PUTRAJAYA, Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Osman Bakar has been appointed the seventh rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) for a two-year term, effective from Sept 23, 2024, to Sept 22, 2026. In a statement today, the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) said Osman is a prominent Islamic thinker renowned for his leadership and scholarship in Islamic Philosophy and Civilisation. His influence has earned him international recognition, including being named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world in 2009. "The ministry is confident that Prof Emeritus Dr Osman will elevate IIUM's status as a premier university in Islamic civilisation on both national and international platforms," the statement read. Osman, who holds the Al-Ghazali Chair at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) at IIUM, earned his Bachelor and Master's degrees in Mathematics from the University of London, UK and a PhD in Islamic Philosophy from Temple University, USA. MOHE a lso took this opportunity to express its sincere gratitude to Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak for his dedicated service and contributions during his tenure as the previous IIUM rector. Source: BERNAMA News Agency