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Walid Magdy is a Professor at the School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh, where he is a faculty member at the Institute for Language, Cognition and Computation (ILCC). He holds a PhD from Dublin City University's School of Computing and has been a faculty fellow at The Alan Turing Institute. With substantial industry experience, he has worked for Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), Microsoft, and IBM, where he filed nine patents. His research spans computational social science and natural language processing. In computational social science, he focuses on social content analysis, political bias detection, polarization, and users' behavior analysis/prediction, with particular attention to understudied communities. His natural language processing work centers on social applications including sentiment analysis, sarcasm detection, and hate-speech identification, with specialized expertise in Arabic and its dialects as well as Persian. Professor Magdy's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Arabic language processing and social media analysis, with growing attention to cultural factors in NLP systems. His work bridges computational methods with social science questions, particularly regarding misinformation, cultural differences in online behavior, and the impact of platform policies on diverse linguistic communities. He has expanded his research to include Persian language processing and continues to explore social dynamics across different cultural contexts. His significant contributions have been recognized with multiple awards: Best Demo Award for TwiXplorer at CSCW 2024 Outstanding Paper Award at ACL 2024 Best Paper Award Runner-up at SocInfo 2022 Best Paper Award at WANLP-EMNLP 2022 Best Paper Award at AIRS 2015 Best Dataset Award at ICWSM 2013 Professor Magdy serves as an editor for Springer's Social Network Analysis and Mining journal and has held leadership roles in major conferences including ACL 2023, ArabicNLP 2023, ICWSM 2022, and ASONAM 2022. He has co-organized numerous shared tasks focused on Arabic language processing and social media analysis, contributing significantly to community resources and benchmarks. He founded and directs the Social Media Analysis and Support for Humanity (SMASH) research group at the University of Edinburgh, which has organized the Summer School in Computational Social Science (SICSS-Edinburgh) in 2022, 2023, and 2025, training researchers in computational social science methodologies.

• Computational Social Science
• Natural Language Processing
• Social Content Analysis
• +8 more

Dr. Simon O'Meara is a Professor at SOAS University of London , serving as Reader in the History of Architecture & Archaeology of the Islamic Middle East and Department Student Support and Experience Convenor. He holds a PhD from the University of Leeds (2004) in Arabic and Islamic Studies, following BA and MA degrees in Art History with a focus on visual theory. Key research areas: Islamic architecture , North African urbanism , material culture , and Islamic visual theory Specializes in analyzing how Islamic religious/legal discourses shape urban spaces and visual culture His publications include two monographs: Space and Muslim Urban Life (2007) on Fez's party walls, and The Kaʿba Orientations (2020) on Mecca's spatial symbolism. Current work examines Quranic exegesis through architectural lenses (2024) and Sufi cosmological centers (2023). PhD supervision topics include: Charlie Oubridge: The Nation in Egyptology Aydin Ozcandan: Ottoman fountains and epigraphs Contact: so20@soas.ac.uk | Office: Room 558, Russell Square: College Buildings

• Islamic Architecture
• North African Urbanism
• Material Culture Studies
• +3 more

Professor Eric Atwell is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence for Language at the University of Leeds' School of Computer Science, part of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. He holds additional roles as a LITE Fellow at the Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (40% part-time), Turing Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute, and member of the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA) and Language at Leeds (LATL). His research focuses on AI applications in corpus linguistics, text analytics, and computational analysis of religious and medical texts, with a strong emphasis on Arabic and Islamic studies. He leads the AI4L research group and has supervised over 60 research students and fellows, many of whom have pursued careers in academia, tech, and AI-driven fields. Education: PhD in Corpus Linguistics and Language Learning (University of Leeds, 2008), BA (First Class) in Computing and Linguistics (Lancaster University, 1981) Grants: Includes EPSRC-funded projects like Natural Language Processing with Arabic and Islamic Studies (£337K, 2013-2015) and EDUBOTS chatbots for education (£94K, 2019-2022) Teaching: Leads modules in Data Mining, Text Analytics, and AI across multiple programs, including online Masters and PhDs. Known for innovative teaching approaches and student support, receiving positive feedback for engagement and course design. Research Interests: AI applied to corpus linguistics, Quranic text analysis, Arabic NLP, chatbots for education, and decolonizing curricula. Notable projects include Quranic semantic search tools, Hadith corpus analysis, and AI-driven fact-checking systems. Publications: Over 277 publications, with recent work focusing on Quranic QA systems, Arabic dialect identification, and generative AI applications in education. His research is widely cited, earning recognition from ResearchGate for high readership. Awards: Recognized for his most-read research items on ResearchGate (June 2021). Gallup StrengthsFinder highlights his top traits as Learner, Achiever, Ideation, Intellection, and Maximizer. Labs/Teams: Leads the AI4L research group and collaborates with international institutions including SUSTECH Sudan, King Saud University, and SWJT University (China). Active in research networks like LIDA and LATL.

