In a milestone for European higher education, the University of Muenster in Germany has officially opened Europe’s first fully independent Faculty of Islamic Theology at a public university.
According to Deutsche Welle, the transformation of the institution’s former academic centre into a full-fledged faculty became effective in July 2026.
This elevation in status grants the faculty the autonomy to independently award doctoral and habilitation degrees, significantly boosting its influence within academic policy.
Enlightened approach to education
The initiative originally began in 2012 as a modest academic venture with only three staff members and 15 students.
Since then, it has flourished into a major institutional hub boasting eight professors and more than 50 researchers.
Student enrolment is projected to surpass 500 in the coming years.
Professor Mouhanad Khorchide, an Austrian sociologist and theologian who has worked at the university for 15 years, serves as the faculty’s founding dean.
Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Professor Mouhanad Khorchide expressed his immense sense of responsibility and his vision for the institution.
He emphasised that the faculty’s central mission is to promote open, enlightened and contemporary scholarship on the Qur’an, whilst firmly opposing all forms of extremism, antisemitism and religiously motivated violence.
Former German Education Minister Annette Schavan lauded the development, describing the establishment of the faculty as a historic milestone.
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Addressing shortage
Beyond academic research, the new faculty directly addresses an urgent societal need in Germany.
A deficit of qualified Islamic religious education teachers for public schools, according to Deutsche Welle.
In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, approximately 3,000 Islamic education teachers are required, yet only about 330 are currently employed.
Looking towards the future, the faculty plans to introduce a specialised master’s programme in “Islam and Social Work” beginning in 2027.
This course will equip professionals for vital faith-based counselling roles, including hospital chaplaincy, youth development and elderly care.
Campus of Religions
The new faculty will eventually move into the university’s ambitious “Campus of Religions”, a shared academic complex scheduled for completion in 2027.
Under a single roof, the faculties of Catholic, Protestant and Islamic theology will coexist.
This co-location is designed to foster unprecedented interfaith dialogue and collaborative research.
The official inauguration ceremony for this pioneering faculty is scheduled to take place on September 24 in the University of Muenster’s main auditorium.
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