The communications revolution has greatly enhanced sharing of information. In the world of academic research, for example, there is a wealth of scholarly learning available in print and on-line.
But if you examine the source of the information, a problem becomes apparent. Where is the input from countries which, for historical or economic reasons, are under-represented in the international market place of knowledge?
The Aga Khan University, with its international reach, is keenly aware of this knowledge imbalance. So it has undertaken an ambitious project to collect knowledge from scholars throughout the Muslim world and make it available world-wide.
Dr Aptin Khanbaghi has the formidable task of leading the Muslim Civilisations Abstracts (MCA) project at the university’s London-based Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations.
Born and raised in Iran, fluent in six languages, and with an impressive CV from leading universities in Canada, the UK and the US, he is aware of the scale of the task facing his team. But he is clear about the goal. “We want to promote the work of scholars based in the Muslim world who cannot make their voices heard due to financial restrictions or linguistic barriers,” he said.
via Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper – Opinion.
Ismailimail 