• Artificial Intelligence
• Natural Language Processing
• Machine Learning
• +8 more

Ali-Reza Bhojani is an Assistant Professor in Islamic Ethics at the Department of Theology and Religion, University of Birmingham. He joined the department in 2021 as a Teaching Fellow before being appointed to his current role in 2024. He has held academic positions at institutions including Al-Mahdi Institute, University of Nottingham, University of Oxford, and Markfield Institute for Education, where he served on the executive team (2012-2017) and co-directed the Centre for Intra-Muslim Studies (2019-2021). PhD in Islamic Legal Theory, Durham University (2013) MA in Research Methods (International Relations and Politics), Durham University (2009) Hawza Programme (Arabic & Islamic Studies), Al-Mahdi Institute (2008) MCOptom, College of Optometrists (2004) BSc (Hons) Optometry, Bradford University (2003) His research focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to Islamic legal theory, particularly the relationship between Sharia and ethics in both theoretical and applied contexts. Key areas include free speech ethics, artificial intelligence, human plurality, and Modern Twelver Shīʿī legal theory. He leads the MA in Islamic Studies program, convening the core module Approaches to the Study of Islam. Recent publications address AI ethics in Islamic thought, religious authority in the Shi'i diaspora, and Quranic interpretation in legal frameworks. His work engages with cross-cultural collaborations, including anthropologists and scholars from diverse religious traditions. Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (2024) He supervises doctoral research on topics like legal school dynamics in the Mamluk period and spiritual practices in British Muslim communities. He previously supervised projects on Ḥadīth origins and legal reasoning in Taqi al-Din al-Subki's work. His research collaborations include The Living Sharia Project with Oxford University.

• Islamic Ethics
• Islamic Law (Sharia)
• Legal Theory
• +7 more

Dr. Marle Hammond is a Professor at SOAS University of London in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, specializing in Arabic Literature and Middle Eastern and North African cinema. She earned her PhD from Columbia University in 2003 and has held prestigious fellowships at St. John's College and as a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at Oxford University before joining SOAS in 2010. Her educational background includes: PhD in Arabic Literature from Columbia University (2003) Postdoctoral Fellowship at St. John's College Research Centre (2002-2006) British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship at Oxford University (2007-2010) Dr. Hammond's research focuses on Arabic women's writing across historical periods, examining grammatical gender and sexed subjectivities in Arabic and Persian literary traditions, the intersection of madness and poetry, and Arabic-language cinema with particular attention to early Egyptian melodramas. Her scholarly approach combines literary analysis with gender studies and cultural history perspectives. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on recovering and analyzing historical women writers and poets from the Islamic world. Through works like "Rayhana 'The Mad': Her Persona and Poetry" (2024) and biographical entries on figures such as Sara al-Halabiyya, Hafsa bint al-Hajj, and Taqiyya bint Ghayth al-Suriyya, she has contributed significantly to expanding the canon of women's literary contributions in pre-modern Islamic societies. Her book "Arab World Cinemas: A Reader and Guide" (2024) represents a major contribution to film studies of the region. Dr. Hammond has received notable recognition for her work: Winner of the First Annual Journal of Middle East Women's Studies Book Award (2011) for "Beyond Elegy: Classical Arabic Women's Poetry in Context" British Academy Midcareer Fellowship (2017-2018) British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2007-2010) External Examiner for Oxford University (2018-2020) and Exeter University (2018-2021) Associate Editor for the Palgrave Encyclopedia of Women's Writing in the Global Middle Ages (2022) Dr. Hammond has supervised doctoral students including Kubin, K. (2023) on "Affects of Shame and the Postcolonial: Identity, Recognition and Belonging" and Boulos, T. (2023) on "Breaking the Silence: Pain, Torture, Resistance and Bearing Witness in the writings of Palestinian Prisoners of War and Administrative Detainees." She has served on editorial boards and as Book Review Editor for Middle Eastern Literatures (2014-2015). Her scholarly influence extends through invited talks at institutions including Oxford, UCL, and King's College London, as well as appearances on BBC Radio 4's "In Our Time."

