OUR Founding Chairman
Jasser Auda
MI Founding Chairman
Professor Jasser Auda is a scholar of Islam and a founder of the Maqasid Institute. His latest contribution is a New Maqasid Methodology that aims to bring about a restructuring of Islamic scholarship around a complex network of the higher objectives/Maqasid of the Quran and Prophetic traditions. He is Al-Shatibi Chair for Maqasid Studies at the International Peace University in South Africa, a Distinguished Visiting Professor at ISTAC-IIUM, a Founding and Board Member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, a member of the Fiqh Council of North America, a Member of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, and the Chairman of the Canadian Fiqh Council.
He has a PhD in the philosophy of Islamic law from the University of Wales, UK, and a PhD in systems analysis from the University of Waterloo, Canada. Early in his life, he memorized the Quran and undertook traditional studies at the Study Circles of Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt. He has held professorial positions at the universities of Waterloo, Ryerson and Carleton in Canada, Alexandria University in Egypt, Faculty of Islamic Studies in Qatar, American University of Sharjah in UAE, and University of Brunei Darussalam in Brunei. He continues to lecture on Islam and its law internationally and has written 25 books in Arabic and English, some of which have been translated into 30 languages.
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Ebrahim Rasool
Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, is a South African activist, politician and diplomat, and global thought leader. He served as the South African Ambassador to the United States from 2010 to 2014. Prior to this, his positions have included Member of Parliament in the National Assembly, Special Advisor to the State President and Premier (governor) of the Western Cape Province. He has built up extensive experience in Government, having led various Departments like Health, Welfare, Finance, and Economic Development. Ambassador Rasool has a prominent history of involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle starting at High School and including leadership in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the African National Congress (ANC).
He has had to make sacrifices like spending time in apartheid’s prison and being placed under house arrest. He has been involved in both the Islamic Movement (as co-founder of the SA’s Call of Islam) and the Interfaith Movement. Through his writings, lectures and speaking engagements he has been instrumental in mobilizing Muslims and the broader faith communities toward a deeper understanding of Islam and faith under conditions of oppression (under apartheid) and currently under conditions of globalization. For such contributions to South Africa’s reconstruction and development and his global work, Ambassador Rasool has been the recipient of a number of leadership awards and two honorary Doctorates. He is the founder of The World for All Foundation that rethinks the intellectual tools available to Muslims and faith communities. He was a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Georgetown University’s Al Waleed bin Talal Center and now remains a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University.
Sharif Banna
Shaykh Sharif Banna is a scholar, author and entrepreneur. He is the Founding Director of the Islamic Institute for Development & Research (IIDR) in the UK and an Advisory Board Member of the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE), a think tank based at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation. He taught courses on Islamic Law and Ethics at Oxford University. He is a successful entrepreneur and CEO of a global award-winning publishing and media company which has offices in 5 countries and operates in over 120 countries. He is listed in IsFin’s 500 most influential people who are pioneering the Islamic economy.
As an author Shaykh Sharif Banna has authored and translated over fifteen works on law, ethics and spirituality including acclaimed international bestseller Journey through the Quran. His forthcoming titles include An Introduction to Islamic Legal Philosophy and Halal But Un-Islamic: Restoring the Ethical Core of Islam. Sharif Banna’s preliminarily studies of the classical Islamic sciences was under the tutelage of his father Shaykh Muhammad Abdul Qadir, a renowned scholar specialising in Quranic exegesis (tafsir) and later with other scholars from Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, Tunisia and India. He holds a BA (Hons) in Arabic & Law (SOAS, University of London) and also studied at the Institute Européen des Sciences Humanities (France) and the University of Alexandria (Egypt). He is pursuing his postgraduate research in Islamic Legal Theory at Al-Azhar University. Shaykh Sharif Banna is passionate about leadership and exponential social impact through knowledge, entrepreneurship and civic empowerment. He is the chair of several UK based charities and philanthropy foundations which seek to leverage the power of technology in tackling humanitarian challenges of the 21st Century. In recognition of his contribution to civil society, he was one of the youngest recipients of a royal award (MBE) from the Queen of England.
Azman Hussin
Dr. Azman Hussin studied in the United States where he obtained a BSc and MSc in Physic from Ohio University. He obtained a Doctor of Management degree from Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia. He was a lecturer in the National University of Malaysia then a Systems Engineer at IBM Malaysia. He then set up his own IT company together with some partners in 1993 and actively managed it until 2014. His current interests are mainly in the areas of strategic planning and strategy implementation, Corporate Performance Management, Organizational Change, Leadership, Design Thinking and Muslim History.
