معرفی
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed serves as the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University's School of International Service and is a Global Fellow of the Wilson Center. His distinguished career spans academia and public service, including appointments as Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, the First Distinguished Chair of Middle East and Islamic Studies at the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Iqbal Fellow at the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Ahmed's research focuses on contemporary Islam, West-Islamic world relations, tribal societies, and interfaith dialogue. His work examines Muslim communities in America and Europe, Islamic identity formation, and the impact of globalization on Islamic societies. The BBC has called him "The world's leading authority on contemporary Islam," and the Saudi Gazette lauded him as "Perhaps the most influential living authority on contemporary Muslim societies."
His scholarly output includes the critically acclaimed Brookings quartet of studies: Journey into Europe (2018), The Thistle and the Drone (2013), Journey into America (2010), and Journey into Islam (2007). These works examine relations between the West and Islamic world through extensive field research across multiple continents.
- Star of Excellence (Sitara-i-Imtiaz) from Government of Pakistan
- Professor of the Year Award for Washington, D.C. by Carnegie Foundation (2004)
- 2017 Scholar/Teacher of the Year at American University
- First-ever Purpose Prize alongside Judea Pearl
- Gandhi Memorial Center Peace Award
Ambassador Ahmed has remained committed to interfaith service throughout his career, serving on boards including the World Faiths Development Dialogue, the Interfaith Coalition on Mosques, and the Washington Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council. He is a frequent media commentator, appearing on CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera, and NPR, and has presented multiple television series including the BBC's Living Islam (1993).