• Arabic Women's Literature
• Classical Arabic Poetry
• Gender Studies in Middle Eastern Contexts
• +5 more

Dr. Salwa El-Awa is a Senior Lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Swansea University's School of Culture and Communication. She previously held positions at the University of Birmingham (2001-2010) and Ain Shams University in Cairo (2010-2015). Her academic roles include teaching Arabic linguistics, Qur’anic studies, and Hadith analysis, alongside supervising PhD students in translation and religious studies. Her research focuses on Qur’anic textuality, discourse markers, and Islamic movements. Key areas include textual coherence in the Qur’an, Arabic linguistic analysis, and the intersection of religion and counter-terrorism policy. Recent projects explore governance strategies engaging moderate Islamic groups to combat jihadism. El-Awa has published extensively on Qur’anic linguistics, including monographs like Textual Relations in the Qur'an (2005) and Al-Wujuh Wa al-Naza’ir (1998). Her work bridges religious studies, linguistics, and security studies, with notable contributions to Yale’s Dictionary of the Qur'an (2024) and interdisciplinary journals like International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice . She has secured £20,000 for the International Qur’anic Text Linguistics Conference (2020-2021) and served as an External Examiner for Westminster University’s Translation program (2019–2022). Her teaching includes advanced translation, healthcare interpreting, and world cinema studies.

• Arabic Linguistics
• Islamic Studies
• Text Analysis (Scriptures and Literature)
• +5 more

Professor Mustapha Sheikh is Chair in Islamic Thought and Muslim Societies at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds. He is Co-Director of the Iqbal Centre for Critical Muslim Studies and actively contributes to interdisciplinary research on Muslim intellectual history, Islamic law, and contemporary socio-political issues affecting Muslim communities globally. His educational background includes a DPhil in Theology and Religion from the University of Oxford, an MSt in the Study of Religions (Oxford), a BA in Arabic and Islamic Law, and a BSc in Project Management from University College London. His academic journey reflects a deep integration of traditional Islamic scholarship and rigorous Western academic training. Sheikh's research is centered on two interrelated strands: first, Islamic intellectual and legal history, particularly revivalist and reformist movements in the Ottoman and early modern Islamic world; second, the socio-scientific analysis of contemporary Muslim societies, including Islamophobia, Islamic finance, food and water security, and decolonial studies. His seminal work Ottoman Puritanism and Its Discontents (Oxford University Press, 2016) has significantly reshaped scholarly understanding of the Qadizadeli movement and Taymiyyan influences in Ottoman thought. He is a pioneer in advancing Critical Muslim Studies as a post-Orientalist framework for rethinking Islamic tradition. His recent publications reveal a strong interdisciplinary trend, combining Islamic legal theory with social justice, environmental security, and political economy. Themes such as intersectional oppression, decoloniality, and ethical finance recur across his work, reflecting a commitment to justice-oriented scholarship. He frequently collaborates with scholars across disciplines and geographies, particularly in the Global South. Member, British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) Member, British Association of Islamic Studies (BRAIS) Board Member, (In)Justice International Professor Sheikh actively supervises PhD students and has successfully guided over 20 doctoral candidates to completion. His research is supported by collaborations across institutions, including the University of Punjab (where he is a Visiting Professor) and Harper Adams University. He is currently co-editing volumes on global injustice and Islamic finance, and working on a book about healing racial trauma from an Islamic psycho-spiritual perspective. He leads and participates in numerous research groups, including the Arabic History group and the Centre for Religion and Public Life, and is deeply involved in public engagement through talks, webinars, and podcasts addressing Islamophobia, women’s rights under Shari’a, and decolonising knowledge.

