About

About

The Penn Forum for Global Islamic Studies brings together diverse strengths in the study of the Islamic world at the University of Pennsylvania. With over twenty faculty members and extensive library and museum resources related to Islamic civilization across history and geography, Penn is one of the premier American institutions possessing expertise in this area. What makes Penn’s program special is its breadth and interdisciplinary nature, with active collaboration across departments and centers. The global nature of  Penn’s rich programs is underscored by the variety of Islamic languages taught at the University — Arabic, Bengali, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Turkish, Urdu and Uzbek are taught as regular courses and other languages are offered through the Penn Language Center. In addition, Penn’s libraries and museums have extensive holdings in materials covering Islamic culture.

The Penn Forum for Global Islamic Studies takes an integrated and holistic approach to the study of Islamic Civilization by going beyond immediate politics and concerns to explore critical aspects of human experience, thereby giving us a better appreciation for the past and an informed view of the future.