Harvard Islamic Studies Program Opened

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal at the inauguration ceremony of the Islamic Studies Program at Harvard on Thursday. (AN photo)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., 10 May 2008 — Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Foundation, had endowed $20 million in 2005 to establish an Islamic Studies program at Harvard University. He was at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday to inaugurate the program. The program was named “Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic Studies Program.” Roy P. Mottahedeh, professor of history in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, had been appointed director of the program. Prince Alwaleed and the accompanying Kingdom Foundation delegation were briefed about the program. The program is building on Harvard’s strong commitment to the study of the religious traditions of the world. It is also augmenting Harvard’s existing strength by increasing the number of faculty focused on Islamic studies, providing additional support to graduate students, and making rare Islamic textual sources available in digital format.