About us

Opening

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Founded in 1977 at the direction of His Highness Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga KhanA title granted by the Shah of Persia to the then Ismaili Imam in 1818 and inherited by each of his successors to the Imamate. IV, The Institute of Ismaili Studies was created to advance the study of Muslim traditions, with particular attention to Shiʿi and Ismaili heritage, in ways that address the pluralistic and global contexts in which the IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (d. 765), as his successor. live.

Since then, IIS has become a key centre for scholarship, training, and curriculum development. Its permanent home is at the Aga Khan Centre in London.

The Institute’s mission

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The focus of IIS work is in three interlinked areas: the production, preservation, and propagation of knowledge.

At the heart of the Institute’s work is a commitment to generating new knowledge through rigorous, interdisciplinary scholarship. Drawing on historical sources, manuscripts, material culture, and fieldwork, its research engages both Muslim and non-Muslim intellectual traditions.

Key areas include:

• Shiʿi Studies
• Qurʾanic Studies
• South Asian Studies
• Central Asian Studies
• the study of contemporary Ismaili communities

Publications and scholarly contributions

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This scholarship anchors the Institute’s publishing programme, which has produced over 170 English-language books across eight academic series, including the Ismaili Texts and Translations, Ismaili Heritage, Qurʾanic Studies, and Shiʿi Heritage series.

These works now serve as foundational references, with growing digital access and translations into more than ten languages.

Moreover, IIS now produces three publication series for a general audience:

• the World of Islam Series
• the Living Ismaili Traditions Series
• the Read and Reflect Series

Our publications are widely cited in academic work around the world.

Preserving knowledge and heritage

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Preserving knowledge is central to IIS. Its collections contain over 3,000 manuscripts and rare books in Arabic, Persian, Gujarati, and other languages.

It also houses photographs, artefacts, and coins, including more than 2,000 from the Fatimid period.

The Institute conserves, digitises, and studies these materials, maintains an online catalogue, and records oral histories of the Ismaili community.

Through the Ismaili Heritage Project, it also maps and curates a global digital record of built Ismaili heritage for public access.

The Aga Khan Library

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The Aga Khan Library, serving IIS and Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, supports research and teaching on Islamic studies and Muslim civilisations, with a focus on Ismaili history and thought.

It houses rare collections and is developing into a global scholarly centre for Shiʿi and Ismaili studies through digitisation partnerships and curated archival resources.

Education and curriculum development

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IIS also propagates knowledge through curriculum development, teaching, and outreach.

The Institute has developed cultural education materials which are used in Ismaili religious education centres worldwide for learners from early childhood to adolescence.

Its two flagship graduate programmes, the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities (GPISH) and the Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP), are accredited through UK universities.

GPISH offers interdisciplinary training in Islamic history, thought, and modernity, while STEP prepares teachers to deliver IIS’s Secondary Curriculum.

Since the 1980s, over 800 students from 44 countries have completed these and related programmes.

Scholarships and lifelong learning

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The Doctoral Scholarship Programme, named after Dr Farhad Daftary, Director Emeritus, has awarded almost 60 scholarships in relevant areas of research such as Ismaili and Shiʿi Studies, manuscript studies, education, Islamic law, and Qurʾanic studies.

IIS also supports lifelong learning through online courses, public lectures, exhibitions, and digital platforms.

Its videos, podcasts, YouTube channel, and open-access resources now reach tens of thousands of users globally.

Supporting the AKDN

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The Institute also serves the Aga Khan Development NetworkThe Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a contemporary endeavour of the Ismaili Imamat to realise the ethics and social conscience of Islam through institutional action. More by providing intellectual support and advancing AKDN’s aim of improving quality of life through knowledge, ethical reflection, and service to humanity.

Closing reflections

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What distinguishes the Institute is its approach to knowledge and scholarship. At IIS, scholarship is purposive, grounded in critical inquiry and intellectual integrity.

It protects the space for the expression of diverse perspectives and remains open to learning from all sources and traditions.

The Institute is a community of inquiry and preservation, affirming that history is carried forward and that knowledge, guided by humility, curiosity, and care, can illuminate the past, present, and future.