Islamic Studies Network project draws to a close

Since 2009 staff at LLAS have been working on the Islamic Studies Network, a project funded by HEFCE and overseen by the Higher Education Academy. The Network was established following on from a series of consultation meetings and research commissioned by HEFCE on Islamic Studies in Higher Education, including two reports by LLAS staff and colleagues at the then-Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. The Network brought together academics working in Islamic Studies from a wide range of disciplines, and provided practice-sharing and networking opportunities through events, project grants and publications. A full range of resources developed through the project, including teaching materials, research reports, event reports, case studies and model module outlines are available on the Network website.

One of the main aims of the Islamic Studies Network was to create a sustainable network of Islamic Studies practitioners to continue building on the work of the Network once the project funding period was over. We are therefore pleased to announce that planning is underway for the formal establishment of a British Association for Islamic Studies (BRAIS). The association will be a learned society and professional organisation focused on enhancing research and teaching about Islam and Muslim cultures and societies in UK higher education. It will provide a forum for academic exchange for scholars with an interest in any aspect of Islam and the Muslim world (including non-Muslim majority societies), and will act as an umbrella organisation for members working in a wide range of disciplines and geographical interest areas. To read more about the association please visit http://www.brais.ac.uk. The association is planning an inaugural conference in Edinburgh on 5-6 September 2013.

Lisa Bernasek, Academic Coordinator for the Islamic Studies Network