Established in 1987 under the visionary leadership of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) was conceived as a sanctuary of higher learning devoted to the profound study of Islamic thought, civilisation, and the philosophy of knowledge. Rooted in a deep intellectual tradition that harmonises revelation, reason, and history, ISTAC sought to revive the civilisational consciousness of Islam through rigorous scholarship and contemplative inquiry.
As a constituent institute of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) since 2011, ISTAC-IIUM continues to embody its founding ethos, advancing postgraduate education and research that illuminate the moral, metaphysical, and historical dimensions of human civilisation, while engaging the enduring questions of knowledge, meaning, and culture in a contemporary world.
