Last year, Professors Tahera Qutbuddin, Ahmed El Shamsy, Yousef Casewit, and Dr. Thomas Maguire met for the inaugural session of Seldon Forum hosted by Dina Rehab.

Drawing from their experiences at the University of Chicago’s Department of Middle Eastern Studies (formerly Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations), Divinity School, and Center for Middle Eastern Studies, our esteemed guests reflect on the field of Islamic Studies in the Humanities Division and Divinity School to explore an interdisciplinary understanding of the strengths and challenges in the field, and possible future directions. 

In this episode, we explore several key questions: what is the purpose of the Humanities and Divinity School, and how does that shape the teaching of Islamic Studies at the University of Chicago? How do these objectives align with the needs of students and the broader public? What is the role of the academy in shaping and revisiting terms and frameworks used to study Islam, and how does it account for stereotypes and biases that still exist?

Our discussion is based on a survey exploring the perceptions of the public, students from the academy and religious seminaries, and community leaders on the academy's role in contributing to the understanding of Islam and Muslim identity. This initial conversation with leading Islamic Studies scholars aims to provide direct responses from academics to address some of the key questions raised in this survey. It also aims to address critical gaps between the academy and the broader public, the academy and religious seminaries, and the expectations and realities of what an Islamic Studies program at the academy offers its students. By fostering these conversations, we hope to create a clearer and more collaborative understanding of the academy’s mission and its contributions to both scholarship and community.