“On behalf of the faculty, students, and staff of the Institute of Islamic Studies, I am deeply honored to extend our collective gratitude to Professor Dale F. Eickelman, and Christine for their generous financial contribution to our Institute,” says Professor Khalid Medani, Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies.
The Dale F. (MA 1967) and Christine Eickelman (BA 1966) Fellowship for Islamic Studies will be awarded annually on the basis of academic merit by the McGill Institute of Islamic Studies to one or more graduate students enrolled in the Institute.
Professor Eickelman is the Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of Anthropology and Human Relations Emeritus at Dartmouth College and a recipient of Jere L. Bacharach Service Award from the Middle East Studies Association, honoring and recognizing his exceptional service to the field of Middle East Studies.
Dale and his late wife Christine are both alumni of McGill University. While pursuing an MA in Islamic Studies, Dale met Christine, née Demarque during a joint graduate/undergraduate seminar. They married in Montreal in 1967 and both went on to pursue research in the field of anthropology. After completing his PhD at the University of Chicago, Dale and Christine travelled extensively in the Middle East, conducting field research in Iraq and Iran. After pursuing her MA at New York University, Christine worked for the Middle East Studies Association and in the mid-1980s, the Eickelmans moved to Oman. Christine's book,Women and Community in Oman, explores Omani society from a women's perspective.
“The Institute’s physical move in the mid-1960s—from an off-campus repurposed mansion to the main campus—reflects how its faculty and students, now both graduate and undergraduate, have contributed to mainstreaming Islamic Studies,” says Eickelman, reflecting on his days in Montreal as a young graduate student. “I joined McGill as a graduate student six decades ago. What I learned at McGill continues to shape my contributions to the field. Christine and I endowed a graduate fellowship fund because McGill still leads Islamic studies in North America and beyond.”
McGill’s Institute of Islamic Studies was founded in 1952, alongside the Islamic Studies Library, both currently housed in Morrice Hall.
“The Institute of Islamic Studies considers this gift a profound testimony to the rich legacy of Islamic Studies at McGill,” says Medani. “Indeed, the Institute of Islamic Studies’ long-lasting and deep commitment to academic excellence in the study of the Muslim world is exemplified by the profound intellectual contributions to this field by Professor Eickelman and Christine Eickelman, and by their greatly appreciated devotion to the many students yet to come who will benefit from their generosity and loyalty to the Institute of Islamic Studies.”
The Institute is home to teaching staff and students from across the globe: Canada, U.S.A, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, and the Netherlands among others.
“This inspiring gift not only celebrates academic excellence but also provides invaluable support to current and future graduate students as they navigate their academic journeys,” say Behzad Borhan and Jaleh Ebrahimi, who are graduate students at the Institute. “By fostering the Institute’s international character, this fellowship encourages scholars from around the globe to pursue and complete their studies at McGill. We are profoundly thankful for this thoughtful and impactful investment in our shared future, and as graduate students, we extend our deepest gratitude to Professor Dale F. Eickelman and Mrs. Christine Eickelman.”
Learn more about the programs and research at the McGill Institute of Islamic Studies.