TITLE:
Towards a Typology of Islamic Higher Education in Europe: A Comparative Analysis of Institutional Models
AUTHORS:
Cemal Yilmaz
KEYWORDS:
Islamic Higher Education, Islamic University of Rotterdam, Islamic University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam, IUASR, Islam in Europe, Imam Training, Islamic Theology
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.10,
October
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: This article examines the emergence and institutional diversity of Islamic higher education through a comparative analysis of eight European cases: the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria, England, France, Spain, and Italy. While existing scholarship has focused primarily on individual countries, institutions, or debates concerning imam training, a systematic comparative framework for explaining institutional variation remains underdeveloped. The study employs a qualitative comparative institutional analysis based on six dimensions: institutional governance, legal recognition, degree-awarding status, funding arrangements, religious authority, and state involvement. The findings identify five ideal-type institutional configurations: the Independent Islamic University Model, the State-Integrated Islamic Theology Model, the Seminary-Based and Community-Led Model, the Hybrid Partnership Model, and the Emerging and Transitional Model. The analysis shows that broadly similar needs for Islamic education and religious leadership have generated different institutional pathways according to national state-religion arrangements and higher-education governance. The study provides a comparative framework for analysing institutional diversity without assuming a single European model of Islamic higher education.