Singapore PM releases further details about upcoming Islamic College

Singapore PM and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong has shared more details about the Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) in his National Day Rally 2025 speech on 17 August 2025.

Speaking in Malay, PM Wong shared that the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has been working with local and overseas partners to develop a curriculum for the SCIS.

"Tonight, I am happy to announce that SCIS will have its own campus. It will be located next to the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) campus in Rochor. SCIS and SUSS will be housed in their own buildings, which will reflect their own unique identity and purpose," he said.

"SCIS students will be able to take SUSS’s social science courses as part of their studies. Both institutions will also share facilities. This way, students from both institutions can better interact with one another, enriching their campus lives."

MUIS announced on Facebook that the new SCIS campus will feature Islamic architectural elements and dedicated Islamic studies facilities in addition to shared spaces with SUSS, including its library and recreational areas. There will also be collaborative research and project opportunities for SCIS and SUSS faculty members.

Mufti Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, who is also head of the SCIS Steering Committee, said the strategic location of the campus would help prepare asatizah with skills to handle increasingly complex challenges ahead, and that the proximity of the two institutions would facilitate exchanges in expertise, skills and perspectives.

SCIS will welcome its first 60 students at the interim Bencoolen campus in 2028 while the new campus is being built.

The Singapore Muslim community currently lacks a national institution of higher learning to complete the Islamic learning journey begun by the establishment of full-time madrasahs. The concept of an SCIS had been mentioned as early as 2016, and as recently by PM Wong as 2024, where he said in his National Day Rally 2024 speech that the SCIS "will nurture our future Singapore Islamic leaders". 

He later shared on LinkedIn that the SCIS will offer two full-time degree pathways: Islamic Studies and Social Sciences. "...So students can choose to graduate and become religious teachers, or they can join the social sector," he said in late 2024.

MUIS has announced the establishment of Singapore College of Islamic Studies’ (SCIS) Board of Governors (BOG) in November 2024. The BOG leads the strategic oversight of the college and is chaired by Abdullah Tarmugi.

The advisory panel for the Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) gathered for its inaugural meeting in Singapore on 24 June 2025. There are 10 experts in the panel, which is chaired by Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs in Singapore, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, including HE Dr Nazir Ayyad, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, and Dr Salama Dawood, President of Al Azhar University.

SCIS has partnerships with SUSS, Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, the University of Jordan, and Al-Qarawiyyin University of Morocco to enhance interdisciplinary learning, cultural exchange, language skills, and Islamic scholarship, enriching students' education and careers.

MUIS sees the SCIS-SUSS partnership as presenting opportunities to foster interdisciplinary learning, cultural exchange, and networking between students from both institutions.

MUIS further hopes that collaborating with Dar al-Ifta, an Islamic advisory, justiciary and governmental body, will allow SCIS graduates to gain advanced standing in Dar al-Ifta's Professional Diploma Programme in Fatwa Studies.

The University of Jordan is to offer SCIS students opportunities for Arabic language immersion and cultural exchange, broadening their understanding of Islamic scholarship in a global context as well.

SCIS’s partnership with Al-Qarawiyyin University is expected to pave the way to developing new paradigms in Islamic studies that are both rooted in tradition and relevant to contemporary societies.

One of the key funding sources for the SCIS is the Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura (WMS), which receives donations at https://wakaf.sg/give-wakaf/

Hashtag: #NDR2025

Aligarh Muslim University appoints Dean for Faculty of Theology

Source: AMU. Professor Mohammad.

The Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor has appointed Professor Mohammad Saleem from the Department of Sunni Theology as Dean, Faculty of Theology for a period of two years, with effect from February 15 2019.

Dr Mohammad's specialty is in the critical study of hadith. He teaches post-graduate classes about hadith on the basis of ilm-e-dirayah (عِلْمِ الدِرایَة), the study of understanding hadith, as opposed to Ilm-e-riwayah, (عِلْمِ الرِّوَايَة) the study of narration of hadith.

He has published four books, including Rewayat wa Dirayat e Hadith; Tadween e Hadith; Uloom e Hadith; and Ahadith e Fadhail.

IDB-funded UINSA buildings inaugurated

Source: Ministry of Finance, Indonesia. The Assistant Minister for Financial Services and Capital Market Policy and Regulation of Ministry of Finance, Indonesia, Isa Rachmatarwata, spoke at the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group 41st Annual Meeting Roadshow in Surabaya, Indonesia on 26 April. The President of IDB, Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al Madani, Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, the Mayor of Surabaya Tri Rismaharini, Rector of UINSA Abd A’la and as well as Isa Rachmatarwata were present at the ceremony.

The Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel (UINSA) Twin Tower Buildings, funded with a soft loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), was inaugurated during the IDB Group 41st Annual Meeting Roadshow was also held at UINSA, in Surabaya, Indonesia. 

The Rector of UINSA Abd A’la expects that with the Twin Towers and other seven buildings and fixed buildings, academicians in UINSA will be more motivated to be creative, innovative, and expert in their respective fields.

Indonesian Assistant Minister for Financial Services and Capital Market Policy and Regulation of the Ministry of Finance Isa Rachmatarwata said, "This aid from IDB (shows) how IDB supports infrastructure development in Indonesia.” According to Isa, Indonesia still needs basic infrastructure development, such as infrastructure for education and connectivity in all over Indonesia.

“Therefore, we would like to use this upcoming 41st annual meeting of IDB for not only Finance Ministers’ meeting but also an opportunity for Indonesia to show the (that) development happens here, establish networking and have new as well as better opportunities to build Indonesia.”

Illustrating the trends in Quranic commentary worldwide

Source: OUP.

The OUP/Institute of Ismaili Studies has published The Qur'an and its Readers Worldwide: Contemporary Commentaries and Translations, edited by Suha Taji-Farouki (ISBN: 9780198754770) as part of its Qur'anic Studies Series.

Some 80% of Muslims in the contemporary world speak languages other than Arabic, the language of the Quran. To respond to the needs of their communities, Muslim scholars and laypersons must increasingly explain and communicate the meanings of the Quran in their own languages — including through the medium of Quran commentary and translation.

The Qur'an and its Readers Worldwide provides an introduction to this rich and expanding field. It brings together a selection of Quran commentaries and translations produced across the twentieth century to the present day, and ranging in provenance from the regions of the traditional Islamic heartlands to the new loci of global Islam. Individual chapters examine works in Arabic, Bosnian, Chinese, English, German, Malay, Persian, Swahili, Turkish and Urdu, each viewed in terms of the impact of modernity on the encounter with the Quran.

Through these case studies this book illustrates the defining trends in Quran commentary worldwide, addressing evolving questions of authorship, message, intended readership and media of communication. It also samples debates concerning Quranic meaning in translation.

Taji-Farouki is Senior Lecturer in Modern Islam at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, the University of Exeter. She was formerly at the University of Durham, and has held Visiting Fellowships in London, Berlin, Oxford and Amman.

Interested?

The hardback costs £60.

Fresh view into Islamic ethical thought from Sophia Vasalou

Source: OUP.

Ibn Taymiyya's Theological Ethics by Sophia Vasalou (ISBN: 9780199397839), Oxford University Press, is a new study on Islamic ethical thought in the classical period, detailing intellectual developments in Islamic theology, philosophy and legal theory.

Ahmad Ibn Taymiyya (ابن تيمية; ) was a prominent Islamic scholar, theologian and logician. The book aims to shed fresh light on Ibn Taymiyya's intellectual identity by investigating his ethical thought, considering right and wrong, and God's relationship to standards discerned by the human mind. 

Vasalou, a Library of Arabic Literature Fellow at NYU Abu Dhabi and an Honorary Research Associate at Oxford Brookes University, also explores Ibn Taymiyya's relationship to the intellectual landscape of his time (1263 to 1328), bringing us up against ethical discussions unfolding within theology, philosophy and legal theory in the classical period. 

Interested?

The hardback is priced at £47.99. This book is also available as an ebook

Reviewing Islam and democracy post-Arab Spring

Source: OUP.

In late 2010, the wave of civil resistance known as the Arab Spring stunned the world as dictatorships in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya were overthrown, while the regimes of Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen suppressed their own revolutions. The Islamic political parties of Tunisia and Egypt have gained particular attention for their success in the national elections following the overthrow of their regimes, and similar electoral success has been seen in Morocco and is predicted throughout the Arab world and beyond in the broader Middle East and in Southeast Asia.

Islam and Democracy after the Arab Spring by John Esposito, Tamara Sonn, and John Voll (ISBN: 9780195147988) expands upon ideas raised in by Esposito and Voll in their earlier book Islam and Democracy, as well as data from the Gallup World poll and Gallup polling throughout Egypt, Tunisia, and other loci of the Arab Spring. Islam and Democracy after the Arab Spring applies a twenty-first century perspective to the question of whether or not Islam is "compatible" with democracy by redirecting the conversation towards a new politic of democracy that transcends both secular authoritarianism and 'Political Islam'.

