Purpose and Significance of the Center
Purpose and Significance
The Center for Islamic Studies (SIAS) commenced in 2006 for further development based on the accumulation of Islamic studies. Within the university, we work closely with Institute of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies in the Research Institutes Division, also work together with the Faculty of the Global Studies and the Area Studies, Department of the Graduate School of Global Studies to enlarge research and education in close collaboration.
Cooperating with a number of research and educational institutions in related fields in Japan and abroad, utilizing our overseas Catholic Network. We will extend the multi-dimensional research on Islam beyond the boundaries of our university, and aim to return achievements to society.
From 2016, the Center became one of the bases of the Inter-University Research Institute Corporation, Promotion of Research in the Area Studies Project for the Modern Middle East. As a research topic “Pluralistic Development of Public Spheres and Social Ethics in the Middle East”, we established three groups of anthropological history group, socioeconomic group, political sociology group, and try to deepen research.
In addition, we are conducting a number of research projects such as Scientific Research on Priority Areas: "Comparative Area Studies on Conflicts, Interactions, and Reconciliations between Islam and Other Religions Including Christianity
(Sophia University Special Grant for Academic Research)" and collaborative research with Organization for Islamic Area Studies, Waseda University, "Histories and Current Situations of Interreligious Relations in Asia and Africa
".
About the NIHU Area Studies Project for the Modern Middle East
The National Institutes for the Humanities (NIHU) collaborates with universities and organizations both Japan and overseas to build a network on Area Studies Project for the Modern Middle East. It established a network on contemporary Middle East, which has academic and social importance for Japan. We are pursuing research projects conducting interdisciplinary and comprehensive research on the current state of society, politics, economy, and environment. In this project, we comprehensively grasp the present situation in the Middle East and clarify important issues from a multifaceted perspective. Four other centers are the National Museum of Ethnology, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Kyoto University, and Akita University. Each have own research subjects and carrying out network-type collaborative research connecting other center.
Research Subject at the Center of Sophia University
Research Subject: “Pluralistic Development of Public Spheres and Social Ethics in the Middle East.”
There is a discussion that the diffusion of education accompanying globalization and the media development bring the formation of the public sphere to various parts of the Middle East, and will become a driving force for democratization. Contrary to that argument, it is also true that violent Islamism has emerged between individuals and the state. Practicing today’s Middle Eastern studies, we must develop a comprehensive analysis based on a number of case studies on the diversification of the so-called "Public Sphere", and the different actors inside. Our center unleashes the concept of public nature from simplex understanding and explore the public consciousness rooted in the Middle East from the viewpoint of reusing ethical knowledge.
The critical examination of the concept of "Public Sphere" in the Middle East could be made through various dimension. New network has been created by urbanization, migration inside the nation and abroad changes traditional public awareness. And there are many organizational movements for the purpose of education, welfare, religion, civil society and politics. Our Center considers that establishing comprehensive framework and analysis leads to creating foundation resolving not only the Middle East but also wider contemporary issues.
Core Members of Area Studies Project for the Modern Middle East
- Project Manager
- AKOHORI Masayuki（Director of the Center for Islamic Studies. Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- ABE Ruri（Professor of Faculty of Humanities, Sophia University）
- ARAI Koichi（Visiting Fellow of Institute of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies, Sophia University）
- FUKUNAGA Koichi（Visiting Fellow of Institute of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies, Sophia University）
- INABA Nanako（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- IWASAKI Erina（Professor of Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia University）
- KONDO Fumiya（Research Fellow of Center for Islamic Studies, Sophia University）
- KUSHIMOTO Hiroko（Associate Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- OKADO Masaki（Research Fellow of Center for Transdisciplinary Innovation, National Institutes for the Humanities / Center for Islamic Studies, Sophia University）
- SAWAE Fumiko（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- TSUJIGAMI Namie（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- YAMAGUCHI Akihiko（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
Co-Researchers
- ARAI Kazuhiro（Professor of Faculty of Commerce, Keio University）
- IDO Yuko（Fellow of The Japan Institute of International Affairs)
- KASHIWAGI Kenichi（Associate Professor of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba）
- KAWASHIMA Midori（Emeritus Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- KISAICHI Masatoshi（Emeritus Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- KITAZAWA Yoshiyuki（Professor of Faculty of Foreign Studies, Kyoto Sangyo University）
- MISAWA Nobuo（Associate Professor of Faculty of Sociology, Toyo University）
- MIYOKAWA Hiroko（Specially Appointed Lecturer of World Language and Society Education Centre, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies）
- MORIMOTO Kazuo（Professor of Institute for Advanced Studies of Asia, Tokyo University）
- MURAKAMI Kaoru （Research Fellow of Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization）
- SHIOZAKI Yuki（Associate Professor of School of International Relations, University of Shizuoka）
- TAKAHASHI Kei （Assistant Professor of Department of History, Toyo University）
- Alexandre PAPAS（Research Fellow of French National Centre for Scientific Research, France）
- Munir JIWA（Director of the Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union, United States）
Anthropology and History Research Group
Team Leader
- AKAHORI Masayuki（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
Core Members and Co-Researchers
- ARAI Kazuhiro（Professor of Faculty of Commerce, Keio University）
- KAWASHIMA Midori（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- KUSHIMOTO Hiroko（Associate Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- MISAWA Nobuo（Associate Professor of Faculty of Sociology, Toyo University）
- MIYOKAWA Hiroko（Specially Appointed Lecturer of World Language and Society Education Centre, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies）
- MORIMOTO Kazuo（Professor of Institute for Advanced Studies of Asia, Tokyo University）
- TAKAHASHI Kei （Assistant Professor of Department of History, Toyo University）
- OKADO Masaki（Research Fellow of Center for Transdisciplinary Innovation, Center for National Institutes for the Humanities / Center for Islamic Studies, Sophia University）
- Munir JIWA（Director of the Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union, United States）
- Alexandre PAPAS（Research Fellow of French National Centre for Scientific Research, France）
Socio-Economy Research Group
Team Leader
- IWASAKI Erina（Professor of Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia University）
Core Members and Co-Researchers
- ARAI Koichi（Visiting Fellow of Institute of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies, Sophia University）
- FUKUNAGA Koichi（Visiting Fellow of Institute of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies, Sophia University）
- IDO Yuko（Fellow of The Japan Institute of International Affairs)
- INABA Nanako（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- KASHIWAGI Kenichi（Associate Professor of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba）
- KISAICHI Masatoshi（Emeritus Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- KITAZAWA Yoshiyuki（Professor of Faculty of Foreign Studies, Kyoto Sangyo University）
- MURAKAMI Kaoru（Research Fellow of Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization）
Political Sociology Research Group
Team Leader
- SAWAE Fumiko（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
Core Members and Co-Researchers
- ABE Ruri（Professor of Faculty of Humanities, Sophia University）
- SHIOZAKI Yuki（Associate Professor of School of International Relations, University of Shizuoka）
- TSUJIGAMI Namie（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
- YAGI Kumiko（Professor of Graduate School of Global Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies）
- YAMAGUCHI Akihiko（Professor of Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University）
