Supporting Islamic Studies

The Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies at Stanford University is made possible through support from generous donors. We gratefully acknowledge the $2.5 million gift from Sohaib and Sara Abbasi to endow the program in 2003 and the $2 million gift from Lysbeth Warren Anderson to endow a professorship in Islamic Studies. Both gifts received one-to-one matching funds from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s gift to the School of Humanities and Sciences.

The university is actively seeking further support for Islamic studies, including graduate fellowships, faculty positions, and visiting professorships. New offerings under consideration include topics such as religious history, thought and practice; the organization of Islamic societies and communities; Islamic law; the role of the Qur’an and other authoritative texts in shaping Islamic institutions of government, economy and education; and the changing face of Islam in the modern world, both in predominantly Islamic countries and in other parts of the world, including countries of the West. The program sponsors research, visiting scholars, academic conferences and public lectures. We invite you to explore this section of the Web site to learn more about our donors and ways to support this program.