18 12 2025
Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities (MBZUH), in partnership with the French Institute for Islamic Studies, has concluded the Third International Conference on Philosophy, Belief, Science, and Reason, held from 15th to 17th December at Sorbonne University in Paris.
The three-day conference, the first Arab-French philosophy conference hosted by the Sorbonne, brought together philosophers, scholars and researchers from around the world to examine the relationship between faith, scientific inquiry and rational thought, and to explore areas of convergence and divergence between belief and scientific knowledge.
The opening session featured a keynote address delivered on behalf of France’s Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space by Claudio Galderisi, President of the French Institute for Islamic Studies, who praised the growing academic cooperation between the UAE and France and called for continued dialogue on contemporary intellectual challenges.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, Chairman of the UAE Fatwa Council and the Higher Academic Council at MBZUH, said the conference seeks to develop an integrative philosophical approach that affirms rational inquiry while maintaining revelation as a reference point. He noted that the aim is not to revive historical conflicts between faith and reason, but to renew discourse through sound argumentation informed by philosophy and the natural sciences.
In his inaugural lecture, Khalifa Mubarak Al Dhaheri, Chancellor of MBZUH, highlighted Paris’s historic role as a meeting point for philosophical traditions, describing the conference as a continuation of civilisational dialogue that links Greek, Islamic and European intellectual heritage.
Across its sessions, the conference addressed the philosophy of science and belief, ethical dimensions of scientific progress, hermeneutical approaches to interpreting religious texts, and the evolution of Islamic theology in relation to scientific and epistemological developments. Participants also discussed contemporary issues including artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity.
The conference underscored the UAE’s contribution to promoting an approach that views science and philosophy as complementary to spiritual values and human aspirations, and reflected MBZUH’s commitment to advancing philosophical scholarship and strengthening international academic partnerships.