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Personal information
Vice-Dean Education (Portefeuillehouder Onderwijs) Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (April 2025-present)
Quality coordinator post-academic and LLL education Faculty Religion and Theology (2024-2025)
Program director Bachelors Theology and Religious Studies, Faculty Religion and Theology (2020-2023)
Director of Education Faculty Religion and Theology (2019-2020)
Project leader of joint FRT-CMO project Professionalizationprogram Imams in the Netherlands (PIN) 2023-24
Team leader Kwartiermakersfase project HBO-B Imam in Nederland (2023-24)
Research
Trained in Islamic Studies and Cultural Anthropology, my interdisciplinary research and teaching focus on the formation of Muslim religious professionals in Western Europe (imams, Islamic theologians, spiritual caretakers, Islamic Religious Education teachers). Spanning thirty years of participative observing positions (as student, teacher, researcher and manager) in Dutch and Western European innovative academic initiatives for Islamic higher education, I gained profound insight in the complexities of this fascinating field.
I am dedicated to sharing my scholarly expertise to academic and non-academic audiences, while being embedded in strong national and international networks of academic experts, religious organizations and policy makers.
Active academic memberships:
- Staff member Centre for Islamic Theology, Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands
- Senior member Netherlands Interuniversity School for Islamic Studies (NISIS).
- Affiliated member Erlanger Institute for the Study of Islam and Law in Europe (EZIRE), Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen, Germany.
- International expert Academie für Islam in Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft (AIWG, Academy for Islam in Science and Society), Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.
- Member International Center for Comparative Theology and Social Issues (CTSI Bonn), Universät Bonn, Germany.
- Member Netherlands-Indonesia Consortium for Muslim-Christian Relations (NICMCR).
- Research group Future of Academic Theology, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
- Research group Interreligious Studies, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
- Research group Islamic Theology, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
Academic qualification
Religious Studies, PhD, Imams in the Netherlands, Leiden University
Award Date: 13 Nov 2007
User created Keywords
- Islam in the Netherlands
- Islam in Western Europe
- Imams and mosques
- Islamic theology
- Muslim-Christian relations
- Religion and development
- Islam in Indonesia
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Islamic Theology at Western European Universities: Articulating Ikhtilāf in the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom and Austria
Boender, W., 22 Jan 2026, Leiden, Boston: Brill. 257 p. (Muslim Minorities; vol. 49)Research output: Book / Report › Book › Academic › peer-review
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Rapport Religieuze kleding: Een verkennend onderzoek naar de beleving van keuzevrijheid bij het volgen van religieuze kledingvoorschriften
Boender, W. & van den Broeke, P. D. C., 29 Nov 2025, 54 p.Research output: Book / Report › Report › Professional
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Sunier, Thijl: Making Islam Work, Islamic Authority among Muslims in Western Europe
Boender, W., Dec 2024, In: Anthropos. 119, 2, p. 712-713 2 p.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Book/Film/Article/Exhibition review › Academic
Open AccessFile12 Downloads (Pure) -
Interlevensbeschouwelijke geestelijke verzorging vanuit een islamitisch perspectief
Boender, W., Bakir, H. & Quadir, R., 2024, Interlevensbeschouwelijke geestelijke verzorging: Theorie en casuïstiek. Liefbroer, A. I., Alma, H. & Coppens, P. (eds.). Utrecht: Academische Uitgeverij Eburon, p. 187-203 17 p.Translated title of the contribution :Spiritual Caregiving in an interfaith context: the Islamic spiritual care-giver Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile24 Downloads (Pure) -
Hoe geven we les in en over de islam? Islam op school in Vlaanderen en Nederland
Boender, W. & Franken, L., Nov 2022, In: Religie en samenleving. 17, 3, p. 173-197 14 p., 1.Translated title of the contribution :How do we teach in and about Islam?: Islam at school in Flanders and the Netherlands Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access
Courses
Projects
- 3 Finished
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Kwartiersmakersfase project HBO-B Imam opleiding in Nederland
Boender, W. (Principal Investigator) & Ellethy, Y. (Project Researcher)
20/09/23 → 4/04/24
Project: Other
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PIN: Project leader Professionalisation Program Imams in the Netherlands
Boender, W. (Project Researcher)
15/03/23 → 1/07/24
Project: Other
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Professionaliseringsprogramma Imams in Nederland 3
Boender, W. (Principal Investigator), Ajouaou, M. (Project Researcher), Çelik, Y. (Project Researcher), Coppens, P. (Project Researcher) & van Vlastuin, W. (Project Researcher)
1/03/23 → 31/08/24
Project: Other
Activities
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Examiner of PhD defense of Hannah J. Visser
Boender, W. (Examiner)
22 Jan 2025Activity: PhD thesis Examination › PhD thesis examination
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Lecture given at the ISAR International Summer School Islamic Thought in Europe
Boender, W. (Speaker)
6 Aug 2025Activity: Lecture / Presentation › Academic
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Islam online – offline – and beyond
Boender, W. (Participant)
19 Sept 2024 → 20 Sept 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Conference › Academic
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NISIS Autumn School 2023
Boender, W. (Member of programme committee)
23 Oct 2023 → 26 Oct 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Conference › Academic
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Scrutinizing the limitations of freedom of religion or belief (FORB)
Boender, W. (Participant)
8 Mar 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Conference › Academic
Prizes / Grants
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Nomination 2023 AYA Recognition and Rewards Award
Boender, W. (Recipient), 7 Nov 2023
Prize / Grant: Prize › Academic
Press/Media
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CIT Podcast - S1A1 Islamstudies in het Westen
17/09/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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Ineens zijn de lezingen van moslima's een stuk populairder dan die van mannen
12/07/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment