First Islamic‑theological faculty at a public university

Since 2021, work has been underway on the new "Campus of Religions" in the western German city of Münster. Much of the site is still under construction. Scheduled for inauguration in 2027, the complex will bring together the faculties of Catholic, Protestant, and Islamic Theology, as well as the Department of Religious Studies, in a single location.

The faculty marks a milestone: for the first time in Germany — and indeed in Europe — a public university is home to an independent Faculty of Islamic Theology .

"I have the privilege of being part of a unique chapter in history," scholar Mouhanad Khorchide told DW. Looking back on 15 years of work at the University of Münster, he said the achievement fills him with deep gratitude. At the same time, the 54‑year‑old emphasized the responsibility that comes with it.

"We want to make the most of this unique opportunity and advocate for an open‑minded, enlightened understanding of Islam." According to Khorchide, the faculty's work will have an impact not only across Europe but also throughout the Muslim world.

A new chapter

As of July 1, a new chapter begins for Khorchide. For the time being, however, he will continue working from the temporary university offices near Münster's Paulus Cathedral. Until now, the sociologist and religious educator has led the Center for Islamic Theology (ZIT) at the University of Münster. He is now the founding dean — the first dean of the newly established Faculty of Islamic Theology.

The elevation to full faculty status gives Islamic Theology a new standing within the university and represents a significant academic policy milestone. Until now, the ZIT lacked faculty status of its own and therefore depended on another faculty for important academic functions.

An increase in Islamic religious education

As an independent faculty, Islamic Theology can now confer doctorates and habilitations in its own right, helping to cultivate a new generation of scholars and establish a lasting academic legacy. The new status is also expected to make it easier to secure third‑party research funding.

Khorchide recalls the early days of the ZIT in 2012, when it had just 15 students and three staff members. Today, the center employs eight professors and more than 50 staff members, and Khorchide expects student numbers to exceed 500 in the coming years.

He expects a high demand. Across Germany, Islamic religious education is being introduced in public schools, creating a growing need for qualified teachers.

For example, in Germany's most populous state of North Rhine‑Westphalia where Münster is located, up to 3,000 teachers are required, but only around 330 are currently in place. For graduates, this offers a clear career path.

Between worlds: Young Muslim women in Germany

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Islam and Social Work

Starting in 2027, Khorchide plans to launch a master's program titled "Islam and Social Work." He says there is strong demand for this specialization, particularly in fields such as youth services, hospital chaplaincy, and elder care.

In its guiding principles, the faculty affirms the compatibility of faith and democracy, promotes a scholarly and contemporary reading of the Quran, and emphasizes interreligious dialogue. It also explicitly rejects extremism, antisemitism, and Islamism. "We oppose every form of religiously motivated violence and ideological manipulation," the document states.

Links to Asia and Africa

Khorchide says he has been deeply impressed by the level of interest generated since news of the new faculty became public. Media outlets as far afield as Africa and Asia have reported on the development. He specifically points to Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population.

"People long for an open-minded Islam," Khorchide says. In the long term, he believes, Münster could help shape the broader debate on the future development of Islam far beyond Germany.

"Münster has traditionally been strong in theology," Norbert Robers, the university's spokesperson, told DW. Now, for the first time, the two Christian theological faculties and Islamic Theology are being brought together under one roof, sharing a library and a cafeteria. "That has great symbolic power."

Following the money: Terror financing from Germany

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Europe's first Islamic Theology department at a public university

A faculty of Islamic theology has long existed in Sarajevo, but it is not part of a public university structure. So Münster is now home to the first Faculty of Islamic Theology at a public university in Europe.

Robers, the university spokesperson, notes that the upgrade to faculty status may appear to be a "pure administrative act," but it carries significant legal and institutional weight. A ceremonial opening is scheduled for September 24 in the university's main hall.

Annette Schavan, a politician with the center-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) served as Germany's federal minister of education from 2005 to 2013. She played a key role in establishing Islamic Theology at German universities and describes the current step as a "milestone." Writing on Cologne-based Catholic Domradio's portal in mid-June, she argued that the opening of the Faculty of Islamic Theology represented "a strengthening of academic theology as a whole" and predicted that the new faculty would be recognized across Europe.

This article has been translated from German.