Qudsia Naunehal Shah is Senior Research Officer for Constituency Studies at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Her work focuses on Ismaili communities in Northern Pakistan, environmental studies and climate change, and musical and cultural expressions.
At IIS, Qudsia coordinates and contributes to research on a range of themes, including Muslim spaces of worship and gathering, Ismaili religious rituals and practices, Muslim bioethics, environmental stewardship, and interfaith marriage. Her research interests include climate change, environmental ethics, Ismaili communities in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, and contemporary cultural practices in Northern Pakistan.
Prior to joining IIS, Qudsia worked in Pakistan’s development sector with the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, The First MicroFinance Bank, and Save the Children. She is an alumna of the IIS Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities and holds postgraduate degrees in Economics from Quaid-i-Azam University and Anthropology from SOAS University of London.
In September 2026, Qudsia will commence doctoral studies in Ethnomusicology, examining contemporary musical traditions that have emerged over the past three decades among Burushaski-speaking communities in Hunza.
Education
MA in Social Anthropology of Development, SOAS University of London (2006)
Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities, The Institute of Ismaili Studies (2005)
MSc in Development Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University (2002)
