Faculty | STEP | The Institute of Ismaili Studies

STEP Faculty

The faculty is comprised of lecturers who have made a significant contribution to scholarship and are engaged in innovative research projects in their respective fields.

The current lecturers include IIS, IOE (UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society), and visiting scholars from leading international academic institutions. For the complete list of faculty contributing to teaching and learning on the programme, see the list below.

Dr Omar Alì-De-Unzaga (IIS)
Qur’an(also Koran. Arabic term meaning, ‘recitation’ or ‘scripture’): Muslims believe that the Holy Qur’an contains divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammed received in Mecca and Medina over a period of… More; Qur’anic Exegesis; Tafsir.
Dr Hasan Al-Khoee (IIS)
Arabic Public Oratory in the Early Muslim Period.
Dr Nuha Al-Sha’ar (IIS)
Classical Arabic Literature and Thought; Ethics in Muslim Traditions; Qur’anic Exegesis.
Professor Ali Asani (Harvard)
Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures
Dr Rosa Barugh (IIS)
Global Ethics; Postgraduate Teaching; International Teaching and International Programmes.
Dr Karen Bauer (IIS)
The Qur’an and its Interpretive Tradition (Tafsir); Gender in Islamic History and Thought; Emotions and Emotional Rhetoric in Islamic History.
Dr David Bennett (IIS)
Islamic Theology; Arabic Philosophy; Philosophy of Mind; History of Religions.
Ms Kate Boldry (IOE)
Teachers as Authors; Social Justice; Allyship; Inclusion & Wellbeing.
Professor Jacek Brant (IOE)
Curriculum and Pedagogy at Secondary School Level; Economics Education.
Dr Stephen Burge (IIS)
Hadith Studies; Hermeneutics; Qur’anic Exegesis; Literary Theory.
Dr Maria De Cillis (IIS)
Islamic Philosophy; Shi‘i Studies; Islamic Theology.
Dr Dagikhudo Dagiev (IIS)
Regime Transitions in Central Asia; Democratisation; Nationalism and Islam; Shi’i and Ismaili Studies
Dr Zamira Dildorbekova (IIS)
Islam in Central Asia; Ismaili Studies; Curriculum Development; Research Methods.
Dr Guy Durden (IOE)
Teachers’ Knowledge; Phenomenography/Variation Theory; Learning/Lesson Study; Economics Education.
Dr Christopher Edwards (IOE)
The Production of History Education Curriculum Knowledge; Culture Wars; Critical Pedagogies and Constructivist Learning Theory.
Ms Zeinab El-Khateeb (IOE)
Interfaith Understanding and Citizenship Education; Intercultural Understanding and Global Competence; Research-based teaching and learning
Dr Mary Fargher (IOE)
Education; Geography; Geographic Information Systems.
Ms Yvonne Fraser (IIS)
Applied Linguistics; English Language Teaching; Teacher Training.
Ms Polly Glegg (IOE)
Pre-and In-service Teacher Education; Pedagogies of Teacher Education; Coaching; Mentoring.
Dr Laila Halani (IIS)
Anthropology; Gender; 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. in Modern Times; Contemporary Islamic Movements.
Dr Nazmin Halani (IIS)
Education; Religious Education; Curriculum Development.
Mr Faheem Hussain (IIS)
Sensory History; Influence of State Policies on History Textbooks; Adolescent Moral Development.
Dr Nadia Eboo Jamal
Islamic Studies; Persian History and Culture in the Period of Mongol Rule.
Dr Karim Javan (IIS)
Modern Muslim Intellectual Thoughts; Social and Political Developments; Muslim Literature and Literary Traditions, Poetic Expressions of Religion and Culture.
Dr Shainool Jiwa (IIS)
Ismaili History and Thought; FatimidsMajor Muslim dynasty of Ismaili caliphs in North Africa (from 909) and later in Egypt (973–1171) More.
Ms Sophie Kerslake (IOE)
Classroom Based Action Research; Developing Innovation in Education; Curriculum Development; Mentor Training.
Ms Farah Manji (IIS)
Muslim Societies & Civilisations; Curriculum Development; Teaching & Learning; Mentorship.
Dr Toby Mayer (IIS)
Muslim Philosophy; Esoteric Scriptural Exegesis; Mysticism; Qur’anic Hermeneutics.
Dr Orkhan Mir-Kasimov (IIS)
Shi‘i Islam; Islamic Mysticism and Messianism.
Dr Wafi Momin (IIS)
Islam and Religious Traditions of South Asia; Ismaili History and Thought; Literary and Manuscript Cultures of South Asia; Muslim Civilisation.
Dr Gurdofarid Miskinzoda (IIS)
Shi‘i Islam; Early Islam; Muslim Historical and Literary Tradition.
Dr Daryoush Mohammad Poor (IIS)
Shi‘i Intellectual History; Ismaili Philosophy; Contemporary Political Theory.
Dr Maryam Rezaee (IIS)
Shi‘i Studies; Women and Development; Cultural Studies; Gender; Social Policies; Research Methods.
Mr Riaz Rhemtulla (IIS)
Teacher Education; Religious Education; Curriculum Development and Implementation.
Dr Amier Saidulla (IIS)
Islam in China with a focus on the Ismailis in Xinjiang, their history and culture.
Dr Katya Saville (IOE)
Bilingual education policy; School transitions; Multilingualism in higher education.
Mr Robert Sharples (IIS)
Applied Linguistics; Media Discourses Around Terrorism and Political Violence in North Africa and Western Europe.
Mr Colin Willetts (IOE)
PGCE Business Course Leader; Curriculum Development within Business Education; Mentor Training
Dr Roy Wilson (IIS)
Applied Language Studies; International English Language Teaching; Academic Literacy.