Oleh: Mohd Faizal Basri, Azila Abdul Razak dan Zainizam Zakariya
TANJONG MALIM, 21 Ogos 2026 – Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) has appointed internationally renowned Islamic economics and finance scholar Professor Mehmet Asutay of Durham University Business School, United Kingdom, as Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Management and Economics (FPE).
The two-year appointment, effective from 1 March 2026 to 29 February 2028, marks another significant step in FPE’s efforts to strengthen international academic collaboration and expand its global academic and research networks.
Professor Asutay is Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Political Economy & Finance at Durham University Business School. He is also the Director of the Durham Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance and Director of the MSc Islamic Finance Programme.
His research and scholarly work spans Islamic moral economy, Islamic economics, Islamic political economy, Islamic finance and banking, Islamic governance and management, as well as the political economies of the Middle East. His scholarship has contributed to contemporary discussions on the role of ethics, sustainability and human well-being within economic and financial systems.
In recognition of his scholarly contributions, Professor Asutay was named the 2024 Laureate of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics. The prestigious international recognition acknowledged his contributions to advancing Islamic moral economy and his work in demonstrating how Islamic finance can contribute to sustainable development and human well-being.
Professor Asutay has also maintained active engagement with Malaysia’s Islamic finance ecosystem. Most recently, he participated as a panellist at Bank Negara Malaysia’s Global Forum on Islamic Economics and Finance (GFIEF) 2024, contributing to discussions on the role of Islamic economics in addressing contemporary economic and societal challenges.
His engagement in Malaysia has also included participation in the Securities Commission Malaysia–Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (SC-OCIS) Roundtable, an international platform bringing together scholars, regulators and industry leaders to deliberate on key issues shaping Islamic finance. Through these engagements, Professor Asutay has contributed to discussions on Islamic economics, maqasid al-Shariah, ethical finance and sustainable development.
His established engagement with key institutions within Malaysia’s financial sector provides a strong foundation for his appointment at UPSI and presents opportunities for FPE to benefit from his extensive academic and professional networks within Malaysia’s Islamic finance ecosystem and internationally.
Professor Asutay’s appointment is particularly relevant to FPE’s teaching and research activities in finance and Islamic finance. His expertise is expected to provide an important international dimension to the Faculty’s continuing efforts to strengthen teaching, curriculum development, research and postgraduate education in these areas.
These engagements will provide FPE students and academics with opportunities to interact directly with an internationally recognised scholar and gain greater exposure to contemporary developments in Islamic economics and finance, particularly in areas connecting finance with ethics, sustainability and societal well-being.
The appointment is also expected to encourage collaborative research and publications between academics at UPSI and Durham University, creating opportunities to explore emerging issues in Islamic finance, sustainable and ethical finance, financial development and other areas of mutual academic interest.
For postgraduate students and early-career researchers at FPE, Professor Asutay’s involvement is expected to provide valuable opportunities for research mentoring, scholarly engagement and exposure to international research networks.
Beyond teaching and research, the appointment provides a platform for FPE to further strengthen its international academic network. Professor Asutay’s extensive engagement within the global Islamic economics and finance community offers opportunities to broaden scholarly connections and develop future strategic collaborations with researchers, professional bodies and institutions internationally.
The appointment therefore represents more than an academic affiliation. It forms part of FPE’s broader effort to integrate international expertise into its academic ecosystem and ensure that its programmes, research and postgraduate development remain connected to contemporary global developments and industry needs.
Through this collaboration, FPE UPSI looks forward to developing meaningful academic and research initiatives with Professor Asutay and strengthening institutional linkages with Durham University, while creating greater international exposure and opportunities for its students, academics and postgraduate researchers.