New book: law and identity among the Tajiks of Xinjiang

Drawing on fieldwork in Tashkurgan and his experience as a former prosecutor in Xinjiang, Dr Amier Saidula explores how a remote community negotiates the interface between customary practice and state law.

Dr Amier Saidula holding his new book on legal pluralism among the Tajiks of Xinjiang, in front of academic bookshelves.

In memoriam: Dr Jalal Badakhchani (1941–2026)

Dr Jalal Badakhchani, a scholar of Persian Ismaili literature of the Alamut period, passed away in London on 11 August 2026, aged 85.

IIS scholar convenes conference on emotional flourishing

Dr Karen Bauer of IIS convened a British Academy conference at the Aga Khan Centre, bringing together international scholars to explore emotional flourishing in early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Fourteen conference participants seated together on a stone bench beneath trees in a sunlit courtyard.

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.

Students gathered outdoors, laughing together while reading a book.

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

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

Critical Religion Book Launch

Watch the recording of the recent book launch of A Practical Guide to Critical Religion, where leading scholars discuss how religion is defined, classified and contested.

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

Podcast

Voices of IIS with Naureen Ali

In this episode Naureen Ali reflects on her journey to IIS, her work cataloguing the Ismaili Special Collections, and the care behind preserving manuscripts, photographs, and objects that carry centuries of stories.

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Naureen Ali seated at a table with a microphone and laptop, recording an episode of Voices of IIS

Talks and Lectures

Educating for hope

This talk from Voices of Contemporary Islamic Thought series explores how education, ethical reflection and collective agency can help communities respond to climate change, health inequity and other interconnected global crises.

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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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