Biography
Professor Mohamad Abdalla is the founder of Applied Islam and serves as the President & Program Director/Supervisor.
Details
As an Indigenous Palestinian, my parents come from the Palestinian towns of Tammun near Nablus and Zarnuqa (which was depopulated after the 1948 occupation), my roots have deeply influenced my scholarly pursuits and commitment to justice and fostering understanding and dialogue.
With over 25 years of dedicated service in the field of Islamic Studies, I have been instrumental in shaping its landscape within Australian academia. My journey culminated in being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2020, the highest accolade acknowledging remarkable contributions to education, particularly in Islamic Studies.
In 2006, I founded and led the Griffith University Islamic Research Unit (GIRU) in Brisbane, Australia. As the first Islamic Studies Unit at Griffith University, GIRU was dedicated to research, teaching, and engagement. Through extensive networking and travel, I secured $1 million in local and international funding to establish GIRU from the ground up. Our primary goal was to build staff capacity in Islamic Studies at Griffith University, ensuring the sustainability of the field. GIRU quickly gained recognition in the media, community, and government as a reputable reference point. It attracted numerous PhD students, including the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, and the late Mr. Khalid Abdul, who served as the Chief Minister of Selangor, Malaysia, from 2008 to 2014.
In 2008, I co-founded the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies (NCEIS), which received $8 million in funding from the Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (formerly known as Department of Education, Science and Training). The NCEIS was a dynamic collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Griffith University, and the University of Western Sydney. Established to deliver world-class, multidisciplinary programs, the Centre met the learning needs of aspiring and existing Muslim community leaders, as well as teachers, students, and other professionals interested in Islam and Islamic culture. Collaborating with colleagues from the Centre's three universities, I helped establish substantial undergraduate and postgraduate programs, as well as research excellence in Islamic Studies across these institutions.