ICAIR Concludes Landmark Islamic Futures Symposium

ICAIR Concludes Landmark Islamic Futures Symposium

DATE :

May 23, 2025

The International Centre for Advanced Islamic Research (ICAIR), in collaboration with the World Federation of KSIMC, NASIMCO, and IMI Canada, successfully concluded the ICAIR Islamic Futures Symposium, held from April 25–27, 2025 at the Jaffari Community Centre (JCC) in Toronto, Canada. The event opened with a Public Forum on Friday evening, welcoming community members to engage with some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the community today. The forum served as an important platform to introduce the themes of the symposium and to highlight lived experiences, concerns, and aspirations. The public forum was live streamed for community members around the world and is now available to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/fdy1MQpId04?si=gh8kF3JeEfFfNkcf Following the forum, over 50 distinguished scholars, professionals, and thought leaders convened for two days of expert panels and interdisciplinary roundtables. The closed-door symposium explored how Islamic thought intersects with contemporary global challenges, focusing on three critical areas: Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Ethics, and Education. Symposium Highlights included: Artificial Intelligence: Islamic ethical perspectives on AI development, challenges around data privacy and social justice, and the future of autonomous technologies. Biomedical Ethics: Islamic frameworks for navigating end-of-life care, emerging medical technologies, and contemporary bioethical dilemmas. Education: Strategies for modernizing Islamic education while preserving core values, and integrating traditional scholarship with digital-age learning. The symposium’s key outcomes include: A comprehensive final report detailing insights and strategic recommendations, Development of white papers on Islamic perspectives in AI, education, and biomedical ethics. Formation of collaborative networks for sustained scholarly and professional engagement. A research and policy action plan to guide future initiatives. ICAIR extends its heartfelt gratitude to all community members, participants, delegates, and volunteers who contributed to the success of this landmark event.