Raja Zarith Sofiah Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilisation | CASIS is an institute that seeks to inculcate authentic Islamic knowledge and profound understanding of other historic civilisations and the contemporary world

SMN al-Attas Chair

SMN Al-Attas Chair is a distinguished chair established at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Raja Zarith Sofiah Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science, and Civilization. The Chair is named in honor of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, world-renowned Malay thinker in the contemporary world. The Chair is endowed by Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofiah Negeri Johor and conducts, inter alia, RZS CASIS Saturday Night Lecture Series, scholarly dialogues, and seminars.

Announcement on the appointment of the First Holder of the Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas Distinguished Chair of Islamic Thought.

The Raja Zarith Sofia Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilisation (RZS CASIS) is privileged and takes great pleasure in announcing that YBhg. Professor Dr. Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud, has been officially appointed as the inaugural holder of the Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas Distinguished Chair of Islamic Thought effective March 1, 2019.

Our Mission

We seek to promote advanced scholarship and learning for the advancement of knowledge in the field of studies relating to Islam, Science and Civilisation and their allied sciences under the ambit of the worldview of Islam in full cognisance of relevant developments in other civilisations, especially in the contemporary world, along with the educational philosophy and practice espoused by Tan Sri Professor Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas.

Royal Address

By Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah Binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah Permaisuri Johor and Chancellor of UTM, 10th February 2018, CASIS UTM Kuala Lumpur.

Since the concept of ‘faculty’ (quwwah) refers to a living being in whom the attribute of ‘knowledge’ subsists, and this knowledge is the governing principle of his thought and action, the university must have been conceived in emulation of the general structure, in form, function and purpose of man. It was meant to be a microcosmic representation of man –indeed, of the Universal Man (al-Insān al-Kullī).

Tan Sri Professor Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas

(Islam and Secularism, 1978, 154)

Nilai mementingkan ilmu sebagai kebaikan utama, sumber segala kebaikan (yakni jika disertakan dengan kehendak gigih dan niat ikhlas) telah melahirkan sikap memberatkan pendidikan sebagai kaedah utama. Bagi diri dan masyarakat berbudaya ilmu, tujuan utama pendidikan bukanlah untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan bergaji lumayan atau melahirkan tenaga kerja cekap tetapi untuk menanam sikap memuliakan ilmu, menuntutnya dan terus menghayatinya seumur hidup.

Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud

(Penjelasan Budaya Ilmu, 1997, 56)

Postgraduate Programs

CASIS offers two research programmes: Master of Philosophy in Islamic Civilisation, and Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Civilisation. Both programmes are research-based, which means students are required to produce a thesis reflecting an academic work worthy of such degrees.

Program Structure

The Master and Doctoral Program offered by CASIS are a Research only by definition. But to ensure our students to follow and understand the philosophy of education promoted by CASIS, we provide pre-requisite coursework throughout the study. Students are required to take some courses with the HW (check the list of courses) status with the intention to complete and strengthen some fundamental understandings in order to ensure success in their research.

Check the List here

To find out more about our centre, please download our new brochure here.

Brochure Here