Work was conducted via 5 work packages (WPs). WP1 comprised qualitative research that yielded depth interviews with 22 research participants in Belgium and The Netherlands prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The participants were chosen due to their status as important actors in the field concerning past or current (in)formal imam education programs, or because they had followed up those developments closely. In addition, desk, policy and literature research was conducted on the past, current and future aspirations for Islamic higher education, as well as on other aspects of the governmentality of Islam in a context of increased securitization and deradicalization policies. The Fellow also acted as one of the organizers and discussants of a (hybrid) interuniversity reading group on Decolonial and Critical Approacher to Muslim studies and Islamophobia (2020).
Also, three host lectures at Leiden University were postponed due to the pandemic, but will still be delivered in the academic year of 2021-22, each set up in such a way that they will allow for classroom debate and reciprocal knowledge exchange. The Fellow’s current position at KU Leuven entails writing a follow-up research project on the MSCA (with a focus on inter-epistemic encounter and dialogue), which is why these host lectures could be considered as a form of dissemination beyond the actual duration of the MSCA. Two host lectures will be delivered in the course series "Introduction to Islam" (Prof. Dr. Maurits Berger), and one will take place in the course series "Modern Thinkers and Trends in Islam" (Prof. Dr. Maurits Berger).
In WP2 - Writing, the Fellow delivered five internationally peer reviewed academic publications (four published, one forthcoming). They are all available for the wider public through (green or gold) open access. The Fellow also edited a Special Issue for the journal 'Religions', together with her co-supervisor, Prof. Dr. Welmoet Boender. This extended track record exceeds the goals originally set out in the deliverables of the MSCA.
WP 3 entailed horizontal (also non-academic) outreach. This has been especially tangible in the Fellow's frequent invitation to act as an external expert in dossiers on 'home-based' Islamic expert education, especially in Flanders. She has taken the chance to share relevant research insights, to critically review policy documents, and to experience policy making and agenda setting from nearby. The Fellow has also been appointed as structural co-supervisor or peer assessor for early career researchers both in The Netherlands and in Belgium.
Regarding the Dissemination and Exploitation strategies under WP4, two conferences where the Fellow would present were postponed to this academic year of 2021-22 due to the pandemic. Yet the Fellow is able to attend these conferences under her current research assignment at KU Leuven, and will in addition present at two extra international conferences, thereby exceeding the deliverables in the MSCA. Hence, four conference manuscripts are underway. Next to that, she has already delivered three host lectures at KU Leuven and Thomas More University College, Antwerp . During the grant, the Fellow earned a postdoctoral research assignment at KU Leuven of one year, with a possible extension of an extra year. She has also earned a co-teaching qualification at KU Leuven in the course on Anthropology of Religion.
As a way to further professionalize herself (which entailed WP5), the Fellow has followed two workshops provided by the University of Leiden on supervising (under)graduate students and theses.
Results of this MSCA are (and will be in the current and following years) reported through (1) academic publications; (2) international conferences; (3) (host) lectures; (4) seminars for staff en students; (5) policy papers and advise; (6) follow-up research projects; (7) workshops, presentations and non-academic publications for a variety of publics, especially on the social relevance of multi-epistemic dialogue and negotiation between various knowledge traditions. The data collected during this MSCA will inspire future research and (non)-academic output in the upcoming years, in addition to the dissemination during the fellowship itself.
