Pakistan's Dr. Akbar Ahmed named 'Professor of the Year'
Pakistan Times Wire Service

WASHINGTON (US): The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education have named Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of international relations at American University the 2004 District of Columbia as "Professor of the Year."

Ahmed is the former High Commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain, and a distinguished anthropologist, writer, and filmmaker.

He has been actively involved in interfaith dialogue and the study of global Islam and its impact on contemporary society for many years.

"Dr. Ahmed is able to carry out his remarkable teaching inside and outside the classroom because his skill is based on a spectacular record of accomplishment," said Louis Goodman, Dean of American University's School of International Service.

"He has thrown himself into the teaching of existing courses such as `The World of Islam' and has designed new courses such as God and Globalization in a manner that has been inspirational to his students and has generated an extremely wide following on campus."

Leading authority on contemporary Islam

"Professor Akbar Ahmed the world's leading authority on contemporary Islam," said BBC. The Arch Bishop of Canterbury called him, "One of the most important scholars of Islam today."Adding, "Professor Ahmed has impeccable credentials," says an American University press release.

Dr. Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the UK, recently wrote to Professor Ahmed, "Thank you for the wisdom and generosity of spirit you are constantly showing through your spoken and written words. I cannot tell you how important your voice is right now. These are fateful times - and in you classic Islam has a spokesman and role model of supreme grace and dignity. May God be with you in all you do - and I thank you from the depth of my heart."

This year there are winners in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Ahmed was selected from faculty members nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country.

Located in Washington, DC, American University (www.american.edu) is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the U.S. and more than 160 countries and providing opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.●