Dr. Sulaiman Al Jassim, Vice President of Zayed University gave the Opening speech on behalf of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Culture, Youth, and Community Development, during the conference “The State of the Social, Humanitarian, and Islamic sciences in Arab and Western Academia” organized by Institute of Islamic World Studies at Zayed University in Dubai, which is hosting more than 20 well-known international speakers.

The conference aims to explore the state of the art of the main disciplines of Islamic and social sciences and humanities in Arab and Western academia, map the areas and subjects most worthy of research and university teaching in Islamic and social sciences and humanities in the Arab countries; and bridge the knowledge gap between East and West in these fields.

The conference discussed various topics including; State of the Art of Quran Studies in Arabic Literature by Dr. Ahmed Abbadi, Secretary-General of Muhammadiyah Association for Scholars in Morocco, and Visiting Professor at Zayed University Institute for Islamic World Studies, State of the Art of Sunna Studies in Arabic Literature by Dr. Ilyas Balga, Professor of Islamic studies at Zayed University Institute for Islamic World Studies; State of the Art of Usul al-fiqh in Arabic Literature by Dr. Mohamed Rafia, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Sidi Mohamed bin Abdullah, Morocco; State of the Art of Fiqh in Arabic Literature by Dr. Mohammad Siraj, Professor of Arabic and Islamic civilization at the American University in Cairo, and Visiting professor at Zayed University Institute for Islamic World Studies; State of the Art of linguistics in Arabic Literature by Dr. Mohammed Al Rifai, Professor of Grammar and Linguistic Studies at Cairo University and King Abdul Aziz University; State of the Art of Law in Arabic Literature by Dr. Imam Atallah, Professor of Criminal Law at Zayed University Institute for Islamic World Studies; State of the Art of Law in Turkish Literature by Dr. Khadija Karakan, Professor of law at the National Police Academy, Turkey; State of the Art of history in Western Literature by Dr. Amir al-Islam, Professor of International Studies at Zayed University; State of the Art of history of art in Western Literature by Dr. Marta Ameri, Professor of Art History at Zayed University.