Elke Stockreiter (University of Iowa)
Learning from the Islamic Educational Past for the Western Academic Future
Islamic institutions of learning were historical hubs of cultural
diversity and manifestations of translocality. By the 12th-century,
Islamic universities, such as in Timbuktu, Mali, attracted students
from the remotest corners of Africa and beyond, providing
interdisciplinary education that accommodated religious knowledge with
practical experience (Hunwick 2006; Ibn 'Ali et al. 1995-1998; Rao
1987). Regardless of the unifying element of Islam, such institutions
faced challenges in bridging ethnic and cultural boundaries. At
cosmopolitan centres like Timbuktu, students experienced cultural
diversity that would enrich their communities upon their return or
shape their journey as teachers in other regions of the Islamic world
(Jeppie and Diagne 2008; Saad 1983).
Given this intrinsic web of educational journeys and cultural exchange,
could historic examples of Islamic transmission of knowledge serve as
guidance for reshaping 20th-century Western universities, particularly
in a post-9/11 climate? Drawing on case studies from Africa and the
Middle East, I will investigate how historical examples of two
intrinsic aspects of Islamic education, cultural diversity and
translocality, could inform future models of higher education in
increasingly globalised and multi-cultural societies. The development
of a strong intellectual relationship between teacher and student,
intrinsic to Islamic traditions of education and similar to the tutor
system at Oxbridge, could be key to preparing students at 'The Future
University' for their role as intellectual and community leaders.
Exploring the interaction between Islamic scholars and students, I will
theorise successful ways of Islamic institutions of learning
accommodating various cultural and ethnic backgrounds to a changing
socio-political educational environment.
My project will wed the methods and insights of both African social
history and Islamic Studies to obtain a deeper understanding of Islamic
institutions of learning in Africa and the Middle East. I will explore
Islamic models of interdisciplinarity and translocality to open ways of
designing a future university particularly in places like the United
Kingdom which undergo rapid socio-economic changes. My own background
in Islamic studies and African history has informed my awareness of how
artificial boundaries of academic disciplines are questioned and
reshaped by current events. Because of my interdisciplinary approach,
the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities
provides an ideal forum to stimulate my project and bounce off ideas.
