Shaheen Sardar Ali (born 1955) has made significant scientific contributions to the dialogue and understanding of the relationship between Islam, human rights, and national law, particularly in areas such as women's rights, family law, and criminal law. Her groundbreaking doctoral research bridged human rights and Islamic values in the fields of equality and discrimination.
Her recent book, Modern Challenges to Islam, further explores the relationship between Islam and human rights in areas such as globalization, radicalization, terrorism, and poverty reduction.
Ali is professor of Law at the University of Warwick. Outside academia, Ali has been Vice-Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and Chair of Pakistan's National Commission on the Status of Women. In 2022, she was appointed to United Nation’s Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At the University of Oslo, collaboration with Ali has been crucial for the Faculty of Law's ability to research and teach at the intersection of Islam and human rights.
UiO's honorary doctoral degrees
Honorary doctoral degrees of UiO (Doctor Honoris Causa) are given to prominent academics. The degrees are awarded without a thesis defence/disputation.
UiO has been entitled to appoint honorary doctorates since 1824, and appointments usually occur every three years.
The honorary doctors are conferred at UiO's Annual Celebration on 2 September.