The Gulen Chair holder at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, Prof. Johan Leman highly values education and the Gulen Movement is the right partner for him to work with.
Social and cultural anthropology Professor Leman heads the Fethulla Gulen Chair for Intercultural Studies, which was established at the Catholic University of Leuven, one of Belgium’s most prestigious universities, with the efforts of the Brussels-based Intercultural Dialogue Platform (IDP). As part of an agreement signed between the IDP and the university, the chair will carry out academic research and organize conferences for five years.
Stating that he thinks interreligious dialogue, which is also promoted by the Gulen movement, is vital in promoting coexistence, he said the fact that the movement is based on education is what makes it a perfect partner for him.
Gülen is a Turkish Islamic scholar well known for his teachings that promote mutual understanding and tolerance between cultures. Now residing in the US, Gülen has pioneered educational activities in a number of countries along with efforts to promote intercultural and interfaith activities around the world. He has written nearly 50 books in Turkish, some of which have been translated into several languages. One of the world’s most influential Islamic scholars, Gülen was placed at the top of the list of “The World’s Top 20 Public Intellectuals” by the Foreign Policy and Prospect journals.