Dr. Hussin has extensive experience in training and consulting work on leadership, strategy and performance management with companies in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He has held BOD positions in Progressive Impact Corporation PICORP, listed in Bursa Malaysia; TSI-Telsys Corporation, listed in Montreal Stock Exchange; Majlis Amanah Rakyat MARA, one of the largest educational and entrepreneurial development agencies in Malaysia. Dr. Azman has authored several books includine: Stories of the Prophets in Al-Quran (with Dr. Tareq Al- Suwaidan), Prophet Muhammad (SAW): The Hallmark of Leadership and The Higher Objectives of Humanity.
Hajara Adeola
Ustadha Hajara Adeola is Managing Director of Lotus Capital Limited, a Nigerian pioneer in Shari’ah compliant Asset Management, Private Wealth Management Advisory Services, and Financial Advisory Services. She comes to Lotus Capital from UBS Warburg where she was a Director heading their London Islamic Finance Desk. Prior to joining UBS, she was a Convertible Bond Research Analyst at BNP Paribas, London. Hajara Adeola began her career as a consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). From there she joined ARM Investment Managers as a pioneer staff and rose to Vice-President and Head of the Research and Financial Advisory Units.
In all, she has over 20 years of international experience in research and analysis, investment management and corporate finance. She holds an M.Sc in Finance from Durham University where she specialized in Islamic Finance. She also holds an MBA in International Management from Exeter University and a B.Sc in Pharmacology from King’s College, London. Mrs. Adeola was the first President of the Fund Manager’s Association of Nigeria and is a West African Fellow of the Aspen Leadership Initiative. She is also the Chairperson of the Securities & Exchange Commission’s non-interest capital market 10 year master plan committee and a Director of the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
Muhammad Nuruddeen Lemu
Sheikh Muhammad Nuruddeen Lemu is the Director of Research and Training, Da’wah Institute of Nigeria, Islamic Education Trust, Minna, Nigeria. He develops, facilitates and conducts train-the-trainers courses in enhancing interreligious dialogue and engagement, intrareligious cooperation, responding to religious extremism among Muslims and promoting Shari’ah Intelligence, or faith-based critical thinking. Trainees at these programmes include students, lecturers, youth and community leaders from over 20 countries. He is the director of several organisations, including Lotus Capital (Halal Investments) Limited, the Development Initiative of West Africa, and a co-founder of the Inter-Faith Activity and Partnership for Peace (IFAPP).
He holds various positions in a number of other organizations that focus on issues related to social welfare, government policy, education, sustainable development, environment, leadership, family life, youth empowerment and gender equity. He has moderated, presented and produced more than two hundred radio and television programmes. Nearly half of these have been on interreligious bridge building and engagement (IFAPP’s “Inter-Faith Forum”) and were aired on the African Independent Television and Ray Power Radio. He was nominated by the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to represent the Nigerian Muslim leadership at the National Conference in 2014 and is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative of West Africa and the Aspen Leadership Institute in Aspen, Colorado, USA. He holds an MSc. in Resource Management from Edinburgh University, UK, and a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
Ajarat Bada
Ustadha Ajarat Bada is a trained nurse, born and raised in Nigeria but moved to the United States for college education. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Drexel University in Pennsylvania and obtained a Master of Public Health Degree from Loma Linda University in California and a Master of Public Policy degree from Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar. As a student, she served as the editor of the student journal, the ‘Astrolabe’. Ajarat speaks four languages. Her academic and professional journeys over a decade span Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle-East particularly through her advocacy work with NGOs
including the United Nations and the processes of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) implementation and negotiations for goals, targets and indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has worked on WASH, Emergency Preparedness, Natural Resources Management and Economic Diversification projects. She is a professional writer and she blogs on Huffington Post. She has successfully pursued her interests in editing, most recently for a book on Innovating South-South Cooperation (Uni. Ottawa Press 2019) and another on governance in Africa “We will Lead Africa”. She works as a Clinical Systems Designer for Kaiser Permanente in California. She also serves as the Director of the ‘Missing MDG Initiative’ and a Principal Managing Partner at Lampost Consulting, a boutique virtual firm helping civil society achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
OUR EXECUTIVES
Zaid Barzinji
President
Dr. Zaid Barzinji is a founder and president of the Maqasid Institute, a global think tank dedicated to re-envisioning and revitalizing Islamic scholarship. He is a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy. He has over 25 years of leadership experience in educational institutions and NGOs and 15 years of advanced analytics and AI in banking and finance. Dr. Barzinji’s background in Islamic economics, with a bachelor’s degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Utah, specializing in international monetary systems, positions him to explore the intersection of faith, finance, and technology. He actively contributes to this dialogue through his commentary on business and economic affairs at major news outlets and his ongoing research on re-imagining economics and finance, Artificial Intelligence, and global strategic studies from a maqasid (higher objectives of Islam) perspective. Zaid serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations and is actively involved in local and global community development projects. Driven by a belief in the power of global collaboration and innovative ideas, Dr. Barzinji strives to build a compassionate world for all of Allah’s creations.
