The Islamic Studies Network brings together those working in Islamic Studies to enhance teaching and learning in higher education. Islamic Studies is an umbrella term for the academic study of Islam, Muslim cultures and societies and Islamic knowledge through a variety of subject areas and perspectives. This includes, but is not limited to, those working in Religious Studies, Theology, Language Studies and Linguistics, International Relations, Law, Finance and Business Studies, History, Literature and Textual Studies, Security Studies, Economics, Education, Science, Philosophy, Art, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Politics, Anthropology and Sociology, and interdisciplinary Area Studies programmes, for example those associated with Middle East or South Asian Studies. The History Subject Centre are working with a team at the Higher Education Academy to help to build a national Islamic Studies Network in order to:

• support academics working in different disciplines or institutions, including those who are not currently part of a wider network;
• provide opportunities to share good practice through events, project grants and publications;
• Increase access to digital resources by working with the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC);
• develop an enhanced picture of the provision of Islamic Studies in UK higher education;
• build on work carried out since the designation of Islamic Studies as a strategically important subject.

Funding

Islamic Studies Network call for project proposals

The UK Islamic Studies Network is inviting applications for small project funding to enable the further development of good practice in teaching and learning within Islamic Studies and to facilitate wider sharing across the UK.

The maximum amount that an individual project can apply for is £3,000. Up to 12 projects will be funded and projects can be discipline-specific or cross-disciplinary. The closing date for applications is 29 October 2010.

Further details including guidance notes and the application form are available on our website

You may also like to join our JISCmail discussion list, ISNetwork@jiscmail.ac.uk – you can do this from the JISCmail website. If you have any problems accessing the JISCmail list let me know and I can add you to the list.

Please address any queries about the project funding to Lisa Bernasek, Academic Coordinator for the Islamic Studies Network, at islamicstudies@heacademy.ac.uk.