The book provides historical context and insights into the broader political developments of the Muslim world. While the opposition movements of the Arab Spring are distinctive, each has raised questions regarding equality, economic justice, democratic participation, and the relationship between Islam and democracy in their respective countries.

The authors are established experts on Islam and democracy and have served as consultants to governments, the military, and think tanks in the US, Europe, and Asia. Esposito is University Professor and Professor of Religion & International Affairs and of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, while Sonn is the Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in the History of Islam in the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Voll is Professor Emeritus of Islamic History at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University.

Interested?

The hardback costs £20. An ebook version is also available

How Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions differ

Two books recently published by the Oxford University Press (OUP) cover comparisons between Jewish, Christian and Islamic religious thought. Natural Law: A Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Trialogue by Anver Emon, Matthew Levering, and David Novak, provides a sense for how natural law doctrine arises and functions in each tradition, while Shared Stories,Rival Tellings: Early Encounters of Jews, Christians, and Muslims by Robert Gregg reveals that Christians, Jews, and Muslims conscientiously differentiated themselves through debates over scriptural stories' meanings.

Source: OUP website.

In Natural Law each author has written an essay on natural law doctrine in one tradition and responds to the other two authors, revealing the particular points of tension/interest between the traditions. Readers will gain a sense for how natural law resonated with classical thinkers such as Maimonides, Origen, Augustine, al-Ghazali and others. There is extensive reliance on classical sources from each tradition, with clear explanations of the key sources and terms for natural law doctrine in the tradition. Footnotes provide key bibliographic resources for further study.

Anver Emon is Professor of Law, University of Toronto, Canada; Matthew Levering is Professor, Mundelein Seminary, Illinois in the US, and David Novak holds the J Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair in Jewish Studies as Professor of Religion and Philosophy, University of Toronto.

Source: OUP
website.

For Shared Stories Gregg, who is Emeritus Professor in Religious Studies, Stanford University, emphasises that there was mutual curiosity between Christians, Muslims, and Jews, since all three religions had ancestral traditions and a commanding God in common, but also competitiveness, as each group was compelled to sharpen its identity against the other two. 

Gregg performs a comparative investigation of how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim interpreters—both writers and artists—developed their distinctive and exclusionary understandings of narratives common to their three holy books: Cain and Abel, Sara and Hagar, Joseph and Potiphar's wife, Jonah and the Whale, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Exposed in the process are the major issues under contention and the social-intellectual forces that contributed to the exchanges between Muslims, Christians and Jews.

Interested?

Natural Law (ISBN 978-0-19-87450 0-6, £16.99) is available as an e-book or a paperback

Shared Stories, Rival Tellings (ISBN 978-0-19-023149-1, £25.99 or US$39.95) is available as an e-book and as a hardback. To purchase the e-book, visit your preferred e-book provider

Takaful market could surpass US$50 billion by 2020

The aafaq Center for Research in Islamic Economy (ACRIE) and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University's (HBMSU's) Dubai Center for Islamic Banking and Finance (DCIBF) have released a report on takaful at the third Global Islamic Economic Summit (GIES) in Dubai, UAE.

Takaful: Global Challenges to Growth Performance and Governance was developed in collaboration with the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC), and ACRIE, a subsidiary of aafaq Islamic Finance. 

 
The report reveals that the GCC region currently dominates the takaful business, with Southeast Asia and Africa as the next biggest markets. The report estimates that the global takaful market could be worth US$52.5 billion by 2020. Potential obstacles include the relative under-development of insurance distribution channels in several emerging markets, however.

HE Essa Kazim, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Secretary General of the DIEDC said: “The takaful sector is an important component of global Islamic finance that requires more attention and research in order to address major issues and achieve long-term growth. We commend DCIBF for its thorough and precise study on prevailing trends, opportunities and threats in the takaful domain.”

Dr Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, HBMSU, said: “Over the last 10 years the number of takaful companies has climbed nearly four-fold, reflecting the growing global popularity of the sector and its increasing importance to the development of Islamic finance. Despite its gains, though, the industry is still under-manned and faces several issues in vital areas such as innovation, distribution, and legal structures, among others. DCIBF’s report exhaustively investigates the key factors affecting the performance and governance of takaful and what actions government and industry need to take to ensure sustained and profitable growth.”

HE Dr Abduljaleel Alblouki, Deputy Chairman of aafaq Islamic Finance, added: “ACRIE and DCIBF and DIEDC have prepared an outstanding account of the current Takaful landscape and key areas for improvement that can further increase the sector’s impact on the global Islamic economy. It was a very enlightening experience for us to join the Center in exploring the takaful industry’s mechanisms, strengths, and gaps. Our report gives takaful players and stakeholders a clearer picture of what to expect, what to address and what to aim for as the sector gains a firmer foothold on the international markets.”

Recognizing takaful’s growing importance as an Islamic alternative to insurance, HBMSU and DCIBF tapped Dr Omar Fisher to prepare the report. Dr Fisher, who earned his PhD in takaful in 2005, has founded takaful companies in three countries. He said: “The Takaful Report, a groundbreaking effort by DCIBF, looks into the global trends and major challenges facing this risk management sector by covering 219 takaful operators across 39 countries. The publication of such comprehensive report further reinforces knowledge sharing in the industry and anchors Dubai as the Capital of Global Islamic Economy.”

Produced in Arabic and English to reach a broad international audience, the scientific report examines the efficiency and financial stability of the Takaful sector in countries with dual financial and economic systems. It identifies and discusses various Islamic insurance challenges and issues, quantifies investment trends, and analyses the impacts of demand and industry structure on market movements. It also explores the governance mechanisms of the takaful industry, delves into diverse takaful operational models, and provides key recommendations to policy makers and stakeholders.

The key insights provided by Takaful: Global Challenges to Growth Performance and Governance reflect the growing role DCIBF is playing in investigating and studying major technical and socioeconomic issues affecting Islamic banking and finance. The Center is the result of HBMSU’s efforts to become the first learning institute to launch a dedicated platform for enhancing both academic knowledge and human capital development in Islamic banking and finance at the regional and international levels. DCIBF embodies HBMSU’s commitment to the provision of quality education, training, research and community service and the promotion of best practices in the field of Islamic banking and finance.

INCEIF congratulates Dato’ Muzaffar Hisham

Source: INCEIF. Dato' Muzaffar.

INCEIF has formally congratulated Dato’ Muzaffar Hisham, an INCEIF Professional Development Panel member, on his recent conferment of the ‘Darjah Indra Mahkota Pahang’ which carries the title ‘Dato’ from the Sultan of Pahang, DYMM Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Mu’adzam Shah.

As CEO of Maybank Islamic, Dato’ Muzaffar and the bank have been supportive of INCEIF’s initiatives to develop high calibre Islamic financial services professionals, INCEIF noted. The bank has offered scholarships for Malaysians and Indonesians, where Maybank Group has operations, to study at INCEIF, a university of Islamic finance. It has also contributed towards the upgrade of INCEIF’s auditorium on campus which was named Maybank Islamic Auditorium in honour of its RM1.5 million sponsorship.

Dato’ Muzaffar’s conferment is a testament of his invaluable contributions towards the development of the Islamic financial service industry, in Malaysia and globally. "All of us at INCEIF wish him the very best for the future and may the bank and him continue to extend the support to INCEIF in our quest to contribute towards the betterment of the industry," the organisation said in a statement.

IFSB, INCEIF renew cooperation agreement

The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and INCEIF – The Global University of Islamic Finance have renewed an agreement to facilitate international cooperation between the two organisations to provide relevant activities relating to capacity building and awareness promotion in Islamic finance. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on the sidelines of the 12th IFSB Summit in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 19 May.

This mutual co-operation aims to strengthen the efforts of the two institutions in promoting an exchange of information, undertaking research, development, training and education in the Islamic financial services industry. More specifically, the MoU identifies the following areas of cooperation between the IFSB and INCEIF: 

• Jointly exploring and undertaking various research issues concerning Islamic financial services industry. 
• Providing reciprocal staff development and exchange programmes. 
• Building awareness among the industry players through jointly conducting learning and awareness programmes including among others: conferences, seminars, workshops, roundtables, trainings (including custom-designed learning and training programmes). 
• Cooperating in providing technical assistance to facilitate the implementation of the IFSB standards and to assist in building the necessary financial infrastructure for development of a sound and stable Islamic financial services industry. 

