The Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme marked its 10th Anniversary on 13 November 2024 with a commemorative event. It featured a keynote lecture by Professor Abdullah Saeed, Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne and Advisor to the SRP Programme, titled “Interpreting Sacred Texts in a Pluralistic World”.
Inaugurated in June 2014 by then President Dr Tony Tan, the SRP Programme is committed to advancing excellence in three main pillars: cutting-edge research in the study of inter-religious relations, post-graduate education and professional training, and community engagement through forums for dialogue among scholars, policy makers, religious leaders, and other experts to explore and promote inter-religious understanding and social cohesion in plural societies.
The anniversary event commenced with opening remarks from Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, Dean of RSIS. Prof Kumar underscored the SRP Programme’s pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s interfaith landscape, offering much value to government, academics, religious leaders and members of the public. He highlighted the Programme’s flagship events, including the annual Executive Programme (EP) and biannual Distinguished Lecture and Symposium (DLS). He also mentioned the SRP Programme’s pioneering initiative, the Community Access Programme, which offers public access to SRP teaching modules without enrolling in the MSc programme. Prof Kumar also drew attention to the Interreligious Relations series of peer-reviewed occasional papers, published by the SRP Programme since 2019.
Founding head of the SRP Programme, Ambassador Mohammad Alami Musa, then offered his reflections on the SRP Programme’s journey, in which he emphasised the critical role of religion in maintaining societal security and mused on the evolving dynamics of secularism, multiculturalism, and meritocracy.
The keynote lecture was delivered by Professor Abdullah Saeed, where he shared insights on interpreting sacred texts, particularly through linguistic, rational, ethical, compassionate, and contextual approaches. He also elaborated on the distinction between theological exclusivism and social exclusivism, highlighting the implications for Singapore as a diverse society.
The event was concluded with the presentation of a commemorative plaque by Prof Kumar to Prof Saeed, honouring his decade of service as the Peter Lim (Visiting) Professor of Peace Studies at RSIS.
