The University of Cambridge recently hosted a series of meetings on Muslim engagement with the Western world. As part of the event, an academic symposium was conducted in which papers and discussions of some of the research themes pursued at the Cambridge Center were presented. Key research associates at the University of Cambridge Center discussed topics such as hate crime, medical ethics, and Muslim prisoners and rehabilitation. The event was chaired by Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewics and attended by directors of six Alwaleed Academic Centers among others. Professor Yasir Suleiman, director of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Hugh Goddard, director of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Ali Asani, director of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University, and Dr. Jonathan Brown, director of Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University took part in the event. On the sidelines of the event, a meeting between the center delegates and Alwaleed Philanthropies was organized. The meeting focused on focused on ideas of effective ways in which the six centers can collaborate to reach a wider audience. A panel discussion on "Cultural Understanding: Prospects and Challenges in the World Today" was then moderated by Professor Yasir Suleiman, and joined by all six center directors. The panel topic was part of the research accomplished at the Cambridge University Center, highlighting its world-class activities and how they resonate around the world, where over 70 guests had joined including academics, researchers and graduate students. Invited dignitaries then joined a dinner at King's College for detailed discussions about the day's findings. As part of its mission to build bridges that can foster cultural understanding, Alwaleed Philanthropies has provided over $100 million worth of funding to the six academic centers along with the Islamic Arts Hall in the Louvre Museum. They are located in prestigious seats of learning across the world. To mark today's meeting, Alwaleed Bin Talal Center of Islamic Studies at Cambridge University issued a new report entitled "Muslims in the UK and Europe." The report compiles postgraduate research papers studying the wide variety of different Muslims' lived experiences in the UK and Europe, alongside an analysis of the forces affecting their lives. "Muslim engagement with the Western world will shape peace and security for generations to come. Yet many of the issues at the heart of the debate are poorly understood and much of the rhetoric is based on ignorance. The six Alwaleed Academic Centers are working together to change this – by driving new research, bringing together communities and uniting the best minds in the Islamic and western worlds," said HRH Prince Alwaleed. For over 35 years, Alwaleed Philanthropies has supported and initiated projects in over 120 countries regardless of gender, race, or religion. Alwaleed Philanthropies collaborates with a range of philanthropic, governmental and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding through education.
