Senior Academics

Executive Dean: Dr Mahmood Yusuf Abdulla


Dr Abdulla is a Chartered Certified Accountant by profession. In his professional capacity as Chartered Certified Accountant, Dr. Abdulla worked for a decade as Financial Advisor on a number of major  Agricultural development projects in the Middle East, sponsored by the World Bank, as well as, in public practice and industry.

He has completed an MA in Islamic Studies at the University of Portsmouth, going on to obtain Doctor of Philosophy from Loughborough University for research in Qur’anic Studies.

Dr Abdulla was at one time the Chief Editor of Al Sadiq Al Amin monthly Islamic magazine published in Leicester, U.K. He has written a number of articles in American online magazines and websites, and has published three books, Islamic Heritage, Human Rights and Tampering with the text and meaning of the Qur’an.

After first lecturing at religious gatherings at the age of 16, Dr. Abdullah has had the opportunity to visit and conduct lectures at 90 community centres in 51 cities around the world. He currently teaches the MA module 'Qur'an - Scripture and Signifier' at the Institute, having lectured on Qur’anic Hermeneutics at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Dr Abdulla as the Executive Dean has the responsibility of managing the Institute, having overall responsibility for the academic leadership and resource management within the policy framework of the Charter of the Institute. He is looked upon to develop the Institute such that it is conducive to the free flow of ideas and the realisation of a creative environment in which to stimulate innovation in the Institute’s course. He provides recommendations to the Governing Council of the Institute on the strategic academic development of the Institute, with a view to expanding and extending existing work in the Institute.

Dr Abdulla maintains a professional working relationship with other Institutes in Damascus and puts in place enabling structures and processes to develop a culture of collaboration across subject areas and activities.
 
Eastern Programme Leader: Shaykh Muhammad Khalfan

Shaykh Mohammed Khalfan was born in Kenya and spent over ten years in the Hawza of Qum. He is very well known for his articulate lectures and eloquent writing styles. Indeed he is one of the few original writers of the community. After graduating from Qum, he went on to support educational initiatives in Madagascar and Mombasa. He has since returned to Qum and is working on a range of research-based projects.

Shaykh Khalfan has penned a number of books, including Manifestation of the All Merciful, Divine Invitation and his latest publication, The Sacred Effusion, that contains reflections on Ziyarat’ Ashura of Sayyid al Shuhada’ al-Husayn b Ali (pbuh).

Shaykh Khalfan as the Eastern Programme Leader has overall responsibility over the standards and delivery of the core eastern modules. He leads on the selection and monitoring of tutors and seeks to enhance their professional development. He is also tasked with ensuring that the IIPS curriculum meets all milestones that have been set. Furthermore, Shaykh Khalfan contributes to the teaching of the key subjects of Aqaid and Akhlaq and oversees the spiritual nurturing of the students.

Shaykh Khalfan participates in the Institute Core Eastern Curriculum Modules development and, in particular, contributing to the introduction of new methods of teaching and learning.

Shaykh Khalfan is continuously working on the enhancement of the student experience and the delivery of the course portfolio within the Institute, encouraging innovation and promoting good practice in teaching, learning and student engagement whilst ensuring quality and standards.
 
Masters Programme Leader: Dr Mahmood Datoo

Dr Mahmood Datoo was born in Zanzibar, and is now resident in London. He is a graduate of Leeds University, having graduated in 1980 with an Honours degree in Civil Engineering. He was awarded a full scholarship by Leeds University to pursue doctorate studies, and in 1983, he was awarded a PhD in Structural Engineering.

Dr. Datoo then worked for two years in industry in Scotland, before taking up a lecturing post at Cranfield University, England in 1985. In 1990 he moved to London South Bank University where he is presently lecturing in Structural Engineering.

Dr. Datoo is a UK registered Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Member of The Institute of Mechanical Engineers and a Member of The Institute of Civil Engineers. He is an author of an engineering text book, and two historically-based religious books.

Dr. Datoo brings a wealth of experience and professionalism to the IIPS Masters Programme. At London South Bank University, he is the Course Director as well as the Admissions Tutor for the Civil Engineering and Structural Design Masters Programmes. He is also a member of the University Academic Misconduct/Appeals Panel.

Dr. Datoo was the Programme Leader of the Civil Engineering courses for five years. He has also served as an External Examiner of the MSc by Research at the University of Bristol and PhD at the University of Hertfordshire, and as an Internal Examiner at London South Bank University for PhD.

Dr. Datoo fits with the ethos and the integrated nature of the Institute curriculum that has been designed to integrate the best of Hawza education with the methodology and approach of a Western Masters Programme. The prime responsibility of Dr. Datoo as the Masters Programme Leader is to ensure that the Masters Programme meets its standards of quality and excellence and to advise on its further development. He also supports the Adjunct Professors delivering the Masters Modules.
 
Institute Designated Tutor: Shaykh Mohammed Ali Ismail

Shaykh Mohammed Ali Ismail from Peterborough, England graduated in Law with Accounting from De Montfort University, Leicester. He spent over ten years in the Hawza of Qum, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Qur’an and Hadith Studies. While in Qum, he regularly taught Islamic subjects and was the first Manager of The World Federation Qum Office.

In 2008, Shaykh Mohammed Ali qualified as a professional teacher by completing the Post Graduate Certificate in Education at the University of Portsmouth. During that period, he also rendered a range of Islamic services to Wessex Jamaat and conducted Continuous Personal Development courses on Theology and Family Ethics for Muballigheen and Madrasah teachers.

At the Institute, Shaykh Mohammed Ali leads the tutorial programme and teaches Islamic Theology and Arabic Grammar. He has also assisted in the spiritual development of the students through Practical Akhlaq sessions. Through immediate and continuing rapport with the students, Shaykh Mohammed Ali helps the students to develop positive self-concept and independent learning. He addresses the academic challenges of the students by using their own experiences and skills in tutoring and introduces them to new perspectives and insights.
 
Arabic Module Coordinator & Lecturer: Shaykh Qassim Al Assady

Shaykh Qasim Yasir (Al-Assady) was born and educated in Iraq, obtaining a Bachelor of Art degree in Education and English Language, and a Master of Art degree in Linguistics and foreign Language teaching from the University of Baghdad. He then studied Islamic Hawza  studies and Advanced Arabic Language sciences.

Shaykh Qasim is a university assistant professor in Linguistics and foreign language teaching. He lectured at University of Qadisiya in Iraq for 10 years, at Irbid National University in Jordan for 4 years, in Azad Islamic University, Lebanon and Damascus branch, and Imam Khumeini Hawza in Damascus prior to taking up the post of Arabic Lecturer and Module Coordinator at the Institute.

Shaykh Qasim has penned a number of publications, including an innovative program for teaching Arabic  as a foreign language, Hadeeth comprehension course for teaching Arabic, Arabic listening and reading comprehension, Arabic dictation and writing system, Academic English for philosophy and Theology for Arab Hawza students, The role of opinions and attitudes in discourse comprehension, as well as research Papers in philology, Islamic Theology, Hadeeth interpretations, linguistic research analysis, Arabic Semantics, Methods of teaching and curriculum planning.

Shaykh Qasim provides the academic leadership of the Arabic Module and oversees the delivery of the Arabic Module to the student body, taking account of the IIPS Learning and Teaching Strategy at all times. He has designed the Arabic Module including taking responsibility for its content, assigning appropriate learning outcomes and co-ordinating the development of course material.

Shaykh Qasim is a keen IT person and has trained all the students and lecturers in adapting their personal computers to work in Arabic and to word-process in Arabic irrespective of their computer operating system and software versions.

 

Google Translation

Sayyida Zainab as

Syria