Critical Religion book launch at IIS

IIS hosted the launch of A Practical Guide to Critical Religion, bringing together leading scholars to discuss how categories such as “religion” and “the secular” shape scholarship and public life.

Panel discussion at IIS launch event for A Practical Guide to Critical Religion at the Aga Khan Centre

STEP students bring teaching into practice

STEP students share how Field Teaching Practice bridges theory and practice, shaping reflective, multilingual, and community-focused teaching across contexts from Syria to Pakistan and India.

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STEP student leading an outdoor collaborative learning activity in Gilgit

UCL–IIS collaboration on education and justice

A joint UCL–IIS module brought together 25 students from 17 countries to explore education, justice, and global challenges through interdisciplinary learning at the Aga Khan Centre.

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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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Podcast

Voices of IIS with Dr Dagikhudo Dagiev

In this episode Dr Dagikhudo Dagiev reflects on his journey from Soviet-era Tajikistan to pioneering scholarship in Central Asian Ismaili studies, the mentorship that shaped him, and his two forthcoming books.

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Podcast

Voices of IIS with Dr Farhad Daftary

In this episode Dr Farhad Daftary reflects on his scholarly journey, the development of Ismaili studies, and the research legacy that continues to shape the field.

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Farhad Daftary speaks during a recorded Voices of IIS interview, seated across from a host with microphones in a studio setting at the Aga Khan Centre.

Publication

Exploring the Comprehensive Epistle of the Brethren of Purity

In this video, Professor Carmela Baffioni, Tara Woolnough, and Russell Harris discuss the Comprehensive Epistle (Risala al Jami’a), examining its intellectual context and enduring significance.

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