Oral histories, enduring voices

Remembering Vazir Saheba Hajjan Ghulam Fatimah as part of the IIS Oral History Project, highlighting women’s experiences and contributions during Women’s History Month.

Community gathering with Aga Khan IV and Vazir Saheba Ghulam Fatimah

Dr Tatiana Korneeva contributes to IIS scholarship as visiting research fellow

Visiting Research Fellow Dr Tatiana Korneeva explores the Ismaili Imamate and the philosophy of Nasir Khusraw, contributing to IIS scholarship through lectures, research, and academic engagement.

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Audience seated at a lecture at the Aga Khan Centre as Dr Tatiana Korneeva presents slides during an IIS research seminar.

Call for Papers: Fatimid Sicily – History, Memory, and Legacy

A call for papers for an international conference exploring the history and legacy of Fatimid rule in Sicily. Scholars are invited to submit abstracts examining new sources, material evidence, and emerging research approaches.

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Medieval map of Fatimid Sicily and Mediterranean sea routes from the Book of Curiosities manuscript

MENACASEA 2026: Music, dance and spirituality in Muslim contexts

The Institute of Ismaili Studies and MENACASEA invite scholars and artists to a three-day symposium examining music, dance and spirituality across the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Islamic Southeast Asia.

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Stylised illustration of dancers in colourful clothing performing expressive movement in a theatrical composition for MENACASEA

About us

The Institute of Ismaili Studies, established in 1977, is a higher education, research and teaching institution dedicated to high-quality scholarship and education on Islam and Muslim societies, with a particular focus on Ismaili and broader Shiʿi studies, encompassing their historical and geographical contexts.

Graduate studies

We currently offer two graduate programmes that attract students from Ismaili communities worldwide.

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Short Courses

Our Short Courses introduce participants to social, cultural, and civilisational approaches to the study of Islam and Muslim societies, with a particular focus on Ismaili contexts.

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Scholarship and Fellowship

The Institute offers several scholarship and fellowship programmes to suitable candidates with a focus on Islamic studies or other areas of interest to IIS.

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Discover our research

Research at IIS seeks to contribute to the field of Islamic studies in general, with a particular focus on Shiʿi and Ismaili studies.

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Explore our publications

The Institute of Ismaili Studies publishes works by its own scholars as well as from the academic community outside the Institute.

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Research

Exploring Gender, Ethics and Emotions in the Qur’an

Dr Karen Bauer talks about her research in Qur’anic studies at IIS, exploring gender, ethics, and interpretation within the work of the Qur’anic Studies Unit.

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Heritage

Sources of Modern Ismaili History

In this video, Dr Karim Javan introduces two unpublished works that shed new light on modern Ismaili history and the early decades of the Imamat in India.

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