Berkley Center

Osman Bakar is a distinguished professor and the director of the Sultan Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies at University Brunei Darussalam. His interests include Islamic theology and philosophy, as well as interfaith dialogue. An emeritus professor of philosophy of science at the University of Malaya's Department of Science and Technology Studies, he also founded the university’s Center for Civilizational Dialogue and served as a deputy vice chancellor. Other previous positions include the Malaysia Chair of Southeast Asian Islam at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and deputy chief executive officer of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies in Malaysia. He was a member of the Council of 100 Leaders of the World Economic Forum's West-Islamic World Initiative for Dialogue. Bakar earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of London and doctorate in Islamic philosophy from Temple University.

Thomas Banchoff is director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and serves as vice president for global engagement at Georgetown University, where he is a professor in the Department of Government and the Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Dr. Mustafa Ceric is president of the World Bosniak Congress. He served as the grand mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1999 to 2012, receiving acclaim for his work in strengthening democracy, promoting peace, and pursuing interfaith dialogue. He sits on various interfaith councils throughout Europe and the Middle East.

John L. Esposito is a University Professor, professor of religion and international affairs, professor of Islamic studies, and the founding director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. He served as president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America and the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies; he is currently a member of the High Level Group of the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations, a body of 20 international leaders that guides the alliance's work. He has written over 30 books, including Islamophobia: The Challenges of Pluralism in the 21st Century (2011, with Ibrahim Kalin), Who Speaks for Islam? (2007, with Dalia Mogahed), Islam: The Straight Path (2004), and Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam (2002). Esposito received the American Academy of Religion’s 2005 Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion.

Abdou Filali-Ansari is a professor emeritus of Aga Khan University. He was the founding director of the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations in the United Kingdom (2002-2009) and of the King Abdul-Aziz Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences in Casablanca, Morocco (1984-2001).

Rabbi Dr. Marc Gopin is the director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC) and the James H. Laue Professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. Gopin has pioneered CRDC projects in Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Palestine, and Israel.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is a Malaysia politician and a well-known advocate for democracy and international dialogue. He was pardoned in May 2018 after serving two jail sentences for politically driven sodomy charges.

Sherman A. Jackson is the King Faisal Chair in Islamic Thought and Culture and professor of religion and American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California. His research interests extend from classical Islamic studies, such as law and theology, to modern conversations on race, democracy, and pluralism.