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The Institute Has Opened: The Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology Starts with 55 Students

The Senate Chancellery – Higher Education and Research and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin issue the following joint statement:

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Location of the Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology at
Hannoversche Straße 6. Photo: Matthias Heyde

The sixth institute for Islamic theology in the Federal Republic of Germany has successfully begun its work at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) for the winter semester 2019/2020. Classes began on Tuesday, 15 October 2019, with a lecture and accompanying seminars on ‘the Quran and the Hadith’. On Wednesday, 16 October, the introductory lecture on Islamic theology began, also accompanied by several core courses on the subject.

Overall 55 students have started their theology studies which gives due consideration to Sunni and Shia teachings in comparison. The enormous interest in the bachelor’s programme of the Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology (BIT) was evidenced by the fact that approximately 350 applications were submitted to the programme. The Senate Chancellery – Higher Education and Research and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin would like to thank everyone who actively participated in the establishment of the institute and contributed to its successful start.

The goal of the institute is to train young theologians, who, on the basis of rational penetration into Islamic articles of faith, prepare for teaching in schools, as well as for work in mosques, civil society and welfare services. The training of imams will not take place at the institute. An Islamic profession of faith is not a requirement for students. The BIT pursues its scholarly objectives in close cooperation with Christian theologians as well as other religion-related courses of study at HU and the Berlin research landscape as a whole.

The selected professors are experts in areas of Islamic theology. They were selected by the appointment committees of the university according to strictly scholarly criteria in accordance with the Berlin Higher Education Act. Five of the six appointments have already been confirmed by the advisory board of the institute and are currently in contract negotiations. A further appointment was recently presented to the advisory board by the Senate Chancellery – Higher Education and Research following a review. More information about the professorships can be found on the institute's website. If necessary, instruction will be performed by guest professors and instructors, until the appointment procedures have been completed.

Further information

Berlin Institute for Islamic Theology

Press Contacts

Hans-Christoph Keller
Press Spokesperson
Head of Communication and Media
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Phone: 030 2093-2677
hans-christoph.keller@hu-berlin.de

Matthias Kuder
Press Spokesperson for Higher Education and Research
The Governing Mayor of Berlin
Senate Chancellery – Higher Education and Research

Phone: 030 9026-5010
matthias.kuder@wissenschaft.berlin.de