The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies is involved in the study of all aspects of the advanced study of Islam, and the Muslim world, from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The Centre has four broad research areas; classical Islamic sciences, the social and intellectual history of the Muslim world, Islamic finance (related to the social and economic development of Muslim societies) and Muslims in Britain and the West.

The Centre has various scholarship schemes:

• The Easa Saleh Al-Gurg Scholarship
• The Saif Al-Nahayan, Scholarship
• The Khalid Al-Ibrahim Scholarship
• The Barclays Scholarship
• The Noon Foundation Scholarship

The following scholarships are supported by restricted grants:

• The OCIS–Merdeka Scholarships
• The Yousef Jameel Scholarships
• The Kasim Darwesh Fakhro Scholarships
• The Amanah Foundation Scholarships

The Centre also has various stipendiary Visiting Fellowships:

The Abdul Aziz Al-Mutawa and the Muhammad Bin-Ladin Visiting Fellowships are awarded annually to support an extended period of independent study and research at Oxford. They carry an annual stipend of £5000.

The Imam Bukhari and the Imam Tirmizi Visiting Research Fellowship are open to citizens of countries in Asia or Africa and carry an annual stipend of £4000.

The Chevening Visiting Fellowships Programme, in partnership with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, offer six months of living expenses, return economy airfare from home country to the UK, an allowance package for research-related activities and access to a programme of cultural events and activities organised by the FCDO and the Chevening Secretariat. It is restricted to applicants from:Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

The Abdullah Gül Chevening Fellowship is restricted to applicants from Turkey.

Finally, the SC-OCIS Visiting Fellowship in Islamic Finance offers a grant of £10,000 to contribute to the Visiting Fellow’s living, travel and incidental research expenses.

The Centre organises the annual Young Muslim Leadership Programme (YMLP) to encourage greater participation by Muslims in public life. This nine-day residential summer school is held at Oxford and is attended by young British Muslims, men and women between the ages of 21 and 30, who have demonstrated leadership potential in their chosen career-paths.

Open Access Resources and Events

Organised on a termly basis, Centre seminars are built around a theme related to Islamic studies or issues pertinent to Muslim societies. The Seminar Series run from Weeks 1 to 8 during term and are open to members of the public - are advertised in advance and included in the University's Gazette.

The Distinguished Lectureship Series, organised once or twice a term, is also open to the public. Events are advertised on the website.

The Centre further has its own series of podcasts, including; on topics related to the Middle East where speakers discuss topics touching on contemporary issues, BookTalk which includes author interviews on recently published works, and on Political Thought.

Research Outputs and Relevant Literature

The Centre's publications include the Journal of Islamic Studies, published for the Centre by Oxford University Press since 1990, places the study of Islam and modern societies in their global context, and the Makers of Muslim Civilization series, accessible essays explaining the life and achievement of influential figures in the history of Islam.