Dissertation Writing Scholarship open for 2026

Applications are now open for IIS Dissertation Writing Scholarship 2026, supporting graduate students researching Ismaili and Islamic studies topics. Deadline: 30 September 2026.

Library study space at The Institute of Ismaili Studies for Dissertation Writing Scholarship Applicants

Annemarie Schimmel Fellowship applications open for 2026

Applications are now open for the Annemarie Schimmel Fellowship, supporting research in Islamic mysticism, Persian and South Asian literature, and Muslim devotional traditions. Deadline: 30 September 2026.

IIS fellowship and scholarship application resources at the Aga Khan Library, London

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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Talks and Lectures

Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi philosophy

This lecture by Professor William Rory Dickson explores key ideas in Sufi philosophy through the thought of Ibn ʿArabi, focusing on unity, perception and the nature of reality.

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Podcast

The Voices of History: Echoes of Childhood

In this episode of The Voices of History, seven elders from Syria, Iran, India, East Africa, and northern Pakistan reflect on the memories that shaped their childhoods.

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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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