Integral Development PhD & Project
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Dear All,
Thank you for taking the time to visit my page. My name is Sara Bint Moneer Khan and I would like you to be involved in this timely and important Project.
This Integral Development Doctorate forms part of a long term Project demonstrating the transformative potential of Islamic Arts/Art History in education. Presently, my working title is "Islam, Arts and renewal of thought in the UK”.
To help you understand, I have answered below some of the questions I believe you would ask:
Who am I and what is this Project about?
Well, I hold a Masters Degree in History of Islamic Art and Archaeology from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and work as an Arts Consultant. I have developed interests in Intercultural Dialogue between Islam and the West, Social Innovation and Integral Development.
Born and raised in the UK for the past 30 years, I have been a part of the generation shaping the current state of affairs in the UK. The inception of this Project is therefore connected by two strong paths I have been on. Firstly, as an Arts student, I experienced the evolution of Islam’s relationship with the Arts. The second, as a British born Muslim, I experienced the external state of Islam on the international arena and the evolution of political activism amongst the Muslim youth.
Wherever the outlet or teaching is through creativity, bridges of understanding can be born and were. In the cases where the thinking and teachings are distorted and a dangerous outlet is sourced, we have experienced detrimental results.
I was fortunate to receive a formal Arts education. It was through this that I was able to gauge the concept of co-creating and coexisting with other faiths as I studied a fascinating history. I questioned why this had never been exposed to me earlier at school.
Picasso is known to have said "All children are artists; the problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up". My stance on this quote is; just as physical sports are made compulsory for a child’s health, Arts should be approached similarly. They play a crucial role in their spiritual, emotional and mental education, particularly in terms of understanding and interacting with those around them. Unfortunately, I discovered a large gap in the learning of many sections of the UK society. Many still view Arts as elitist or secondary to what should be prioritised. Furthermore, there is the case of resources to make it accessible to all. Evidently, any change has to be through a collective effort.
Where am I studying my PhD?
I began my PhD in September 2014 after being approached by a Research Centre for Integral Development based in Geneva. The Institute’s vision recognised the need to apply a Holistic approach to the Development of Societies, with a direct transformative method at the core. It is in partnership with the Da Vinci Institute in South Africa, which Nelson Mandela helped set up. Da Vinci is a school of Management focusing on the Management of People, Innovation, Technology and Business.
How can you be involved?
I am seeking individuals as well as organisations that would be interested in participating or collaborating. As the PhD progresses, I intend to set up the Foundation which will carry the Project into the future. To begin with, I need to secure my tuition fees - £4800 per year and travel and accommodation costs for the 4 module workshops, which take place in the host countries. There was no official scholarship available immedietly, and in order to avoid disruption to the crucial timeframe within which my reaserch is carried out, I have set up this fund.
In whichever way you choose to participate, full acknowledgment will be given to individuals or organisations in the PhD. Furthermore, details of the breakdown of costs, receipts and any documents can be provided.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Thank you,
Sara
Thank you for taking the time to visit my page. My name is Sara Bint Moneer Khan and I would like you to be involved in this timely and important Project.
This Integral Development Doctorate forms part of a long term Project demonstrating the transformative potential of Islamic Arts/Art History in education. Presently, my working title is "Islam, Arts and renewal of thought in the UK”.
To help you understand, I have answered below some of the questions I believe you would ask:
Who am I and what is this Project about?
Well, I hold a Masters Degree in History of Islamic Art and Archaeology from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and work as an Arts Consultant. I have developed interests in Intercultural Dialogue between Islam and the West, Social Innovation and Integral Development.
Born and raised in the UK for the past 30 years, I have been a part of the generation shaping the current state of affairs in the UK. The inception of this Project is therefore connected by two strong paths I have been on. Firstly, as an Arts student, I experienced the evolution of Islam’s relationship with the Arts. The second, as a British born Muslim, I experienced the external state of Islam on the international arena and the evolution of political activism amongst the Muslim youth.
Wherever the outlet or teaching is through creativity, bridges of understanding can be born and were. In the cases where the thinking and teachings are distorted and a dangerous outlet is sourced, we have experienced detrimental results.
I was fortunate to receive a formal Arts education. It was through this that I was able to gauge the concept of co-creating and coexisting with other faiths as I studied a fascinating history. I questioned why this had never been exposed to me earlier at school.
Picasso is known to have said "All children are artists; the problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up". My stance on this quote is; just as physical sports are made compulsory for a child’s health, Arts should be approached similarly. They play a crucial role in their spiritual, emotional and mental education, particularly in terms of understanding and interacting with those around them. Unfortunately, I discovered a large gap in the learning of many sections of the UK society. Many still view Arts as elitist or secondary to what should be prioritised. Furthermore, there is the case of resources to make it accessible to all. Evidently, any change has to be through a collective effort.
Where am I studying my PhD?
I began my PhD in September 2014 after being approached by a Research Centre for Integral Development based in Geneva. The Institute’s vision recognised the need to apply a Holistic approach to the Development of Societies, with a direct transformative method at the core. It is in partnership with the Da Vinci Institute in South Africa, which Nelson Mandela helped set up. Da Vinci is a school of Management focusing on the Management of People, Innovation, Technology and Business.
How can you be involved?
I am seeking individuals as well as organisations that would be interested in participating or collaborating. As the PhD progresses, I intend to set up the Foundation which will carry the Project into the future. To begin with, I need to secure my tuition fees - £4800 per year and travel and accommodation costs for the 4 module workshops, which take place in the host countries. There was no official scholarship available immedietly, and in order to avoid disruption to the crucial timeframe within which my reaserch is carried out, I have set up this fund.
In whichever way you choose to participate, full acknowledgment will be given to individuals or organisations in the PhD. Furthermore, details of the breakdown of costs, receipts and any documents can be provided.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Thank you,
Sara
Organizer
Sara Bint Moneer Khan
Organizer