Basma Abdelgafar
Vice President - Policy and Governance
Professor Basma Abdelgafar is a founder of the Maqasid Institute and Vice President of Policy and Governance. She consults and provides training internationally on policy, governance and Muslim affairs. Prof. Abdelgafar has worked in the Canadian federal government, academia, and the third sector. She has contributed to the development of graduate studies in public policy at the American University in Cairo, Qatar Foundation, and the International Peace College of South Africa. She was the founding head of the Public Policy in Islam Masters Program at the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. She has a keen interest in research and teaching in public policy and governance in Islam as well as in Muslim history, thought, institutions, and communities
She obtained her Ph.D. in Public Policy from Carleton University, Ottawa, in 2003. Her book publications include: Public Policy Beyond Traditional Jurisprudence (London: IIIT), Thriving in a Plural World (Singapore: MUIS), M.A. Draz’s Morality in the Quran and the Greater Good of Humanity (Wales: Claritas), and The Illusive Trade-off (Toronto: University of Toronto Press).
Heba Abduljawad
Vice President - Education
Heba is the vice president of education at the Maqasid Institute. Heba is a multi-disciplinary professional and researcher with a master’s degree in Islamic Thought from Beirut Islamic University, Lebanon, and a Master’s in Education from Madina International University, Malaysia. Prior studies include a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineerin, and licensed for training from The Institute of Leadership & Management, UK. She founded Educquest for educational services, designed curriculum and educational models, and provided consulting services for many educational institutions. Heba’s work experience includes being the Head of the Art and Design Department at the Sharjah Institute of Technology, UAE. She also founded Yaqazat Feker, a youth-based intellectual initiative. Heba advocates for education as a catalyst for personal growth and positive societal change. Her focus lies in cultivating critical thinking and inquiry-based learning skills within students. She actively contributes to this field through conferences, papers, and articles on academic independence, transformative education, and educational policies in developing countries.
Ildus Rafikov
Vice President - Research
Dr. Ildus Rafikov is vice president of research at the Maqasid Institute. holds a Ph.D. from ISTAC/IIUM in Philosophy, Ethics, and Contemporary issues with a special interest in Islamic economics, banking, and finance. He also holds a Chartered Islamic Finance Professional (CIFP) degree in Islamic banking and finance from the International Center for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF), Kuala Lumpur, and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from IIUM. Dr. Ildus Rafikov has written and published a number of academic articles in indexed and non-indexed journals on economic methodology, speculation, scarcity, sustainability, financial crises, banking and finance, monetary policy, awqaf, reform in education from historical and contemporary perspectives
Dr. Rafikov has extensive managerial experience in education and technology fields working for organizations in Malaysia, Georgia, and the US. In his current position Dr. Rafikov has successfully initiated and is overseeing several research projects and partnerships. He also delivers lectures in the fields of Islamic economics, Research Methodology and Epistemology at IKI Academy, where he had also served as Managing Director for two years.
Yasir Hassan
Director of Economics Research
Paul Galloway
Public Relations Advisor
Ustadh Paul has over 18 years of experience in civics, public policy, and strategic communications. He has led several civil rights, First Amendment, and faith-based organizations including The American Muslim Advisory Council, The American Center for Outreach, The Islamic Society of Greater Houston, and The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Houston Chapter. Paul’s work with Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston was honored with a Jefferson Awards Certificate of Excellence for Public Service. Paul is a product of the “Military Brat” experience of the 1990’s growing up on US Army bases in Germany.
