Dr. Sarah earned her PhD in political science from Free University Berlin, where she was also a fellow at the Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies. Dr. Sarah served as DAAD Long Term Guest Professor at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, from 2017-2020.
Recently she has co-authored a book “Pakistan at Seventy-Five: Identity, Governance and Conflict-Resolution in a Post-Colonial Nation-State” with Dr. Andrea Fleschenberg and Dr. Arslan Waheed. Along with these books, she has published numerous research papers in multiple academic journals.
Dr. Arslan Wrraich, Assistant Professor, SPIR welcomed Dr. Sarah. He explained the main themes of the book and emphasized the details of the significance of the book for the students to comprehend the workings and various functions of religion in Pakistan.
Dr. Sarah discussed her personal experiences as a researcher and teaching Professor, along with the reasons behind her interest in South Asian Islam. Dr. Sarah outlined the institution’s origins, the state’s motivations for establishing it to interpret Islamic law, and how the institution serves the interests of the state. She also made a parallel between the Iranian Assembly of Experts, The Council of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia and the Council of Islamic Ideology, Pakistan.
Director SPIR, Dr. Nadeem Mirza moderated a vibrant Q & A session, and he thanked Dr. Sarah for visiting and delivering a thought-provoking talk.
At the end of the talk, Dr. Sarah graciously handed over her two books to Dr. Nadeem Mirza for the school’s library.