GRM 2010 Report - Centre of Islamic Studies - University of ...

“Creating a Bridge of Scholarly and Academic Excellence”
Here at the Gulf Research Center (GRC) one of our most important goals
has been the spread of scholarly research and knowledge relating to the
Gulf throughout the international community. In a bid to foster greater
understanding of the GCC and the challenges the region faces, and to
strengthen the links between scholars from different regions, we decided to
create the Gulf Research Meeting (GRM). The first Gulf Research Meeting
was held from July 7-10, 2010 at the University of Cambridge. The Meeting
brought together scholars from the Gulf Region and the rest of the world to discuss, share and
debate the key challenges and issues facing the GCC. Never before has a meeting on this scale
been held, with the sole focus being on scholarly research in the Gulf. This is another of the many
ground-breaking and progressive projects that the GRC is proud to be at the forefront of.
Included in this volume are event summaries of each of the sessions written by our workshop
directors, along with additional information about the event. We hope that you will find this
summary useful both as a source of reference to the discussions that took place and as a pointer
to the range and scope of ideas and issues covered.
The Gulf Research Meeting has created a platform where scholars from around the world can
meet to discuss, explore and share the knowledge of this region. The GRM is unparalleled in both
its scope and value as far as scholarly research is concerned, and we intend to make it an annual
event. We look forward to your active participation in the future.
Dr. Abdulaziz O. Sager
Chairman
Gulf Research Center
Gulf Research Meeting – July 2010 5