Doha: QatarDebate Center, an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has celebrated, in collaboration with the University of Ez-Zitouna and the Higher Institute of Islamic Sciences in Tunis, the graduation of the first cohort of students from the Master’s Program in the Art of Debate in Comparative Jurisprudence.

According to Qatar News Agency, the Center stated in a press release that this academic program is a result of a partnership between QatarDebate and the University of Ez-Zitouna. The program aims to blend Islamic education with modern disciplines such as debate, critical thinking, and intellectual inquiry.

Launched in October 2022, the program is the first of its kind in the Arab and Islamic world. It is designed to revive the art of debate within a framework that incorporates comparative jurisprudence and the humanities.

The inaugural cohort included 20 students from different countries. Over two academic years, they studied comparative jurisprudence, debate principles, critical thinking, and philosophy. The program also involved practical training, research projects, and culminated in a master’s thesis on contemporary jurisprudential issues.

Reem Al Musallam, Director of Communications at QatarDebate, expressed her satisfaction with the graduation, highlighting it as the outcome of a partnership with the University of Ez-Zitouna. She stated that this cohort signifies the start of a vision to revive the art of debate within an Islamic context and hopes the graduates will promote knowledge, dialogue, and creativity.

Prof. Abdel Latif Bouazizi, President of the University of Ez-Zitouna, shared his pride in this accomplishment, noting it as a realization of a vision that merges Islamic heritage with modern dialogue principles. He emphasized the university’s role in preparing scholars to tackle contemporary challenges using authentic thought and modern tools.

The program has received accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Tunisia. It is a part of QatarDebate’s mission to enhance the status of the Arabic language and integrate traditional Islamic arts into education.

With the first cohort graduated, the program is now set to welcome new students globally, aiming to integrate heritage with modern methodology to address pressing issues in the Muslim world using structured debate.