenty-first century, systematic study of Islamic social contexts, the religion of Islam in all its internal complexity, and the diversity of human experience as seen in literature and the arts originating in societies affected by Islamic civilizations.

The Abbasi Program is the central forum for interdisciplinary research and teaching in Islamic Studies at Stanford. The global extent of Islam and the growth of its diasporas require that the program cover large geographical regions such as the Middle East, Central, Southern, and Southeast Asia, many parts of Africa and southeastern Europe, and minority communities spread throughout Western Europe and the Americas. In addition to geographical breadth, Islamic Studies at Stanford promotes the use of varied scholarly resources from the humanities and the social sciences.

Participating faculty and students bring perspectives and methods from numerous academic fields, including anthropology, art history, economics, history, international relations, languages, law, literature, philosophy, political science, religious studies, and the study of women and gender. The program coordinates and promotes the offering of undergraduate courses and graduate work leading to a Ph.D. in several departments in the School of Humanities and Sciences. The Program complements Stanford inter-departmental offerings in Islamic Studies by a rich variety of conferences, workshops, and public events.

To remain informed about our activities and initiatives, join our Facebook group (Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, Stanford University), subscribe to our mailing list or contact the program office at abbasiprogram @ stanford.edu.