• Islamic Thought
• Muslim Societies
• Islamic Law and Legal Theory
• +13 more

Dr. Tajul Islam is a Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies , University of Leeds , where he has been a member of staff since 2009. He also holds a visiting position at the University of the Punjab, Lahore. His academic work bridges traditional Islamic scholarship and critical theory, and he is a co-founder of Critical Muslim Studies (CMS) at Leeds, a framework aimed at centering Muslim subjectivity and decolonizing knowledge production in higher education. Education: BA in Arabic and Islamic Studies — University of Leeds PhD in Arab and Islamic Studies — University of Exeter Dr. Islam’s research encompasses a wide range of fields, including Islamic Theology (kalam) , Qur’anic Studies , Hadith , Islamic Law , Islamic Philosophy , Islamism , Islamophobia , antisemitism , racism , Biblical Studies , and Madrasa studies . His teaching emphasizes inclusivity and sensitivity to contemporary issues of identity and prejudice. His recent publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary trend, combining religious studies with food ethics, digital humanities, and decolonial theory. Key themes include theological minimalism , racial justice in early Islam , Islamic reform , and cross-traditional dialogue . He frequently presents at international conferences and public events on topics such as decolonial imagination, fatwa borrowing, and Muslim identity. Scientific Contributions and Recognition: Co-authored a well-cited article on Hanafi fiqh and British Muslims’ views on cultured meat. Published on Qur’anic phonetics and automatic lexis extraction. Contributed to encyclopedias on Ibn Mujahid and the Bible’s use in Islamophobic discourse. Co-founded the Iqbal Centre for Critical Muslim Studies. Dr. Islam supervises a diverse cohort of PhD students on topics ranging from blasphemy laws and translation studies to female religious authority and Qur’anic coherence. He has successfully guided over 15 doctoral candidates to completion. He is also involved in collaborative research and international academic partnerships, particularly with institutions in Pakistan. Labs and Research Groups: Co-Director, Iqbal Centre for Critical Muslim Studies Member of research groups in Arabic Cultural Studies , Conflict , and History

• Islamic Theology
• Qur'anic Studies
• Hadith Studies
• +12 more

Dr. Simonetta Calderini is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Society, Culture, and Social Change, affiliated with the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at SOAS University of London. Her research and teaching focus on Islamic Studies, particularly Shiism and Ismailism, Islam and Gender, and Religion and Human Rights. She earned her PhD from SOAS in 1991 and has been recognized with a Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy (2016) and a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship from the Oriental Institute, University of Naples (1995-7). PhD, SOAS University of London Teaching Fellow (2016), Higher Education Academy, UK Post-doctoral Fellowship (1995-7), Oriental Institute, University of Naples Her research explores intersections of cosmology and religious hierarchies in medieval Islam, notably through her work on female prayer leadership. Her monograph Women as Imams (2021/2022) and co-authored book with Delia Cortese on Women and the Fatimids (2006) are pivotal contributions. She has secured grants such as the AHRC study leave (2008) and AHRB study leave (2003-4), the latter rated 'A' for excellence. Calderini’s scholarly activities include invited lectures at institutions like Università di Napoli l'Orientale (2023) and King’s College London (2023), alongside media engagements such as BBC World Service (2018) and New Books Network podcasts (2021). She serves on the advisory board of BRAIS and collaborates with networks like AMEWS and MESA. Scientific Awards Southlands Methodist Trust Fund (2018) Her recent publications analyze themes like female Imams in historical contexts, Quranic interpretations, and Fatimid architectural patronage. She actively supervises PhD students and contributes to interdisciplinary studies of Muslim Middle East history.

• Islamic Studies
• Shiism
• Ismailism
• +5 more

Nora K. Schmid is a Departmental Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, affiliated with the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES). Her academic work focuses on the Qur'an as a late antique text, Arabic asceticism, and the intellectual traditions of pre-Islamic Arabia, positioning her research at the intersection of religious studies, literary analysis, and historical criticism within early Islamic scholarship. Dr. Schmid's primary research interests include: The Qur’an as a late antique text Arabic asceticism The intellectual and literary traditions of pre-Islamic Arabia Arabic literature and religious culture (especially sermons and poetry) Islamic law Her scholarship consistently bridges philological precision with contextual historical analysis, revealing how early Islamic religious texts emerged from and engaged with the broader religious landscape of late antiquity. This approach illuminates connections between pre-Islamic Arabian heritage and formative Islamic thought. Analysis of Dr. Schmid's publication record reveals a strong thematic focus on Qur'anic literary structures, rhetorical devices, and their relationship to late antique religious traditions. Her work frequently examines light imagery, oaths, interrogative rhetoric, and ethical exhortation in the Qur'an, while also exploring ascetic traditions, biblical narrative reception, and the Christianization of pre-Islamic poetry. This body of work demonstrates consistent interdisciplinary methodology combining textual criticism, literary analysis, and historical contextualization. No scientific awards or major prizes have been documented for Dr. Schmid in available sources. The provided information does not specify any doctoral or master's students advised by Dr. Schmid, nor details of research grants she may have secured. Her current role as Departmental Lecturer indicates primary responsibilities in teaching and research within Oxford's Islamic Studies department. There is no mention of Dr. Schmid leading or participating in specific research laboratories, centers, or collaborative teams in the available institutional data.