Under the first MoU, signed in 2012, the IFSB and INCEIF successfully held a series of six Executive Forums (EF) covering topics in Islamic finance. The IFSB-INCEIF Executive Forums on Islamic Finance aim to provide a platform for industry’s global leaders to discuss emerging issues facing the global Islamic financial services industry with an emphasis on issues related to supervision and prudential regulation at the national and international levels.

The next Executive Forum on Islamic Finance, themed Building Momentum for Islamic Liquidity Management, will be held 3 to 4 June 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

IFSB and INCEIF 7th Executive Forum to educate, further Islamic finance progress

The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and the INCEIF - The Global University of Islamic Finance are organising the seventh Executive Forum (EF) on Islamic Finance on 3 and 4 June 2015. The IFSB-INCEIF EF Series aim to provide a platform for global leaders in Islamic finance to discuss emerging issues facing the global Islamic financial services industry. 

The EF, to be held at Sasana Kijang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, emphasises supervision and prudential regulation at national and international levels. Themed Building Momentum for Islamic Liquidity Management the EF will surface new insights through panel sessions, discussion groups, and practical case studies on the interactions between internal liquidity and external funds (e.g. profit-sharing investment accounts and sukuk).

The EF will also compare current conventional and Islamic overviews of liquidity risk management and discuss the challenges in building a resilient and robust liquidity risk management framework in the future. New developments in the regulatory landscape, with a special focus on the emerging liquidity risk management requirements, such as the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) and net stable funding ratio (NSFR), are on the agenda as well.

The current speaker list includes:

• Azahari Abdul Kudus, Chief Treasurer, KFH Malaysia 
• Daud Vicary Abdullah, President and CEO, INCEIF 
• Ijlal Alvi, Chief Executive Officer, International Islamic Financial Market 
• Abdullah Karatas, Manager, Investments, Islamic Development Bank 
• Professor Dr Merouane Lakehal-Ayat, Adjunct Professor, INCEIF 
• Prasanna Seshachellam, Director, Supervision, Dubai Financial Services Authority, UAE 

Next steps? 

Register

Email ifsb_sec@ifsb.org with questions

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and INCEIF announce course on Islamic finance & banking

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and INCEIF-The Global University of Islamic Finance have signed a MoU  to deliver courses on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Islamic finance and banking.

Source: INCEIF. INCEIF President and CEO Daud Vicary Abdullah signed the MoU on behalf of INCEIF while CIArb was represented by Chartered Arbitrator and Chair of the CIArb Malaysia Branch, Catherine Chau. 

The collaboration was announced on the sidelines of Global Islamic Finance Forum 2014, a biannual forum that offers a unique networking opportunity for regulators, industry practitioners, business leaders and shari'ah scholars. 


The collaboration between INCEIF and CIArb is focused on expanding the range of dispute resolution options available in Islamic finance. With the rise of the global Islamic financial services industry, this partnership is timely in facilitating the resolution of future commercial opportunities. 

The courses in Islamic Finance for Arbitrators will provide professional Arbitrators with the theory, the case law and the tools necessary to understand and settle financial, commercial and contractual disputes which arise within the framework of Islamic banking and finance.

To kickstart the collaboration, CIArb and INCEIF will conduct a short course, Certificate in Islamic Banking & Finance Arbitration, from 25 October to 1 November 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The eight-day course is designed to provide a thorough understanding of the practices and procedures of Islamic banking and finance and the role of arbitration within it.

The course will cover:

• Shari'ah – Foundations for Islamic banking & finance
• The Islamic financial system with emphasis on Islamic banking & finance
• Financial infrastructure of Islamic banking & finance
• Islamic banking & finance products and services
• Legal documentation for Islamic banking & finance products for arbitrators
• International arbitration and its related components as a form of dispute resolution.

The course will be conducted by faculty from CIArb and INCEIF. The Course Directors will be Profesor Dr Nayla Obeid, FCIArb, Chartered Arbitrator, Chair of CIArb’s Board of Trustees, CIArbs’s Trustee for the Middle East and Indian Sub-Continent, and Founding Partner, Obeid Law Firm, together with Professor Dr Saiful Azhar Rosly, Director, Consulting & Executive Programmes at INCEIF.

