Uppsala University has Sweden’s first professor of Islamic theology and philosophy
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The 1 November, Mohammad Fazlhashemi started work as professor of Islamic theology and philosophy at the Department of Theology at Uppsala University. The professorship is the first of its kind in Sweden and an important part of a new educational initiative at the University.
‘The idea is to develop a new profile at the Department of Theology, and in the long-term offer a complete degree programme in Islamic theology’, says Mikael Stenmark, dean at Uppsala University’s Faculty of Theology.
Today there are only a couple professorships with a similar profile in Europe. A Swedish student who wants the equivalent of a
Bachelor degree of Theology with Islamic theology as their main subject must study abroad, in for instance Egypt, Iran or Turkey.
An important goal is, among others, to be able to offer leaders and teachers in Swedish muslim organisations the option of an academic education in Islamic theology and philosophy within the country.
At the faculty there is already research in Islamic studies and teaching with studies of the origin, expansion and role of Islam in society.
‘In the new degree programme we will be able to offer studies on the actualy contents of islam. That way we will take Islam intellectually seriously in the same way as Christian faith, with a critical and constructive approach to the contents’, says Mikael Stenmark.
A first step towards building the new degree programme is a package of four new courses on Islam starting this academic year: