Leiden Islam Academy: A First-Hand Analysis of an Innovative Teaching Program

Between 2014 and 2017, an innovative teaching program has run at Leiden University (the Netherlands), called Leiden Islam Academy. Its aim is sharing academic knowledge about Islam with a diverse audience within and outside academia. This contribution presents the program as a “best practice”, positioning its activities within three contextual needs. First, a societal need for information about Islam in the context of an emotionally fierce public and political Islam debate. Second, a need of Muslim students who seek academic knowledge of their religious tradition. And third, a university need for knowledge valorization. From an inside position, the author reflects upon two predicaments: the fierceness of the Islam debate, and a (radical) transformation of the traditional authoritative position of the university.