Ambassador Akbar Ahmed Named a 2015 Global Thought Leader

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University and former Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland, has been named a 2015 Global Thought Leader by the WorldPost and Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI).

Ambassador Ahmed joins such dignitaries as Pope Francis, Malala Yousafzai, Henry Kissinger, and the Dalai Lama on this prestigious list for his notable recent work studying the Muslim communities of Europe.

A world-renowned anthropologist and Islamic scholar, Ambassador Ahmed's array of award-winning films and projects have worked to build new bridges between the West and the Muslim World and counter the idea that we are living in a world defined by the "clash of civilizations." Ambassador Ahmed has just released his newest film, Journey into Europe, on Islam in Europe and European identity, to great critical acclaim, and will be screening the film in the next few months at such prominent institutions as the German Embassy in Washington and Georgetown University.

Ambassador Ahmed is currently writing the companion book to Journey into Europe (Brookings Press, forthcoming).