King Charles III opens new wing at Oxford Islamic Studies Centre
Speaking at the ceremony on Thursday, His Majesty paid tribute to the Centre's enduring contributions to global scholarship and intercultural understanding.
"In this milestone anniversary year, I can only say that it is with enormous pride and admiration that I join you all here today to pay tribute to this remarkable centre," the King said.
"The Islamic Centre's ongoing commitment to objective scholarship and international co-operation, underpinned by principles of dialogue, deep understanding and mutual respect, is more imperative than ever in today's world."
King Charles has served as the Centre's Patron since 1993, the same year he delivered a landmark lecture in Oxford that underscored the West's intellectual debt to Islamic civilisation.
At that time, he remarked, "If there is much misunderstanding in the West about the nature of Islam, there is also much ignorance about the debt our own culture and civilisation owe to the Islamic world. It is a failure which stems, I think, from the straitjacket of history which we have inherited."
Founded in 1985, the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies is an independent academic institution affiliated with the University of Oxford.
It promotes the advanced study of Islam and Muslim societies and serves as a hub for dialogue between the Islamic world and the West.
The newly inaugurated wing is expected to expand the centre's capacity for research, academic exchange, and public engagement.
It will house the new King Charles III Programme, consolidating various initiatives inspired by the monarch, including the King Charles III Fellowship, Young Muslim Leadership Programme, and conferences addressing global challenges such as environmental sustainability.
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