The Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies, or ISDEV, was founded in 1995 at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. Initially known as the International Project for Islamic Political Economy (IPIPE), the name then evolved into Islamic Development Management Project (IDMP) in 1997, and finally, to its present name, Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies (ISDEV) in September 2005.

As a research and educational centre, ISDEV gathers its academic members from various disciplines and schools within the University. It aims at pioneering a move to bring the field of Islamic development management beyond the confines of development and management boundaries per se. It adopts a trans-disciplinary approach to development and management, integrating social, economic and political tools of analysis to understand development management in an integrative and holistic manner based on Islamic doctrines.

ISDEV proposes to scrutinise and construct a conceptual and practical framework for managing development from an Islamic perspective. Development is seen as embracing all aspects of life, from spiritual to material and physical, from the individual level to that of society, from the state context to that of the global framework, ISDEV intends to cover a comprehensive horizon of human life, thus formulating and pioneering a new integrated discipline, called IslamicDevelopment Management. It goes beyond the conventional management that limits itself to organisational, human resource and business management. Instead, Islamic development management covers all human activities, either for themselves, their family and their career of which social organisations, at village, district, state, national and international levels are also included. 

On 17 April 2014, ISDEV is now an independent Research Centre of Excellence. Following a one-year meticulous evaluation by a Special Committee chaired by USM's Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato' Omar Osman himself, and comprised of two USM Vice-Chancellors (Research & Innovation Professor Dato' Muhamad Jantan and Academic & International Affairs Professor Dato' Ahmad Shukri Mustapa Kamal), three Deans (Dr Nor Malina of the School of Social Sciences, Associate Professor Dr Hajar Abdul Rahim of the School of Humanities, and Professor Dr Fauziah Md. Taib of the School of Management), Mufti of the State of Penang SS Dato' Seri Haji Hassan bin Haji Ahmad, Professor Unggul (Distinguished) Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Kamal Hassan of International Islamic University Malaysia, and USM's Ombudsman Office Director and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka's Chairman Board of Control Professor Dato' Seri Dr Md. Salleh bin Yaapar,  and later on an approval by USM's Senate and USM's Board of Governors, ISDEV finally received a Watikah from USM Legal Advisor on 14 May 2014. With this upgrade from a Virtual Centre previously to the current Research Centre of Excellence, ISDEV now operates independently from the School of Social Sciences.

 

        PROF. DR. MUHAMMAD SYUKRI SALLEH                ASSOC. PROF. DR. ZAKARIA BAHARI             ASSOC. PROF.DR. SHAHIR AKRAM HASSAN

                           ISDEV Founder                                           ISDEV Director (CoE)  2017 - 2018                        ISDEV Director (CoE) 2019 - Current

 ISDEV  Director (Virtual Centre) 2006 - 2014

        ISDEV Director (CoE) 2014 - 2016