During this time Paul visited Kenya, Hungary, and Communist Poland on missionary trips, he also visited Communist East Germany with the Boy Scouts of America, as well as traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East. Paul has completed the Hajj pilgrimage and has participated in an interfaith pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Society for Biblical Studies. Paul’s education includes a BA in History from the University of Houston and a Master’s Degree in Civic Leadership from Lipscomb University. He is also a graduate of the FBI-Houston Citizens’ Academy, Class of 2012. Paul is a proud husband and father of four, he has an interfaith and multiracial family and is of Scotch-Irish and Mexican descent. He is a native Texan, who now lives in Colorado.
Mohammed Belyamani
Information Technology Advisor
Ustadh Mohammed is a software developer and system architect who enjoys contributing to nonprofit organizations in the fields of education, leadership development, and community building. In his 20 years of volunteering experience, he got a chance to sit on boards, lead projects, and build initiatives to develop community work towards more professionalism and focus on bigger challenges. A strong believer in learning as a path to excellence and higher quality work, Mohammed questions the status Quo, approaches situations from different paradigms, and pushes to experiment with new ways to tackle obstacles.
In his involvement with Maqasid Institute, Mohammed’s ambition is to be part of the transformation of the powerful new Maqasid methodology to a well-established school of thought in pushing the boundaries to more effective, humanistic, and pluralistic Islamic contributions.
OUR OFFICES
Ahmad Badri Abdullah
Director of Maqasid Institute - Malaysia
Dr. Ahmad Badri Abdullah is currently a research fellow at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia, with a focus on Maqasid al-Shariah (the higher objectives of Shariah), usul al-fiqh and contemporary Islamic jurisprudence discourse, particularly in the subject of systems thinking and its applications in Islamic jurisprudence. After obtaining his degree in Shariah (UM), he was associated with the School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) as a researcher, and then to the Department of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh, Academy of Islamic Studies at the University of Malaya as a teaching assistant.
He has taught various subjects in Shariah studies including Usul al-Fiqh, Fiqh al-Mu’amalat, Fiqh al-Jinayat, etc. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya (UM) in the study of maslahah, maqasid al-Shariah, and their relation to systems theories. His writes on a wide array of Islamic studies aspects including Islamic legal theories, public policy, Islamic banking, finance, and the halal industry as well as on the Islamic perspectives on science, technology, and the environment.
Marwan Bukhari
Research Fellow and Deputy Director, Maqasid Institute - Malaysia
Ustadh Marwan Bukhari is a research fellow at the Maqasid Institute and a founding member of Maqasid Institute Malaysia. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Fiqh from Yarmouk University, Jordan, and a Masters degree in Islamic Studies from the University of Islamic Science Malaysia. His research interests in Islamic thought, and methodologies for the interpretation of the Qur’an as well as Islamic civilization. Marwan translated six books on Maqasid and Islamic thought from Arabic to Malay. He is also a writer and lecturer on a number of activities and public events on these issues.
Aly Abdel Moneim
Executive Director, Maqasid Institute - Indonesia
Aly is a maqasid scholar and a lecturer in the Postgraduate Program, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Islamic University of Indonesia. Aly also lectures at other well-known universities like Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State University, and Ahmad Dahlan University and he is a visiting professor at the International Peace College of South Africa. Aly lectures on various subjects from usul-ul-fiqh (Knowledge Theory of Islamic Jurisprudence), Evidential Methodology in Islamic Studies, Islamic Thought and Civilization, Arabic Conceptual Frameworks in Islamic Studies, and Maqasid and Islamic Development Theory. Dr. Aly is now focused on reconstructing sustainable development theory based on a Quranic-Maqasidi-Cultural approach, which fits with Indonesian needs and values.
Addi Arrahman
Director of Maqasid Institute - Indonesia
Dr. Addi Arrahman is a lecturer in Islamic Economic Philosophy at UIN Sultan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Economics at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta. Islamic economic thinking and sustainable development have become his research interest using a maqasid-based systems approach. His latest book examines Kahrudin Yunus’s Thoughts on Sustainable Development. Adi is actively involved in publishing accredited journals in Indonesia, both as an editorial board and peer reviewer. Apart from academic activities, Adi is also active in the Minangkabau diaspora.
