Visiting Fellows - 2011

Name                           : Emeritus Prof Dr Shaharir Md Zain
Institution                   : University Kebangsaan Malaysia
Date of Visit(s)           : 12 January 2011 – 11 January 2012
                                       13 January 2012 – 12 January 2013
                                       4 February 2013 – 3 February 2014
                                       10 March 2014 – 9 March 2015
E-mail                         : riramzain@yahoo.com

Brief Biodata
2011- now: Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, UM 
1983-2008: Professor of Mathematics at UMT (2006-2008) and 
Professor of Mathematical Physics at Univ. Kebangsaan Malaysia since 1983 
1988-1994: Deputy Vice Chancellor at Univ. Kebangsaan Malaysia

Fellowship, Scholarship and Memberhip: 
2006: Felo Persatuan Sains Matematik Malaysia (Offered) 
1996: Felo Akademi Sains Malaysia 
1990: Fellow of the Institute Mathematics and Its Applications, UK 
1992:Honorary Member of The Muslim Assoc. for the Advancement of Science (MAAS) India 
1988: Felo Institut Fizik Malaysia 1987:Fellow of the Islamic Academy, UK 
1987: Listed as a Mathematician by IMU (International Mathematical Union) 
1985/86: Fulbright Scholar , USA 
1979: Commonwealth exchange scholar 
1967-1974: Colombo Plan Scholar 

Education: 
Received an education in a Malay Medium School up to Sixth Form (Arts Stream up to Form Five; Science Stream from Sixth Form onwards). B.Sc. Hons (in Pure and applied Maths) and Ph.D (in Quantum Mechanics) at Lat Trobe Univ. Melbourne, Australia under the Colombo Plan Scholarship 

General Aims and Purposes in Scientific Activities: 
To produce scientific knowledge based on local values and culture and to strengthen Malay as one of languages of science and mathematics. 

Scientific Products: 
Several yearly articles in Mathematical Physics, Finance & Management Science, History and Philosophy of Mathematical Science, Indigenisation & Islamisation of Mathematical Science, Mathematical Education, Discourses and Engineering in Malay Language, 

Have produced more than 30 university text and reference books in Malay, Hundreds of articles in Malay & English.

Name                           : Prof Dr Yasmin Saikia
Institution                   : Arizona State University, USA
Date of Visit(s)           : 6 June – 5 July 2011
E-mail                         : ysaikia@asu.edu

Brief Biodata
Yasmin Saikia is Professor of History and the first holder of the Hardt-Nickachos Chair in Peace Studies at Arizona State University. Her previous appointments were at Carleton College and University of North-Carolina, Chapel Hill (1999-2010) and Carleton College (1997-1999), Minnesota. Originally from India, Yasmin had her early education at Aligarh Muslim University (India) and completed her graduate and doctoral work at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research and teaching interests invoke a dynamic transnational and interdisciplinary dialogue situated at the intersection of history, culture and religion. With a specific focus on contestations and accommodations in South Asia between local, national and religious identities, she examines the experiences of marginal groups, such as the Tai-Ahom on the border region of Assam and Burma, Muslim experience in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the discourse on non-violence alongside the violence against women and vulnerable groups. Professor Saikia has introduced a variety of new courses on South Asia and Islam at Arizona State University. Her research and writing have been funded by grants and fellowships from the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, American Institute of Pakistan Studies, American Institute of Bangladesh Studies, Social Science Research Council, American Institute of Indian Studies, as well as UNC-Chapel Hill, Carleton College, and Arizona State University.  She is the recipient of the Nehru Memorial Library and Museum book-prize for best book on Northeast India (2005).    

Name                           : Prof Dr Charles Samuel Haines
Institution                   : Arizona State University, USA
Date of Visit(s)           : 6 June – 5 July 2011
E-mail                         : chad.haines@asu.edu

Brief Biodata
Professor Haines is a cultural anthropologist whose research engages the complex ways post-coloniality and globalization reshape the Muslim world. His research focuses on everyday lives of Muslims as they create new identities through such social practices as lifestyle options, consumption, labor and migration. He is the author of Nation, Territory and Globalization in Pakistan: A View from the Margins (Routledge, 2011) and is currently working on a new manuscript tentatively entitled Being Global, Being Muslim: Dubai, Islamabad, and Cairo. Haines’ areas of expertise include Pakistan, Islam, urban studies, globalization, tourism, Egypt, Dubai, and India. As an expert in Islamic Studies, he has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East and South Asia. Prior to coming to ASU, Haines taught at the American University in Cairo for four years. Haines cautions policy makers to understand the detailed histories and causes of revolt in each individual country, warning outsiders not to treat the entire region as a homogeneous entity. It is his belief that US has often been seen as having “short sighted policy interests at the cost of the people in the region.” Haines addresses US fears about an Islamist takeover in countries that have been experiencing tumultuous revolts. While some analysts may differ with his conclusions that the extremists will not be able to capitalize on (the revolts), because ultimately the revolts are about an aspiration for political voice, and extremist organizations cannot offer political voice through democratic principles and practices.

Name                           : Prof Dr Samuel Oluoch Imbo
Institution                   : Hamline University, Minnesota, USA
Date of Visit(s)           : 15 June – 3 September 2010
                                       2 May – 16 July 2011
                                       29 June – 17 August 2012
                                       15 May – 16 June 2013
E-mail                         : simbo@gw.hamline.edu

Brief Biodata
Sam Imbo is Kenyan by birth and American by choice. He is a professor of philosophy and the director of the African American Studies Program at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A. He also held the Hanna Chair in Philosophy at Hamline University from September 2005 until May 2009. He earned his B.A. (Hons) in 1985 from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. He received both his M.A. (1990) and Ph.D. (1995) degrees from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.A. His teaching, writing and research interests are in the areas of comparative philosophy, Africana philosophy, and social and political philosophy. He is the author of two books. His first book, An Introduction to African Philosophy, was published in 1998. His second book, Oral Traditions as Philosophy: Okot p’Bitek’s Legacy for African Philosophy, was published in 2002. His interest in Islam was sparked by teaching a philosophy of religion course and by an international faculty seminar in June 2007. The seminar, organized by the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) took 14 American professors to France and The Netherlands with a focus on the theme of contemporary European Muslims. In 2008, Professor Imbo taught a seminar at Trier University in Germany on the theme of American Islam.

Name                          : Prof Dr Fumiaki Taniguchi
Institution                   : KONAN University, Japan
Date of Visit(s)           : 5 – 20 August 2009
                                      12 – 19 May 2011
                                       28 August – 2 September 2012
E-mail                         : fumiaki@konan-u.ac.jp

Brief Biodata
Professor Fumiaki Taniguchi obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics at the KONAN University in year 1969 and later Master degree in Philosophy and Ethics at the OSAKA University in 1977. Prof. Fumiaki Taniguchi is a philosopher in the Department of Human Sciences, Faculty of Letters, at Konan University. He is the Director of the General Institute of the Environment at Konan University. He also serves as President of the Japan Academy for Health Behavioral Science, as Director of International Exchange Committee of the Japan Society of Environmental Education and an Editorial Team Member of the Trumpeter: Journal of Ecosophy, Canada. His academic background is in philosophy, ethics, environmental ethics and bioethics. He has worked on environmental education to specialize in the integral systems approach between environmental health and healthy life, also in the bridge between ethical norm and behavioral change. His books include The Current of Modern Philosophy (with Gunshi Satomi, Minerva Shobo, 1996) and Topology of Modern Thought (ed. G. Satomi, Horitsu Bunkasya, 1991). A parallel and long-standing interest is in establishing networks for glocal partners in the Asia-Pacific Region. He has organized and participated in many international conferences and seminars. He has been a Visiting Professor at Phranakhon Rajabhat University, Thailand (1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003), at University of Victoria, Canada (1997 and 2003) and at University of Malaya, Malaysia (2009). He also worked as Honorary Visiting Professor at Heibei University (1997-), Peking University (2000-), Peking University Resource College (2008-), China and an International Advisor, Advisory Panel of the University of Malaya Centre for Civilisational Dialogue (2011-2012).