AIOU to set up two new departments on key Islamic concepts

Department on Seerat-un-Nabi will offer post-graduate programmes

Having already held a conference on it and announcing to devise courses, the Allama Iqbal Open University in Islamabad had announced plans to set up a dedicated academic department on “Seerat-un-Nabi”.

In a statement issued by Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Thursday said that the new department will be established soon and will promote the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Moreover, the varsity said that it was planning to set up two more departments which would work on Islamic Economics and Interfaith Harmony.  The university’s statuary body has already approved these new departments.

AIOU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Shahid Siddiqui announced these measures while inaugurating a two-day national conference on Islamic research and editing with special reference to the community-related issues and their solution.

The conference was presided over by the Council of Islamic Ideology Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz, while Dr Abdul Quddus Shuaib from the Bahawalpur Zakaria University gave a lecture. They spoke in detail about various aspects of Islamic teaching and the research work, being conducted in this connection.

The conference had been organised by the university’s department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. The event was largely attended by scholars and researchers from various universities.

The new department on ‘Seerat Studies’ will offer post-graduate level programmes at the master’s, masters in philosophy and doctorate in philosophy, the VC said, adding they are actively engaged in projecting the Islamic concept and way-out of addressing the contemporary issues, being faced by the society.

Dr Siddiqui said that a research journal on ‘Seerat-un-Nabi has been published by AIOU and was declared as the best academic publication for 2017 by the Religious Affairs Ministry.

The VC also announced a special annual award for the best book on ‘Seerat-un-Nabi’.

The university has also decided to launch a BS-level programme on Islamic studies with specialisation on “seerat” studies as well from this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2018.