The Gülen Institute at the University of Houston
The Gulen Institute was established in October 2007 as a non-profit organization and a joint initiative of the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work and the Institute of Interfaith Dialog.
The main goal of the institute is to promote academic research as well as grass roots activity toward bringing about positive social change, namely the establishment of stable peace, social justice, and social harmony by focusing on the themes of education, volunteerism and civic initiatives. While we acknowledge the very important role of government policies and funding, we believe that any lasting solution to any fundamental problem of humanity has to involve the civic initiative and has to include the education component. We also believe that bringing people of diverse ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds together around shared values, hopes and concerns of humanity is a crucial asset. We envision a world community in which the achievements of human civilization in terms of human relationships equal or surpass the achievements in science and technology.
Members of the world’s diverse communities find themselves increasingly interdependent. In this interconnected world, just as information and solutions spread faster, so do misinformation and conflicts. Our vision is to put the advanced means of communication, media and mobility in the service of social harmony. We aim to advance mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation amongst people from diverse backgrounds, and thus serve all humanity, without discrimination.
Toward these goals, the institute organizes academic and public events, such as symposia, conferences, luncheon forums and seminars, publishes scientific and popular works, provides student scholarships, faculty research grants, supports visiting scholar programs, and cultural exchange trips.
Among the values we share and promote are empathy, hope, love of humanity, compassion, altruism, honesty, dignity, trustworthiness, integrity, peaceful coexistence, social justice and harmony, elimination of violent conflicts and human suffering, prevention of substance abuse, saving youth from self-destruction and protection of the earth’s resources and habitats.
The perspectives of the institute are inspired by the life and works of the distinguished contemporary scholar and civic leader Fethullah Gulen.
Among the guests were Islamic Scholars, members of the Turkish Parliament, Academicians, members of the media, columnists from international newspapers, also other VIP guests from the UAE, the UK and Turkiye and directors of large companies who support the chair.
Fethullah Gulen Chair will not only be the first in the Catholic world but it will also become a prototype in the Islamic and Turkish speaking nations. The renown Islamic scholar, thinker, poet and peace activist venerable Fethullah Gulen has been proposing solutions to global problems in the name of humanity and the future of the Islamic world for the past 30 years. These days his vision and ideologies are the main focus in many lectures and seminars organized in his name all over the world’s universities. The Chair in the Study of Islam & Catholic-Muslim Relations aims to conduct extensive research in the field and produce thesis in masters and doctorate level. The Chair, first of its kind in Australia already became the focus of the Australian Media. Beginning from 2008, it seems that the chair will play a major role with its academic level of research and projects of building solid bridges between the two religions. The Fethullah Gülen Chair is a newly created position which aims to providing academic lea
dership in research, teaching and community engagement in relation to the study of Islam and has been founded with full recognition of the plurality and diversity of Islam itself. This chair is Named in honour of Fethullah Gülen who is a Turkish-born scholar, educator, spiritual and social leader, and renowned advocate for interreligious dialogue and peace. Gülen’s interpretation of Qur’anic teaching seeks to enable Muslims to live their Islamic faith in modern situations and make a positive contribution to the transformation of society. Gülen is especially noted in Catholic circles for his private audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1998, which marked an important step forward in Muslim- Christian relations.