Harry Bastermajian

Background

About Harry Bastermajian

I am a scholar, strategist, and institutional leader at the intersection of Islamic studies, higher education, and global philanthropy. As Executive Director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University, I direct a university-wide interfaculty initiative that spans the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Divinity School, Kennedy School, and Graduate School of Design. My work bridges academic programming, interdisciplinary research, international collaboration, and public engagement. I co-founded the Alwaleed Cultural Network—a global partnership among Alwaleed-funded centers—and launched A History of Islamic Studies at Harvard, a digital public humanities platform. With a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago and two decades of experience in higher education, I bring deep subject-matter expertise and executive-level leadership to every initiative I lead. I also teach graduate seminars at Harvard Extension School and host the Harvard Islamica podcast. I believe in building scholarly ecosystems that are publicly engaged, intellectually rigorous, and globally relevant.