Other subject matter experts include:

1. Professor Rashda Rana, Barrister & Arbitrator and Chair of the CIArb Education & Membership Committee
2. Associate Professor Dr Ahcene Lahsasna, Deputy Director for Centre of Research and Publication, INCEIF
3. Adjunct Professor Mohamed Ismail Shariff, INCEIF
4. Professor Dr Mohamed Wahab, MCIArb and Head of International Arbitration, Zulficar Partners
5. Professor Adnan Amkhan Bayno, FCIArb and Head of Chambers, Mena Chambers

Dr Comair-Obeid said: “Given the rapidly growing market for Islamic finance and the significant increase in confidence in  arbitration as the preferred mechanism for resolving both financial and commercial disputes, arbitrators trained in the fundamental principles of Islamic finance are fast becoming a market commodity.

“More and more financial institutions are providing an expanding range of financial products and services compliant with Islamic banking regulation and the basic tenets of shari'ah law. In order for arbitrators and ADR practitioners to be fully equipped to deal with disputes that arise therein, training in the fundamentals of Islamic banking and finance has never been more important globally.”

CIArb Director General Anthony Abrahams said: “The joint initiative between CIArb and INCEIF to train and educate arbitrators, practitioners and bankers in arbitration presents a world leading course aimed at resolving Islamic banking disputes. As this style and culture of financing grows into a major force within global banking so the mechanism for settling differences becomes of paramount importance."


INCEIF CEO Daud Vicary Abdullah said: “INCEIF is delighted to be partnering with CIArb in this landmark agreement to develop education and competency in the legal arbitration profession. With the rapid global growth of Islamic finance, it is vital that practitioners are well equipped with robust and consistent education to enhance their competency.”

OIC benchmarking study identifies areas that could improve economies

The fifty-seven countries that form the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) account for 23% of the world's population, but under 11% of the world's GDP. These results, part of a benchmarking study from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and the Saudi Arabia-based Madinah Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship (MILE), were revealed on June 24. 

The study aims to better understand the factors which underlie the economic performance of the world's Muslim economies. Working with a group of Rotman MBA students including Abhishek Chaudhary, MBA'14; Omer Saleem Morning MBA'15; and Ash Zare, Evening MBA'15, Professor Walid Hejazi from the Rotman School and Imran Zawwar from MILE benchmarked the fifty-seven OIC countries on over 100 indicators, finding that countries such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar rank among the world's best economies on many dimensions, and Malaysia and Turkey on others. In countries with significant poverty, there are also significantly higher probabilities of self-employment.

Researchers also found that the OIC countries:

• have average incomes which are less than half the world average;
• rank below global averages on institutional development, including voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and control of corruption (World Bank Governance Indicators);
• rank unfavourably on the ease of doing business;
• lag world averages on literacy and education, particularly among females;
• while not lagging world averages on labour market participation rates for males, there is a significant gap for females; and,
• lag other developing nations on R&D efforts.

"Together these factors are capable of explaining a large part of the gap between incomes in the Muslim world and the developed world. The implications of these analyses underscore the need for efforts to improve these indicators across the Muslim world," says Prof. Hejazi. 

"We hope our systematic and comprehensive analysis will allow for the creation of well-informed and feasible policies to enhance the economic performance of the world's Muslim countries. As is well known, as incomes rise and countries develop, institutions tend to improve, resulting in improvements in political stability, human rights and a whole host of other indicators."

The study is the first from a collaboration between MILE and Rotman. More reports are planned for release over the next year. 

National Conference On Marketing Halal 2014 in KL postponed

UCSI University announced on May 16 that the National Conference On Marketing Halal 2014 that had been scheduled for May 20 at the KL Campus, UCSI University has been postponed.

The university apologises for any inconvenience caused and said an alternative date would be announced later.

Enquiries can be directed to the corporate affairs team at the UCSI Group at +603 9101 8880.

Free Islamic civilisation and Asian civilisation MOOC to be offered by Universiti Putra Malaysia

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) said its new online learning environment, available for free to the local community and globally as well, will include a course on Islamic civilisation.

The new method of learning, incorporating video lectures, interactive forums, chats, quizzes, and e-assessments, is in line with the current National Higher Education Strategic Plan which emphasises life-long learning, e-learning, internationalisation and knowledge transfer, the university said. 

UPM is currently converting the “Islamic Civilization and Asian Civilization” (Tamadun Islam, Tamadun Asia) course that is compulsory for all public universities as a MOOC course to benefit in-campus students as well as interested public communities. To be conducted in English, the course will focus on the role of civilisation in building Malaysian society based on principles such as mutual respect and social interaction within a multiracial society.  

Students can register online for the Putra Massive Open Online Course (PutraMOOC), and complete a course in roughly seven to eight weeks. 

*Images from UPM website