New silk roads and new citadels: the dragon, the crescent and the mousedeer

On Thursday 12 March 2020 the China Centre Seminar was delivered by Mr Azman Mokhtar, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge and former CEO (2004 - 2018) of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.

Azman Mokhtar spoke on the topic of Islam and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). His lecture covered a wide array of issues, using a historical perspective on trade and Islam along the Silk Road by land and sea.

The lecture included reference to a series of historical maps that provided a vivid insight into this important and widely misunderstood topic.

An in-depth discussion followed the lecture, with broad ranging views expressed.

Azman Mokhtar graduated as Chevening scholar, with distinction in the M.Phil in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. He is a CFA charter holder, a chartered accountant and holder of a diploma in Islamic Studies. Prior to his role at Khazanah, Azman Mokhtar was Head of Research for UBS and Salomon Smith Barney in Malaysia.

Azman Mokhtar is currently a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Investing and a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative.