Who we are

Khaldun Initiative is a non-profit founded by a group of Muslim graduate students and scholars. We support promising students from the Global South pursuing graduate study in the social sciences and humanities.

Why we exist

During the Muslim Golden Age, the civilisation led the world in the sciences, arts, humanities, and applied social sciences. Today, an objective look at Muslim engagement in the social sciences and humanities reveals a bleak landscape — even as those disciplines have become increasingly critical for the policies and governance that shape everyday life.

Visionaries in the community keep underscoring the same need: young Muslims, especially from the Global South, need help bolstering their intellectual development in these fields if the community's standing in global affairs is to change. Khaldun exists to make a small but concrete contribution to that goal.

What we're working toward

The overarching goal is to build and nurture a new generation of social scientists, scholars, and thought leaders from the Global South who possess both mainstream and Islamic knowledge.

In the short run, we support exceptional students to undertake higher studies in the social sciences and humanities. In the long run, personal and professional development programmes ensure they become experts and authority figures in their fields. Nurturing productive lifelong networks amongst alumni is a key part of that.

How we work

Khaldun is run by volunteers — current and former scholars who give time to read applications, mentor new applicants, organise retreats, and keep the network healthy. We try to be careful with the small amount of money we move, and to be honest about what we can and can't do.

If you'd like to know more, the best thing is to email us.