Online degree program

Online degrees on Jewish-Muslim relations

This online university will be offering e–learning courses in Muslim–Jewish Relations, Jewish Studies and Islamic Studies initially aimed at postgraduate students interested in studying Islam, Judaism or interfaith relations at degree level. The course will be developed by experts from different disciplines at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

The aim is also to attract educators, religious studies teachers, clergy, community and social workers, pastoral workers and other professionals (such as journalists), as well as those who are simply pursuing an interest in the field, drawing students of different ages from a range of nationalities. The collaboration would consist of the following two components:
-    SOAS would offer a Masters degree in Jewish Muslim Dialogue, with a "distance learning" option. SOAS already has MA programs in Islamic Studies, Israeli Studies, Dispute & Conflict Management as well as a distance learning unit. Elements from the three existing MA programs could be combined to form the new proposed MA degree program.
-    The Aladdin Project would offer SOAS financial aid to establish the Aladdin Centre for the Study of Jewish-Muslim Relations. The centre would bring together members of the academic staff from all SOAS departments with a research interest in this topic. The centre could organize conferences, sponsor relevant publications, and organize an "Aladdin" lecture series.
The Aladdin Centre for the Study of Jewish-Muslim Relations will develop a close cooperation with the University of Cambridge and the University of Southern California, where studies of Jewish-Muslim relations already exist.

Other objectives of the project:
1. Developing resources, both scholarly and community-based, to address critical issues in Muslim-Jewish engagement
2. Creating programs and fostering partnerships around the world to strengthen and enhance activities between Jews and Muslims
3. Providing technical assistance to programs, institutions and collaborative efforts between other groups seeking to make an impact in Jewish-Muslim relations.