From, Blueprint, Staff News for the University of Oxford • March 2008
Oxford academics collaborate in every conceivable ield with experts in institutions around the world. When those institutions are closer to home, however, the relationship is sometimes more formally recognised with the designation ‘Recognised Independent Centre’ (RIC). RICs are educational charities based in the Oxford area which, while not part of the University, are recognised for their contribution to University research and teaching in contemporary and historical areas of interest. The formal designation was created in 2006. Five institutions have so far been awarded RIC status: the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies; the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies; the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies; the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies; and the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
A student at an RIC is not a member of the University but can apply to use its facilities, and of course libraries, manuscript collections and ideas can all be shared. Some academics hold joint appointments between University faculties and independent centres. Dr Adeel Malik, for example, is Globe Fellow in the Economics of Muslim Societies at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) and a Fellow at the University’s Department of International Development. He divides his time between the two institutions.
OCIS provides a meeting point for the Western and Islamic worlds of learning – a fact relected in its new building (above, currently under construction), which is an architectural synthesis of the traditional Oxford college and classical Islamic structure. Researchers at the Centre have, for example, studied the theory and practice of Islamic inancial management and the housing needs of British Muslims alongside the UK Housing Corporation. Dr Malik himself specialises in the study of economic development in the Muslim world, using established social science methods. ‘OCIS is part of the de-centralised tradition of Oxford University: we aim to complement, rather than compete with, University teaching,’ he says.
The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies (OCHJS), based at scenic Yarnton Manor, has offered an MSt in Jewish Studies since 2003, and some students are now fully matriculated into the University. The centre is academic in nature rather than religious. ‘Our academic activities are part of the University’s activities,’ says Professor Peter Oppenheimer, President of OCHJS. ‘We focus on the language, culture and history of Jewish Studies. There is no synagogue here, and the study of the Jewish faith is not our primary concern.’ The Bodleian Library in fact sought its irst Hebraica and Judaica Librarian appointment through the OCHJS. Currently, Dr Piet Van Boxel holds this post jointly with that of librarian of OCHJS’s Muller Memorial Library. As well as participating in University-wide research and teaching, the RICs interact with each other. Shaunaka Rishi Das, the Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) since its inception in 1997, was mentored by Professor David Patterson, the founder of the OCHJS. The Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies (OCBS) specialises in Buddhist text, thought and social history, and in May will receive a visit from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. OCBS also works in conjunction with the University’s Department of Psychiatry through the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. Traditional Buddhist practices are successful in some instances of treating depression, and a combination of ancient and modern techniques called ‘Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy’ has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
RICs are not conined to centres interested in world religions. The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies is dedicated to the study of social science aspects of energy issues, in particular the economics of petroleum, oil, gas, nuclear power, and solar and renewable energy. Its aim is to promote dialogue between consumers and producers, government and industry, and academics and decision-makers in order to gain a more informed understanding of the factors that inluence international energy markets.
Whatever its specialist interest, each RIC helps to link distinct communities and cultures with scholars, the government, and the media in a fast-paced critical dialogue.
