Professor Dr Abbas Panakkal

Abbas Panakkal is a historian currently affiliated with the School of History at the University of St. Andrews, UK. He also serves on the advisory board for the Religious Life and Belief Centre at the University of Surrey, UK. Dr. Panakkal is engaged in a research project that investigates the processes of integration and indigenization within vernacular communities. His published works include Musaliar King (Bloomsbury, 2024), Southeast Asian Islam (editor, Routledge, 2024), Matrilineal, Matriarchal, and Matrifocal Islam (editor, Palgrave Macmillan, 2024), and South Asian Islam (editor, Routledge, 2023). He holds directorial positions at both the Ibn Battuta International Centre of Intercultural Studies and the International Interfaith Initiative. Previously, he was a fellow at Griffith University in Australia.

Professor Panakkal has been a prominent keynote speaker at various international events, where he has shared his insights on cultural understanding, interfaith initiatives and global peace. In 2018, he had the honour of addressing over 800 youths at the United Nations Headquarters, emphasizing the importance of unity and collaboration across diverse faiths and cultures. His leadership in conferences such as the Ibn Battuta International Conference further highlights his commitment to fostering cross-cultural dialogue and building bridges between the communities.

Professor Dr Abbas Panakkal is an intercultural historian whose research spans a wide range of topics, including language, religion, law, indigenization, integration, and interreligious engagements. His work focuses on the ways in which local communities integrate and indigenize external cultural and religious influences, shaping unique sociocultural and legal frameworks. Additionally, he explores the dynamics of intercultural dialogue and the interactions between different religious traditions, aiming to better understand the complex processes of cultural transformation and coexistence. By examining these themes across historical and contemporary contexts, Professor Panakkal’s research provides valuable insights into the intersection of culture, identity, and religion.