Trained in Islamic Studies and Cultural Anthropology, my interdisciplinary research and teaching focus on the formation of Muslim religious professionals in Western Europe (imams, Islamic theologians, spiritual caretakers, Islamic Religious Education teachers). Spanning thirty years of participative observing positions (as student, teacher, researcher and manager) in Dutch and Western European innovative academic initiatives for Islamic higher education, I gained profound insight in the complexities of this fascinating field.
I am dedicated to sharing my scholarly expertise to academic and non-academic audiences, while being embedded in strong national and international networks of academic experts, religious organizations and policy makers.
Active academic memberships:
- Staff member Centre for Islamic Theology, Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands
- Senior member Netherlands Interuniversity School for Islamic Studies (NISIS).
- Affiliated member Erlanger Institute for the Study of Islam and Law in Europe (EZIRE), Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen, Germany.
- International expert Academie für Islam in Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft (AIWG, Academy for Islam in Science and Society), Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.
- Member International Center for Comparative Theology and Social Issues (CTSI Bonn), Universät Bonn, Germany.
- Member Netherlands-Indonesia Consortium for Muslim-Christian Relations (NICMCR).
- Research group Future of Academic Theology, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
- Research group Interreligious Studies, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
- Research group Islamic Theology, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
