New centre to promote cultural ties

The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World will study Islamic civilisation and issues relating to Islam in Britain. The University is honoured to be entrusted with the task of creating this centre, which will foster deeper understanding between the Muslim world and the West through the twin paths of effective outreach and high-quality research. Described by Forbes magazine as "one of the smartest and most creative investors in the world”, Prince Alwaleed founded the Kingdom Holding Company in 1979. Prince Alwaleed also heads the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, a charitable and philanthropic organisation with a mission to help alleviate suffering around the world and transcend international borders. 's largest concentrations of expertise on the Arabic-speaking world, bringing together 20 full-time members of staff active in a wide variety of fields. Over 70 per cent of its research activity has been classified as world-leading. Areas of study include Islamic history and philosophy; modern Middle Eastern history, politics and cultural studies; and the study of Persian, Arabic and Turkish languages and literature.