Students from the Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership (CISL) programme recently visited the Cambridge University Library, one of the oldest university libraries in the world and home to over eight million books, manuscripts, and digital collections. Founded in 1416, the Library holds treasures such as the Codex Bezae, one of the earliest New Testament manuscripts, and Sir Isaac Newton’s personal papers.
The visit offered CISL students an invaluable opportunity to explore how classical knowledge and sacred texts are preserved and studied in one of the world’s leading academic institutions. Such experiences form a core part of the CISL programme, now validated by The Open University, which combines academic study with contextual engagement and leadership development.
Through visits like this, students reflect on how Islamic scholarship can interact meaningfully with wider intellectual traditions – a key aim of the College’s mission to train the next generation of Muslim thinkers and leaders.
