IIS Welcomes Class of 2008 
December 2005
This year, the Institute accepted 12 new students into its Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities (GPISH). During their first two years, students will be resident at the IIS where they will study the faith, culture, language and thought of Muslim societies. In their third year, they will pursue a Masters degree at an institution of higher education. More

 

Seminar on Career Pathways for IIS Graduates 
December 2005
A seminar entitled 'Careers of Tomorrow' was organized by the IIS Graduate Studies Department for alumni and current students of the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities. To facilitate the process of exploring career possibilities, senior staff from the Aga Khan Development Network presented overviews of current projects and discussed the range of skills and abilities required for careers within the AKDN Institutions. More

 

IIS holds its first Alumni Association Chapter Group Meetings 
November 2005
Alumni from across North America and from across Europe came together for the first meetings of the North American and European Chapter Groups of the IIS Alumni Association. The meetings were held in Houston, USA, on 22nd October and in London, England on 12th November. Members of the Institute’s senior management and leaders from the Ismaili community institutions in the USA and Europe were also in attendance. More

 

Professor Azim Nanji Speaks About the Muslim World at Stanford University 
October 2005
The Institute’s Director, Professor Azim Nanji spoke on “Rethinking the Muslim World in a Global Perspective” to nearly 400 attendees of Stanford’s Knight Fellowships’ 6th Reunion and Conference, held at Stanford University this past July. One of the key messages of this presentation focused on understanding the diversity among Muslim communities around the world and the specific context of their contemporary challenges. More

 

IIS Announces 2005 PhD Scholarship Awards 
September 2005
Since 1997, The Institute of Ismaili Studies has awarded PhD Scholarships to outstanding students whose work complements the work and mandate of the IIS. This year’s three recipients, all alumni of the Institute’s Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities are Zoulfia Achourmamadova, Jamil Kassam and Nourmamdcho Nourmamdchoev. More

 

IIS’ Summer Programme on Islam at the University of Cambridge 
September 2005
Now in its 4th year, the Institute’s annual programme was held at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge from 13-21 August 2005. The 39 participants, selected from a large number of applicants, represented 15 countries and came from diverse academic backgrounds ranging from medicine to finance and engineering. More

 

IIS Conducts Research Methodology Course in Tajikistan 
August 2005
The Central Asian Studies project of the IIS facilitated a one month research course for local scholars in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in July 2005 on Qualitative Research Methods and Interpretative Perspectives. This course was the first of its kind in Tajikistan, with the primary aim of enhancing the research skills of scholars in the region, to enable them to produce high-quality and reflexive research. More

 

IIS Library Inaugurates Annemarie Schimmel Reference Collection 
August 2005
The IIS Library inaugurated the Annemarie Schimmel Memorial Reference Collection, a donation which significantly enlarged its holdings on Indo-Muslim communities and cultures. Comprised of approximately 1100 volumes, with many rare and out of print titles, the collection, now housed at the Institute, was donated by Professor Ali Asani in the memory of the late Annemarie Schimmel. As a token of its gratitude for this generous gift, the Institute has established a triennial Annemarie Schimmel Fellowship, awarding £10,000 to a scholar working in the fields of interest to the late Professor Schimmel. More

 

IIS Publishes Proceedings of the Nasir Khusraw Millenary Conference 
August 2005
The IIS, in collaboration with the Aga Khan Development Network and The Tajik Academy of Sciences, organized a book launch in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 19th July 2005 for Nasir Khusraw: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, a collection of papers presented at a 7 day international conference in Dushanbe and Khorog in September 2003 to commemorate the millennium birth anniversary of Hakim Nasir Khusraw. More than 70 scholars from various academic institutions attended the programme. More

 

The International Islamic Conference, Amman, Jordan 
July 2005
A significant milestone was laid in the contemporary history of the Muslim world at the recent International Islamic Conference, held in Amman, Jordan from July 4 to 6, 2005.  It brought forth a united resolve, rarely seen before, to tackle firmly the challenges threatening the Ummah’s own internal stability, and even integrity, as well as undermining its historic role of constructive interface with other cultures and traditions, especially, though not exclusively, Christians and Jews whom Islam honourably refers to as the fellow People of the Book, ahl al-kitab. More

 

IIS Conducts Workshop for its Alumni 
July 2005
The Institute of Ismaili Studies held a 7-day workshop for its alumni from 24th-30th June 2005 at its premises in London. Twenty participants from around the world travelled to London to participate in the workshop, which was developed in response to feedback from the alumni requesting refresher courses and continuing education opportunities. More

 

Dr. Alnoor Dhanani speaks on Moses Maimonides 
June 2005
A one day seminar entitled, ‘Moses Maimonides: Bridging the Divide,’ was held at University College London on June 19th to commemorate the 800th year anniversary of the death of the Jewish religious thinker Maimonides and to celebrate his legacy to the Jewish and Muslim world. Dr Alnoor Dhanani , Head of Graduate Studies , presented a paper at this seminar on ‘Revisiting Maimonides’ Critique of kalam’ to a multi-faith audience. More

