Muhammed Shaahid Cassim

Muhammed Shaahid Cassim is a National Institute of Humanities and Social Science (NIHSS) Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is currently working on indigenous conceptualizations and applications of character development. As a proponent of interdisciplinary collaborative approaches to “wicked” problem solving, Dr. Cassim‘s diverse research interests include Islam, character, governance, spirituality, innovation, and art. He has enjoyed tutoring critical thinking at the University of Cape Town and facilitating on the Stellenbosch University Business School’s Executive Leadership Development Program for Middle Management Civil Service Leaders in the UAE and the UK. Dr. Cassim earned degrees in English literature and Islamic studies from the University of South Africa, an honors degree in religious studies from the University of Cape Town, and a PhD in Islamic governance at the Institute of Policy Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei, which involved applying the ideas of the renowned Andalusian Shaykh Muhiyuddin Ibn ʿArabi to the study of contemporary Islamic systems of governance. Outside of academia, he is keenly involved in local community development endeavors, particularly those focused on improving wellness through urban food gardens, education, and coaching. He can be reached at shaahidq@gmail.com.