International Sister Centres

 The vision of SAT is to catalyze the formation of contextually appropriate centres for the study of Christian-Muslim relations in different parts of the world. These centres function independently and are not accountable to or resourced by SAT.

So far there are four ‘sister’ centres in the network with the potential for others.

A Family of Centres

In all the years’ experience from our base in Oxford, UK, we have regularly engaged with those working at the frontline of Muslim-Christian relations across the globe – in countries such as Ghana, South Korea, Kenya, South Africa, UAE and the US. As a result of our international collaborations, three collegial centres have been set up in West Africa, the USA and Indonesia.

Our previous academic advisor, Dr John Azumah, developed his vision for a centre that would share the ethos of CMCS Oxford in Ghana. Inspired and mentored by the late Prof. Lamin Sanneh, Dr Azumah brought this vision to fruition in February 2020 with the inauguration of The Sanneh Institute in Accra, Ghana.  Members of the CMCS Oxford academic team were instrumental in organising the conference, securing the two keynote speakers for the event and arranging financial assistance for majority world scholars.

Similarly, in May 2020, The Center for Muslim & Christian Studies Houston was set up by two of the CMCSO founders, Dr David Coffey and Dr Ida Glaser. CMCSH is an independent research and study centre serving the Texas region’s universities, churches and mosques. The US-based centre was particularly proactive in responding to the Covid pandemic through inventive online courses that brought Christian and Muslim students together from across the globe in virtual learning spaces.

Then in 2023, our colleague Dr Ferry Mamahit, who was a visiting scholar at CMCS Oxford in 2021, set up the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Religions and Culture in Semarang, Java, Indonesia. This centre has strong local links with the Walisongo Islamic State University and other Christian and Muslim institutions on Java. It has two staff members in addition to Ferry and they offer a Qur’an & Bible reading session every two weeks. Other academic projects are beginning to emerge.

Enquiries

Are you interested in developing international links that will foster deeper learning between Muslims and Christians? Do you have any suggestions to enable access to research resources? If so, contact us at office@cmcsoxford.org.uk