The Markfield Institute of Higher Education is an educational institution based in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire ...

, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. Specialising in Islamic subjects, the institute runs part-time and full-time courses, awarding BA and MA degrees validated by Newman University, and PhD degrees validated by the University of Gloucestershire. The institute is accredited by the

British Accreditation Council The British Accreditation Council (BAC), also known as The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education, is an educational accreditation agency recognised by the British Government for international students entering ...

, reviewed by the

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is the independent body that checks on standards and quality in UK higher education. It conducts quality assessment reviews, develops reference points and guidance for providers, and condu ...

, and registered with the

Higher Education Funding Council for England The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom, which was responsible for the distribution of funding for higher education to universities and further education colleges in Engla ...

. Currently, the fees are £4,500 a year for UK and EU students, and £7,500 a year for international students. The institute was established in 2000 and inaugurated by the Prince of Wales. In 2015, the institute was shortlisted for

The Muslim News ''The Muslim News'' is a monthly and digital newspaper. Established by Ahmed J. Versi in February 1989, it has grown to become the largest monthly ethnic paper in the UK. It describes itself as, "The only independent monthly Muslim newspaper in ...

Award for Excellence in Education.

History and ethos

The Markfield Institute was established in the 2000, and was inaugurated by Prince Charles. The institute aims at promoting understanding between Muslim communities in the West and the pluralistic societies they are a part of through the positive contributions of its graduates. The institute endeavours to “integrate the richness and high standards of traditional Islamic scholarship with the best of Western research techniques, academic rigour and critical inquiry.” Over the years, more than 750 students have graduated from the Institute.

Location

The Markfield Institute is located within the rural village of

Markfield Markfield is a large village in both the National Forest and Charnwood Forest and in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The settlement dates back to at least the time of the Norman conquest and is mentioned in the ...

in the

British Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the In ...

and is easily accessible by car and public transport. The village is situated within both National Forest and

Charnwood Forest Charnwood Forest is a hilly tract in north-western Leicestershire, England, bounded by Leicester, Loughborough and Coalville. The area is undulating, rocky and picturesque, with barren areas. It also has some extensive tracts of woodland ...

. It lies very close to the

M1 motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston By-pass, which ...

roughly 8 miles north west of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, and 10 miles south east of

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second large ...

. The institute is roughly 100 miles from

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Notable attractions near the Institute include the

Thornton Reservoir Thornton Reservoir is a small reservoir situated in the National Forest near the village of Thornton in Leicestershire. It has a surface area of and a perimeter of . It was originally built in 1854 when it had its own treatment works which we ...

and

Bradgate Park Bradgate Park () is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, northwest of Leicester. It covers . The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs ...

Academic programmes

The institute currently offers the following accredited BA and MA degrees: * BA Islamic studies * MA Islamic studies * MA Muslim chaplaincy * MA Islamic banking, finance and management * MEd Islamic education * MA Islam and sustainable development New PhD applications are currently not being taken.

Scholars

Current academic staff

The Markfield Institute currently has nine academic staff members including: *

Ataullah Siddiqui Ataullah Siddiqui (died 8 November 2020) was a Muslim scholar and academic who did much to promote interfaith relations. English career Of Indian origin, Ataullah Siddiqui completed his secondary education in Kalimpong and moved to Britain in 19 ...

(

reader A reader is a person who reads. It may also refer to: Computing and technology * Adobe Reader (now Adobe Acrobat), a PDF reader * Bible Reader for Palm, a discontinued PDA application * A card reader, for extracting data from various forms of ...

in religious pluralism and inter-faith relations)

Past academic staff

Over the years, many scholars have served as part of the academic teaching staff at the Institute. They include: *

Fozia Bora Fozia Bora is a lecturer in Middle Eastern history and Islamic history at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds. Her research and teaching is concerned primarily with Arabic history and historiography, in parti ...

(

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

) *

Dilwar Hussain Dilwar Hussain (born 25 December 1970) is an independent British consultant working on social policy, Muslim identity and Islamic reform in the modern world. He formerly taught MA courses on Islam and Muslims at the Markfield Institute of Higher ...

* Abdullah Sahin (

University of Warwick , mottoeng = Mind moves matter , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £7.0 million (2021) , budget = £698.2 million (2020 ...

) *

Adil Salahi Adil Salahi is a scholar, author and translator, who has written or translated into English various books on Islam. He formerly taught at the Markfield Institute of Higher Education. He was also, for over thirty years, the editor of 'Islam in Per ...

Outside academics

Shuruq Naguib at the Markfield Institute

The Markfield Institute regularly invites outside scholars to present their research in lectures that are open to the public. Various scholars have given lectures over the years. These include: *

Mohammad Akram Nadwi Mohammad Akram Nadwi (born c. 1963) is an Islamic scholar and the Dean of Cambridge Islamic College, principal of Al-Salam Institute, and an Honorary Visiting Fellow at the Markfield Institute of Higher Education. He is the author of the 43 vo ...

(Al-Salam Institute) *

Andrew Neil Andrew Ferguson Neil (born 21 May 1949) is a Scottish former journalist and broadcaster who is chairman of ''The Spectator'' and presenter of '' The Andrew Neil Show'' on Channel 4. He was editor of ''The Sunday Times'' from 1983 to 1994. He f ...

Two-year BAs for darul uloom graduates

With Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL), the Markfield Institute allows students with prior training in Islamic studies, such as graduates of

darul uloom Darul uloom (), also spelled ''dar-ul-ulum'', is an Arabic term that literally means "house of knowledge". The term generally means an Islamic seminary or educational institution – similar to or often the same as a madrassa or Islamic school � ...

s, to start their undergraduate degrees from the second year, thus allowing such students to complete a BA in two years.

Facilities

The Markfield Institute Library

The institute houses one of the largest Islamic libraries in Europe, holding over 40,000 volumes of books and journals. Students of the institute may also use libraries of the

University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_lab ...

and

De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body. The name De Montfort University was tak ...

for reference purposes.

On site accommodation

Self-catering accommodation is available on site. Separate buildings serve has accommodation blocks for male and female students.

The Markfield Mosque

The Markfield Mosque is located on the institute’s campus. Friday sermons are given by both students and scholars. Past sermons have been given by notable scholars like

Abdal Hakim Murad Abdal Hakim Murad (born: Timothy John Winter; 15 May 1960) is an English academic, theologian and Islamic scholar who is a proponent of Islamic neo-traditionalism. His work includes publications on Islamic theology, modernity, and Anglo-Muslim ...

of the Cambridge Muslim College. Students playing football Markfield Institute

Sports facilities and gym

The campus also has sports facilities that may be used to play football, volleyball, badminton, pool and table tennis. A small gym is also available.

References

External links

The Markfield Institute website
{{authority control 2000 establishments in England Educational institutions established in 2000 Islamic universities and colleges in the United Kingdom Higher education colleges in England Further education colleges in Leicestershire