Mustafa Tutkun
Director of Maqasid Institute - Turkiye
Ustadh Mustafa has worked with reputable NGOs since 1999 such as Turkiye Diyanet Foundation, Doctors Worldwide, and LightHouse, among others. He has led numerous humanitarian and development projects and programs in over a hundred countries. During his career he has given great importance to accountability, professionalism, and systems thinking; and always focused on value creation and the intangible drivers in business like innovation, people, ideas, and brand. He has initiated and managed several organizational transformation programs. In his last job as the Deputy Director General of the Turkish Red Crescent, he led several strategic functions including Organizational Development, Strategic Planning, Information Technology and Security, and Business Development. Mustafa likes traveling, hiking, and camping and lives in Ankara.
Zulqernain Haider Subhani
Executive Director of Maqasid Institute- India
Ustadh Zulqernain Haider is a guest lecturer at Al Jamia Al Islamia Kerala where he teaches Maqasid al Shariah and Usul ul-Fiqh in the Department of Contemporary Islamic Fiqh. Zulqernain Haider is currently pursuing PhD in Fiqh and Usul ul-Fiqh at International Islamic University Malaysia with a focus on Maqasid al-Shariah, gender issues, and integration of Fiqh and sociology. After completing alimiyah from Jamia tul Falah he completed a study program in Shariah from Nadwatul Ulema Lucknow. He did his first Master’s in Qur’anic studies from Al Jamia Al Islamia Kerala and his second Master’s in Sociology and Anthropology from IIUM Malaysia. He has published a number of articles in English, Urdu, Arabic, and Hindi in different journals and magazines. Currently, he is working on a book on the sociopolitical values of Shariah.
Mohamed Nufail
Representative of Maqasid Institute - Sri Lanka
Ustaz Mohamed Nufail has a special degree in Islamic subjects from Jamiah Naleemiah Islamiah, Sri Lanka, and an honors degree & diploma in Management from the Open University of Sri Lanka. He is the Director of the BISMI Campus of Higher Studies. His key interests are in research and writing in applied maqasid studies.
OUR RESEARCH FELLOWS
Baptiste Brodard
Senior Research Fellow - Social Research
Dr. Baptiste Brodard holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He prepared an interdisciplinary thesis entitled “Islamic social work in Switzerland” which combines sociology, religious studies, and theology. Previously, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in political science in Paris (France) and a Master’s in social sciences in Fribourg (Switzerland) and worked in the fields of development, education, counseling, and social work. He was particularly involved in social work in prison and in humanitarian aid.
In parallel, he has traveled to about 50 countries in order to meet various Muslim communities and to study contemporary Islamic movements. His interest is focused on social problems and social work, grassroots humanitarian aid, contemporary Islamic movements in non-Muslim countries, faith-based social activism, and “da’wah” in Europe and Latin America. He wrote several articles on subjects related to Muslim communities in the West and their contribution to society in the field of social work.
Mawloud Mohadi
Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Editor - the Journal of Contemporary Maqasid Studies
Dr. Mawloud Mohadi is a Deputy Managing Editor at the Journal of Contemporary Maqasid Studies. He holds a PhD from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and is editor of the Libyan Journal Tahir Al-Zawi. He worked as a Translator (Arabic, English, and French), Editor, and Assistant Lecturer since 2015. His research focuses on multidisciplinary research approaches, like, World History and Civilisation, English Literature, Political Sciences, Education, and Morality. He published several research articles in Scopus and WOS-indexed Journals. In the last five years, he managed several projects and research grants at the University of Islam Malaysia covering topics of wisdom (hikmah), Islamic Heritage, Muslim scholarship and Libraries, and Islamic endowment. Dr. Mawloud is keen on learning new languages and IT skills. He currently resides in Algeria.
Motaz Al-Thaher
Senior Research Fellow - Quranic Studies
Dr. Motaz is a Philosophy of Religions and Maqasid Researcher. Motaz now is a Visiting Research Scholar at Baylor University in Texas. Motaz Has a BA and MA degree in Islamic Studies from the World Islamic Sciences and Education University in Jordan and a Ph.D. from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (ISTAC) in Maqasid AlShariah. Dr. Motaz has diverse experience, in addition to philosophy and theology, he is a certified professional mechanical engineer and an entrepreneur with 10 years of experience in the field of production, contracting, and construction. He cofounded SOLVillion, which is a startup, specialized in water solutions in Jordan and A Business Development Manager for Fatabyyano Platform for fighting fake news in MENA Region. Motaz has been a volunteer with the Arab Innovation Network Since 2018 and worked in Jordan, Turkey, and China. He is also interested in education, managing educational projects, and sustainable development.
