By, Ainul Amanie
GOMBAK, 1 April 2026: The Inter-Civilisational Academic Conference 2026 was held in IIUM for the first time, organised by the Peace Dialogue and Xenophobia Studies (PEDIXS) Centre IIUM on the 1st and 2nd of April 2026 at the Senate Hall, Muhammad Abdul Rauf Building, IIUM Gombak.
The director of the Peace, Dialogue and Xenophobia Studies (PEDIXS) IIUM, Assoc. Prof. Dr Danial Yusof described the challenges in today’s modern perception and visibility of peace and dialogue centres worldwide. This dialogue aimed to bring together scholars from IIUM, Peking University, Fudan University and the University of Oxford to engage in comparative and cross-regional dialogues.
“Knowledge advances to engagement across cultures, the World Dialogue Academy (WDA) stands as a symbol of this commitment, and provides a space where differences can be explored with eagerness to study deeper for the larger purpose in today’s world”, said the minister.
The Honourable Minister of Higher Education Malaysia, YB Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Bin Abdul Kadir, had officiated the conference on the 2nd session of the conference on 2 April 2026, he stated in his opening remarks that he considers the IIUM Rector’s vision of Tawhidic Epistemology which affirms that knowledge is not defined between the morals and technical tools, rather knowledge must serve progressiveness, and from this emerges the idea of Ummatic Excellence which defines contributions that uplift and serve a community.
“The delight of this dialogue proves that we can collectively move towards being a Dialogical Community with Justice, Compassion and the Flourishing of Humanity, to share knowledge in common grounds of the world. Multiple centres of Peace, Dialogue and Xenophobia studies are most needed in our times, to discuss matters for the sake of peace, and to not discuss hate without context,” addressed the Rector of IIUM, Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar.
The Rector of IIUM, Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, at the Round-table discussion at the Inter-Civilisational Academic Conference 2026, 2nd April 2026, Senate Hall, IIUM Gombak.
During the final roundtable discussion of the conference, the Rector of IIUM, Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, emphasised that, being in the best Islamic University in the ASEAN Region, IIUM may open further opportunities for students and scholars to contribute to the dynamics and development of world peace. With hope and good faith, scholars, academicians and students look forward to the PEDIXS Centre IIUM, to further bring together people and scholars from different backgrounds to participate in dialogues, to discuss and exchange perspectives with good intentions to create more room for peace in the global socio-economic and socio-political landscape.
This conference allowed scholars and participants to exchange views and philosophies on Islam, diversity, culture and transformation from contemporary Eastern and Western academic perspectives. The hall discussed matters of how evolving socio-economic and socio-political dynamics are reshaping power structures and community relations, particularly how the muslim world is reacting and responding towards global and regional issues, and how the Eastern civilisations play an important role in shifting the proclaimed ‘Middle East’ back to ‘Asia’ where it potentially belongs.
This academic conference brought together 35 scholars, authors and prominent alumni as panellists for the dialogue from Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Turkiye, and China. ***
Picture 1 (left), Group photo of the opening ceremony on 1 April 2026; Picture 2 (middle), photo of panellists (Right-upper corner, Prof. Eugene Rogan, St. Antony’s College, Oxford; Left-upper corner, Prof. Raihan Ismail, St. Antony’s College, Oxford; Left-lower corner, Prof. Degang Sun, Fudan University; Right-lower corner, Assoc. Prof. Dr Danial Yusof, IIUM); Picture 3 (right), Group photo of panellists, organisers and student committee.
