Yusuf is a second year ISMA student interested in education and modern state formation in East Africa and Islamic intellectual history.
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Akif is an MA candidate in the Islamic Studies program at Columbia University. His professional background is as a portfolio manager and equity research analyst covering the energy infrastructure sector. Akif holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics and International Studies from Northwestern University.
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Ayaz Talantuli completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at the University of Washington in Seattle. His research is focused on the Islamization of nomadic tribes in Central Asia. Through an analysis of historical primary sources written in Arabic and Turkic scripts, he seeks to explore the process of the expression of Islamic concepts and Arabic religio-linguistic forms in Turkic languages. After completing the program at MEI, Ayaz plans to pursue a Ph.D. in order to go beyond philological issues to inquire about religious adaptations at work in shaping or enriching Turkic vocabulary in a Muslim framework.Ayaz Talantuli completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization at the University of Washington in Seattle. His research is focused on the Islamization of nomadic tribes in Central Asia. Through an analysis of historical primary sources written in Arabic and Turkic scripts, he seeks to explore the process of the expression of Islamic concepts and Arabic religio-linguistic forms in Turkic languages. After completing the program at MEI, Ayaz plans to pursue a Ph.D. in order to go beyond philological issues to inquire about religious adaptations at work in shaping or enriching Turkic vocabulary in a Muslim framework.
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Huzaifa is currently a second year MA student. He graduated from Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah with a BA in Arabic and Islamic studies with a specialization in adab (Arabic literature). His previous research focused on the depiction of Imam Husayn's martyrdom in contemporary Arabic poetry. His current research interests include: Islamic jurisprudence and legal history, Muslim identity and legal practice in colonial South Asia, and Ismaili Shi'ism. He is also a dexterous Arabic calligrapher.
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