Prof. İbrahim Özdemir at Harvard with His Environmental Law Studies

Prof. İbrahim Özdemir, faculty member at Üsküdar University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Philosophy, was a guest of Harvard Law School. Özdemir delivered a lecture to law students on “Islamic and Environmental Law.” In the lecture, where he also discussed the Üsküdar University Environmental Ethics Forum and the Mizan project, Özdemir stated that he was pleased to see his work, which he presented at Harvard in 1998 and was later published by Harvard University Press, being taught as part of a course today. 

Prof. İbrahim Özdemir, a faculty member at Üsküdar University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Philosophy, was a guest at the “Introduction to Islamic Law” seminar at the invitation of Harvard Law School. Prof. Özdemir shared information with the students about the Üsküdar University Environmental Ethics Forum and the Mizan project during the seminar, where he discussed the relationship between Islam and environmental law. 

Presented the same work again at Harvard 28 years later

During the seminar held at Harvard Law School, Prof. İbrahim Özdemir revisited his work titled “Toward an Understanding of Environmental Ethics from a Qur'anic Perspective,” which he first presented at the "Islam and Ecology" conference in Harvard in 1998. The work was also published by Harvard University Press in 2003.

Özdemir, who re-presented the same work to students at Harvard after 28 years, pointed out that the topics of Islam, ethics, nature, and environment have gained increasing importance in academic literature over the years.

Üsküdar University Environmental Ethics Forum and Mizan project explained

In the seminar, Prof. Özdemir was asked questions about his current studies on the relationship between Islam and the environment, as well as the "Üsküdar University Environmental Ethics Forum" and the "al-Mizan: A Covenant with the Earth" project.

Özdemir answered students' questions about the emergence process and message of the Mizan project, and made evaluations regarding the importance of ongoing studies in the field of Islamic environmental ethics today.

His work is taught as part of a course at Harvard

One of the developments that made Prof. Özdemir's visit to Harvard significant was his discovery that his work, written in 1998, is now being taught as part of a course at Harvard Law School.

Özdemir stated that the meeting at Harvard was not just an academic lecture for him, but also offered an opportunity to reflect on his academic works and see the current state of the topics he had worked on years ago.

Islam, ethics, nature, and environment have become increasingly important

Prof. Özdemir stated that his Harvard visit holds a special meaning in his academic journey, and also commemorated Prof. Mary Evelyn Tucker and Prof. John Grim, who invited him to the "Islam and Ecology" conference at Harvard in 1998. 

Özdemir stated that their vision of bringing together academics working in the fields of Islam, religion, and ecology was a significant turning point in his intellectual life.

Özdemir noted that the seminar at Harvard Law School provided an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of Islamic law in the contemporary world, stating that Islamic law continues to be addressed in relation to various issues in both Muslim-majority societies and societies where Muslim minorities live.

Prof. Özdemir thanked Prof. Kristen Stilt, who hosted him at Harvard Law School, the students, and everyone who has been a part of his academic journey.