Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Osman Bakar

Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, a doctorate in Islamic philosophy from Temple University, Philadelphia (USA) is currently Holder of Al-Ghazali Chair of Epistemology and Civilizational Studies and Renewal at ISTAC-IIUM. He is also Emeritus Professor in Philosophy of Science at University of Malaya. He was formerly Distinguished Professor and Director of Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Centre for Islamic Studies (SOASCIS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Professor Osman was also formerly Malaysia Chair of Islam in Southeast Asia at the Prince Talal al-Waleed Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Washington DC and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research) at University of Malaya.

Dr Osman is author and editor of 41 books and numerous articles on various aspects of Islamic thought and civilization, particularly Islamic science and philosophy in which he is a leading authority. His most well-known books are Classification of Knowledge in Islam (1992) and Tawhid and Science (1992). His latest books are titled Al-Farabi: Life, Works and Significance (2018) (new second edition) and Colonialism in the Malay Archipelago: Civilizational Encounters (eds) (2020). His writings have been translated into numerous languages, including Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Chinese, Bosnian, Urdu, Bengali, and Spanish. He has been named among the 500 most influential Muslims in the world since 2009. He was made a Dato in 1994 by the Sultan of Pahang and a Datuk by the King in 2000.