As OCIS clocks 40, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar extols centre

LAST Thursday, in the historic university town of Oxford—some 48 miles northwest of London—the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) celebrated its 40th anniversary, with King Charles III presiding over the event.

The celebration was highlighted by an address from the venerable monarch and culminated in the Annual General Meeting of the Board of Trustees, followed by a symbolic tree-planting ceremony in the centre’s garden.

The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, praised the centre and its leadership for their remarkable achievements over the past four decades. He acknowledged the centre’s record of hosting eminent personalities, including former President Nelson Mandela and former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. The Sultan commended the administration’s vision and urged the global community, especially the developing world, to emulate the foresight of the centre’s founding fathers.

He expressed delight at the centre’s intellectual pursuits and its contributions to both local and international community service.

Over the past 40 years, the centre has evolved into a citadel of learning, offering lectures, seminars, scholarships, fellowships and research opportunities to a diverse and multi-faith student body. A wide array of visiting lecturers from around the world regularly enriches the academic environment of the centre.

The Board of Trustees itself reflects a tapestry of ethnic, racial and cultural diversity, comprising both Muslim and non-Muslim members. Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal chairs the board, with Sultan Nazrin Shah of Malaysia serving as vice chairman. Sheikh Mohammed Al Sabah, former Prime Minister of Kuwait, remains a key pillar of the institution.

There is also strong British representation: Rt. Hon. Dominic Grieve KC, former Attorney General for England and Wales; Sir Martin Donnelly KCB, former Permanent Secretary at the Department of International Trade; and Dr. Catherine Swales, Director of Clinical Education at the University of Oxford’s Medical Sciences Division.

Adding to this distinguished group is His Eminence, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the sole African voice in the centre’s leadership.

Among the centre’s notable achievements is its robust research programme, which focuses on the social and intellectual history of the Muslim world, socio-economic development in Muslim societies, science and technology, environmental issues and the experiences of Muslims in Britain.

Its publications, ‘The Journal of Islamic Studies’ and ‘Makers of Muslim Civilisation’, have gained international recognition. The centre’s lecture series and roundtables remain key highlights.

In teaching, it promotes multidisciplinary studies of Islamic culture and contemporary Muslim societies through fellowships such as the King Charles Fellowship, Nelson Mandela Fellowship, Globe Fellowship and the Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Fellowship.

Director, Dr. Farhan Nizami, while reflecting on the centre’s journey, highlighted the recent launch of the exhibition Lines of Faith: Astronomy and the Art of the Astrolabe in the Islamic World as one of its many intellectual milestones.

Two significant lectures that drew wide acclaim in the past year include Lord Neuberger’s ‘Threats to the Rule of Law’ and Professor Philippe Sands’ ‘On Genocide: Then and Now’.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: Tinubu surrenders to North-Central as Yilwatda emerges APC national chairman

It is both remarkable and instructive that the centre began in 1986 in a modest wooden hut on St Cross Road. From those humble beginnings, it has grown into a grand institution, now housed in a stunning complex on Marston Road, at the heart of Oxford. Today, OCIS stands as a beacon for interfaith dialogue, intercivilisational harmony and global peace.

With the unwavering support of its Grand Patron, King Charles III, and the wise leadership of the African monarch, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies is poised to surpass the successes of its first 40 years in the decades to come.

• Dr Nasir Danladi Bako, OON, is the Kogunan Sokoto.