 

First IIS Publication Translated into Turkish 
June 2005
Islâm’da Entelektüel Gelenekler, a translation by Muhammet Seviker of Intellectual Traditions in Islam, edited by Dr Farhad Daftary, is the first IIS publication available in Turkish, published by Insan Yayinlari in Istanbul. With this new translation, selections of IIS publications are now available in 10 different languages, with this particular text available in Arabic, English, Persian and Tajik (Cyrillic). More

 

New IIS Publication: An Essential Compendium of Ismaili Studies 
May 2005
The result of more than three decades of research, Dr Daftary's Ismaili Literature: A Bibliography of Sources and Studies is a new IIS publication which takes stock of the progress in Ismaili studies, from pre-modern and early modern times until today. It provides an essential reference tool for students and scholars of Ismaili and Islamic studies. More

 

IIS Director Speaks About Diversity and Religion in Britain 
May 2005
Professor Azim Nanji led a panel discussion about diversity and religion at a major two day conference, ‘Diversity: a stronger economy, a better Britain’ held on March 14th -15th at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster, London. The conference brought together many of Britain’s leading employers from the private, public and voluntary sectors to explore and exchange best practice ideas. More

 

New IIS Publication on Understanding Religious Identities in South Asia 
May 2005
Crossing the Threshold: Understanding Religious Identities in South Asia, by Dominique-Sila Khan, is a new publication of the Institute which examines the shaping of religious identities in South Asia. In particular, the author considers the role played by Ismaili Islam in the intricate interface between South Asian religious communities, which has to this day remained largely unexplored. More

 

IIS Director Speaks on Islam in the 21st Century at Berkhamsted Collegiate School 
March 2005
On March 9th, Professor Azim Nanji spoke to a mixed audience of Sixth Form students (17-year-olds) and their parents at the Berkhamsted Collegiate School on Muslim contributions to society and the common heritage of the Abrahamic religions, providing a perspective on how this shared history could help us understand and speak about Islam in the 21st century. This presentation was the first in the newly inaugurated seminar series organized by the school’s Philosophy Society. More

 

New IIS Publication of Nasir al-Din Tusi’s Treatise on Mediaeval Ismaili Thought 
March 2005
Paradise of Submission: A Medieval Treatise on Ismaili Thought, edited and translated by S.J. Badakhchani is the fifth among the Institute’s Ismaili Texts and Translations Series. It is a new Persian edition and English translation of Rawda-yi taslim, the only doctrinal work of the early Nizari Ismailis to have survived the Mongol invasions of Iran in the mid-7th AH /13th century CE. More

 

IIS Associate Director speaks about ‘Shi‘ism and the Ismailis in History’ 
February 2005
‘Understanding Islam: A Conference on the Culture and Religion of Islam’ was held at The Dublin Castle Conference Centre from 6-8 December, 2004. Dr. Daftary, Associate Director and Head of the Department of Academic Research and Publications, joined other prominent scholars from the United Kingdom, North America and Germany in a two-day conference to deliberate on the history, religion, art and culture of Islam, past and present. More

 

Dr. Farhad Daftary Invited to Speak at Simon Fraser University 
February 2005
Dr. Farhad Daftary was invited to lecture on “The Persian Contributions to Ismaili History and Literature” on November 6th 2004 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. This is the third in a series of annual endowed lectures in Iranian Studies supported by Drs. Fereidoun and Katherine Mirhady, and sponsored by the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. More

 

International Charity Law Comparative Seminar, Beijing 
January 2005
In October 2004, China Charity Federation - CCF - hosted an International Charity Law Comparative Seminar in Beijing, China's capital city, of which The Aga Khan Development Network was a principal sponsor. CCF is an autonomous non-governmental organization. It was established with the approval of the Chinese Government in April 1984 to engage in nationwide charity work. Since then, its contribution to disaster and poverty relief, education and health support for the weak, and improving income conditions, for example, through better sheep raising in the mountain areas in Guizhow Province, has earned CCF government and national recognition. More

 

Workshop on Community and Civic Life: New Directions in the Study of the Ismaili Living Traditions of South Asia. 
January 2005
A panel was organized by the Department of Academic Research and Publications on 4th December with four scholars conducting research on the Ismailis of South Asia. The presentations illustrated parallel themes and ideas on the formation and negotiation of identity of the Ismailis of the Indian Subcontinent throughout the nineteenth century to the present. Each of the panelists provided perspectives on how traditions are negotiated and transmitted from generation to generation and the historical circumstances which inform the process in each of their specific contexts. More

 

IIS Organises Panel at the 38th Annual Meeting of MESA 
January 2005
At the annual meeting of the Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA), held on 20-23 November, Dr. Yousef Meri, a Research Fellow of the Institute, organized a panel on the topic of: Defining without Confining: Reflections on Prophetic Usage of Sacred Space with Dr. Farhad Daftary as panel Chair. [See also the Institute's participation at MESA in 2003 and in previous years.] More