Bruno Guiderdoni has studied physics and astrophysics at the University of Paris , where he received his PhD degree in 1986 . Since 1988 , he has been working at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics supported by the French National Center for Scientific Research . His main research field is observational cosmology , and more specifically galaxy formation and evolution . He has published more than 80 papers and contributions , and he has organized several international conferences on these issues .

After a two year stay in Morocco , his spiritual pursuit has led him to embrace Islam in 1987 , with the Islamic name of Abd-al-Haqq . From 1993 to 1999 , he was in charge of the TV program “Knowing Islam”' which is broadcast by the State Channel France 2 on Sunday mornings . He and others have founded in 1995 the Islamic Institute for Advanced Studies which "aims at helping European Muslims recover the intellectual dimension of Islam" . In this purview , he has given many lectures on spirituality , the interfaith dialog , and the relationship between science and religion .

Bruno Guiderdoni is a member of the Board of Advisors of the John Templeton Foundation , and of the Scientific Advisory Board of the “Science and Spiritual Quest 2” program of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences ( Berkeley , USA ) .