This year's Islamic Finance Summer School will be held on 1 - 5 July 2013.

Watch the video to find out more about this annual event

'Poverty Alleviation and Islamic Economics & Finance: Current Issues and Future Prospects' - 21-22 May 2013. Themes include:

• Concepts and determinants of poverty in Muslim countries;
• Islamic microfinance and microtakaful;
• Zakat and awqaf institution;
• Islamic charities and alleviation of poverty;
• Islamic finance and financial inclusion.

Full details.

Durham has been a centre for research and education in Islamic economics and finance for over twenty-five years. Islamic Finance programmes at Durham University are jointly run by the School of Government and International Affairs and Durham Business School, which offer postgraduate research and taught degrees in Islamic economics, banking and finance.

Our Islamic Finance PhD community is one of the largest in the world with more than 60 students registered in various fields of Islamic economics, banking, finance and management. We also offer a well-established MA/MSc in Islamic Finance. Alongside this teaching, the Durham Islamic Finance Summer School (DIFSS) runs every year, attracting participants from all over the world.

The Durham Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance organises and sponsors international conferences on Islamic economics and finance in collaboration with other leading global academic institutions such as Islamic Research and Training Institute of the Islamic Development Bank; International Shari’ah Research Academy, Malaysia; Kyoto University, Japan and others.

Our graduates work all over the world, many in the Islamic banking and financial sector or teaching Islamic economics and finance.

Our faculty are renowned for their research, publishing articles, books and professional reports, which has made Durham an important global centre for Islamic finance study.

With the launch of Durham Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance, Durham aims to:

• maintain Durham University as a leading provider of world-class education in Islamic economics and finance;
• provide a platform from which a vibrant research environment can be developed and international collaborations can be sustained;
• organise and increase resources to support the development and growth of this emerging area in partnership with other international organizations and academic institutions.

In responding to the global developments in Islamic finance, we are determined to continue our strong progress in the provision of education and in conducting first class research in this emerging and fast progressing field.

The Centre workw with a number of institutions across the world, including Kyoto University in Japan on a joint annual workshop in Islamic economics and finance; the development of an MA in Islamic Finance at Strasbourg University.  We also contribute to teaching in Islamic Banking and Finance at Westminster University, London; IIIT in Paris; Aston Business School in Birmingham, and training programmes at the Milan Chambers of Commerce (Italy).

We are looking forward to seeing you on one of our programmes.

Dr Mehmet Asutay
Director