Elevating Heritage, Embracing Reform.

We aim to create an intellectual space that engages with Eastern and Western classical traditions, guided by two central principles: scholarly depth and accessibility at the heart of everything we do.

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At The Classical Institute, the Persian Through the Mathnawi: Reading Rumi in the Original programme offers a sustained introduction to the Persian of Jalal al-Din Rumi’s Mathnawi through close engagement with one of the most influential works of classical Persian literature. Led by Dr Colin Turner, participants examine the linguistic, literary, and poetic dimensions of the text while developing greater confidence in reading classical Persian. Through guided reading, recitation, and careful attention to vocabulary, syntax, and recurring literary forms, the programme situates the Mathnawi within the wider Persianate intellectual tradition and explores its enduring significance within the study of Persian language and literature.

Our Departments

Languages & Literatures

Rooted in the study of Ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic, Persian, and related traditions, the Department of Languages & Literatures draws together the literary and intellectual heritage of civilisations whose influence endures to the present day.

Philosophy & Theology

The Department of Philosophy & Theology brings together the Western and Islamic intellectual traditions in the shared pursuit of the fundamental questions that have defined philosophical and theological inquiry across the centuries.

Islamic Intellectual Thought & Traditions

Drawing on classical sources across the legal, rational, spiritual, and exegetical sciences, the Islamic Intellectual Thought & Traditions department offers students a profound and nuanced grounding in one of history’s most enduring and rigorous scholarly heritages.

Our Programmes

This September, Dr Mahshid Turner will lead Finding Meaning & Moral Responsibility: A God-Centred Approach to Pastoral Care, a new six-lecture programme at The Classical Institute examining meaning, moral responsibility, and the human condition through a God-centred framework grounded in Qurʾanic anthropology and prophetic models. Across the programme, participants explore questions of selfhood, consciousness, moral agency, and human flourishing, attending closely to their significance for pastoral care, chaplaincy, healthcare, education, and the wider responsibilities of human life.

Meet our Founding Dean

Dr Badreldeen Ismail, a distinguished scholar whose academic expertise and intellectual vision have shaped The Classical Institute's distinctive approach to education.

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Distinguished Features of a TCI Education

  • Teacher-Student Bonds

    TCI cultivates enduring teacher-student bonds, with teachers becoming trusted mentors who guide students through their lifelong learning journeys, helping them to become autonomous learners beyond the classroom, and inspiring them to strive for excellence.

    TCI teachers provide individualised attention and tailor learning journeys to specific student requirements.

  • Learning Community

    TCI respects and incorporates diverse lived experiences into its educational approach, which helps to foster more nuanced and informed understandings.

    Student collaboration and interdisciplinary learning are key components of TCI’s approach, encouraging students to form a strong peer support network and to draw connections between different areas of study.

  • Holistic Outcomes

    Student success at TCI transcends mere academic assessment scores. A successful student is one who develops an ability to think critically and embodies a lifelong passion for learning.

    TCI teachers are invested in the holistic development of their students, seeking enduring edification through intellectual and spiritual progress, and the development of ethically sound participants in the community.