Research Areas:

• Study of Religion
• Study of Islam
• Intellectual History

Biography:

Dr Carool Kersten has a PhD in the Study of Religions from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London (2009); a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP, with merit) from King's College London (2010); and a MA in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands (cum laude, 1987). He also obtained a Certificate in Thai and Southeast Asian Studies from Payap University, Chiang Mai (Thailand) (2001). In 1995-1996, Kersten attended a Postgraduate Programme in Philosophy at Radboud University Nijmegen, where he earned credits in history of ancient philosophy, history of medieval philosophy, history of modern philosophy, ethics, philosophy of science, epistemology, philosophical anthropology, social and political philosophy). In 1988, he was admitted as a Sworn Translator by District Court of Arnhem (the Netherlands).
Dr Carool Kersten is Reader (Associate Professor) in the Study of Islam and the Muslim world at King's College London, where he has been since 2007. He has also been a guest lecturer at the Institute of Ismaili Studies and an associate lecturer at the Open University in the UK. Prior to that he was a Faculty Member at the Graduate and International Studies Center at Payap University in Thailand and Academic Director (Thailand) of the Lexia Study Abroad Programme. Before returning to academia, Dr Kersten worked for 10 years in various management positions in Saudi Arabia.
Dr Carool Kersten is the author or editor of 11 books, including 4 single-authored monographs. In addition he has contributed more than a hundred book chapters, scholarly articles, and reviews to edited volumes and international academic journals.
In 2015, Dr Kersten was the recipient of the King's Award for Media Personality of the Year.