The Malcolm and Ann Kerr Muslim Studies Community Lecture are named after an impactful couple. The late Prof. Malcolm Kerr was an influential scholar of the Middle East who eventually became President of the American University of Beirut. Professor Ann Kerr, who gave our inaugural Kerr lecture, is also a distinguished scholar who has studied and taught in the Middle East and has authored books on the region.
Malcolm and Ann Kerr represent scholars with a genuine desire to understand that which is often misunderstood. The Kerr family experienced profound tragedy, an assassination in 1984. Yet this tragedy did not diminish their spirit of open-mindedness and their calls for understanding. This particular lecture series seeks to highlight the Kerr spirit of open-mindedness and understanding in contexts that may seem challenging.