Azzam Abu-Rayash
Senior Research Fellow - Environment & Sustainability
Dr. Azzam Abu-Rayash is a Senior Project Manager with the Government of Canada and a Governor on ONTech’s Board of Governors. Dr. Azzam is a graduate from Al Azhar University (BA in Islamic Sciences – Egypt) and a former Visiting Imam at the Holy Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem (2014-2015). He is an Instructor at the Islamic Centre of Oshawa, a volunteer Imam at SNMC Masjid, and a Board member of Al Azhar Academy of Canada. Pursuing a bilateral career in academia and energy consulting, he is a Project Management Professional, and a Certified Energy Manager with the Association of Energy Engineers.
He is actively involved in the local and wider community as a dedicated volunteer, founder and board member in several non-profit organizations across Canada. The author of a book and 13 journal articles, Dr. Abu-Rayash is the recipient of various esteemed awards and scholarships including the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, the Lieutenant Governor’s Award, the Trillium Response Medal, the Op LASER COVID-19 Coin, and most recently the Canada Region institutional energy management award, an international award by AEE. He holds a masters and a PhD in mechanical engineering, specializing in energy sustainability and smart cities from Ontario Tech University, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Neuroscience from the University of Toronto.
Isra Brifkani
Senior Research Fellow - Wholistic Education
Dr. Isra Brifkani is a Senior Research Fellow. She obtained her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in education from Middle Tennessee State University. She has over 15 years of educational research and practice experience, has published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as presented at national and international education conferences. Her research focuses on the importance of cultivating holistic approaches to teaching and learning. Dr. Brifkani believes that the educational experience should be transformative and inspire positive change in students, academically, spiritually, socially, emotionally, and physically. As an academic researcher, school board member, and practitioner, she has led many transformative educational initiatives. Dr. Brifkani enjoys collaborating with researchers and practitioners in the field to foster a paradigm shift and inspire renewal in education.
Lisa Listiana
Senior Research Fellow - Waqf and Economic Development
Dr. Lisa Listiana is the founder and director of Waqf Center for Indonesian Development and Studies (WaCIDS) and Falah Financial. Currently, she is the coordinator of the Green Waqf Project and The Ghazali Project Indonesia, and also a lecturer in a postgraduate program at Ahmad Dahlan School of Business and Technology, Jakarta. She pursued PhD program at IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), with a full scholarship from Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP). She has a strong passion and research interest in waqf and presented papers related to waqf at national and international conferences. She was the Best Talent of LPDP 2017. Some of her papers related to waqf are awarded as Best Paper at the 4th Annual Islamic Finance Conference (AIFC), Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH) Call for Paper 2018, and Shariah Economic and Finance Forum (FREKS) Call for Paper 2018. She holds a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Indonesia with a full scholarship from the same sponsor. Previously, she worked as an accountant for four years at ExxonMobil and an auditor at Ernst and Young.
Loni Hendri
Research Fellow - Economics & Finance
Ustadha Loni is a research fellow, a researcher at Bersama Institute, a freelance writer, a translator, and a lecturer. She has a Master’s degree in Islamic Finance and Banking from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. She has published books as co-authors on Islamic economic philosophy, Islamic business ethics, and poverty in Islam. Loni is actively involved in publishing in accredited journals in Indonesia, both as a writer and peer reviewer. She is also active in the Minangkabau diaspora for women.
Otmane Amagour
Research Fellow - International Relations
Researcher in International Relations and Political Thought, a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah (Morocco), on the topic “Artificial Intelligence and Contemporary Political Ethics”, holds a Master’s degree from the University of Padova (Italy), on the topic “Challenges of Democracy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”. He has contributed to edited books with research papers and has also published several research papers related to AI, He was an Researcher in a number of research centers such as the Maghareb Center and Nama Academy.
John Kydd
Fellow - Climate Compassion Initiative
John Kydd is an attorney, researcher, and climate justice faith advocate. He has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization and as a Rapporteur for the Committee on the Rights of the Child of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights. He attended COP 26 and will attend COP 27. He is daily amazed at the beauty and complexity of Allah’s creation and determined to defend it.