• The Qur’an as a late antique text
• Arabic asceticism
• The intellectual and literary traditions of pre-Islamic Arabia
• +2 more

Dr. Orhan Elmaz is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Humanities at the School of Modern Languages, University of St Andrews. His research focuses on Arabic linguistics, Quranic exegesis, and Digital Humanities methodologies, particularly corpus and computational linguistics. Notable contributions include analyzing Quranic hapax legomena, developing a Media Arabic dictionary based on a 200-million-token corpus, and examining adaptations of One Thousand and One Nights . Current projects explore Hadith Arabic and transcultural Muslim women’s rights movements in the 19 th -20 th centuries. His teaching spans classical/modern Arab culture, Arabic literature, and language modules such as Media Arabic and Classical Arabic Poetry. Research collaboratives include editing special journal issues on Digital Modern Languages and translating Turkmen poetry. Elmaz supervises three PhD students and has served as an external examiner for doctoral candidates. Publications reflect interdisciplinary strengths: combining linguistic analysis with cultural studies (e.g., Hadith corpus linguistics) and bridging historical Islamic texts with modern computational methods. His work frequently intersects with transcultural themes, such as women’s rights movements and global literary traditions.

• Digital Humanities
• Arabic Linguistics
• Quranic Studies
• +4 more

Helen Pfeifer is a historian of the early modern Middle East and University Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge. She specializes in Ottoman and Mediterranean history, with a focus on cultural and intellectual exchange. Her work bridges Islamic, European, and global contexts. Education: PhD in Ottoman History from Princeton University Research: Empire-building, cultural integration, human-animal relations in the Ottoman Empire Teaching: Part I Papers 16 (Early Modern Europe) and 21 (Empires in World History), Part II special subject on Ottoman Empire Pfeifer’s research explores how Ottoman conquests, particularly of Arab lands in 1516-7, facilitated cross-cultural communication through literary salons. Her current project on human-animal relations expands this focus to ecological and social dynamics. Her publications span sixteenth-century Ottoman salons, religious integration, and European-Ottoman material exchanges, reflecting interdisciplinary methodologies. Awards include the 2024 Pilkington Prize for excellence in teaching and recognition from the Albert Hourani Book Award. Scientific Awards Pilkington Prize (2024) Albert Hourani Book Award Honorable Mention Beinecke Scholarship Fulbright Association Pfeifer supervises PhD and Master’s students in Ottoman history (1300-1800) and European-Ottoman relations. Her work has been supported by institutions including the American Research Institute in Turkey and German Orient-Institut .

• Ottoman History
• Cultural Exchange
• Early Modern Mediterranean
• +5 more

Dr Anna Chrysostomides is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant and Retained Lecturer in Islam at the University of Oxford's Department of Theology. Her research focuses on intersections between Islamic and Christian histories, particularly in the medieval Mediterranean. She holds a D.Phil. from Oxford, following M.Phil., M.A., and B.A. degrees in theology and religious studies. Education: D.Phil., University of Oxford M.Phil., University of Oxford M.A., Temple University B.A., University of Mary Washington Her research interests include Muslim-Christian relations, Syriac Christianity, Islamic archaeology, gender studies in religious contexts, and medieval religious law. She participates in the Sex and the Church Project and has affiliations with Queen Mary University of London. Her publications analyze religious identity formation, iconoclasm, interfaith festival participation, and comparative religious violence narratives. Current trends focus on eighth-tenth century religious interactions and textual polemics. No specific advising or grants are listed, though her work engages interdisciplinary collaborations. She is associated with research centers exploring medieval religious dynamics and sexuality in religious institutions.

• History of Christianity
• Study of Religions
• Islamic History
• +7 more