IIS Short Courses

IIS Short Courses are designed to introduce participants to a social, cultural and civilisational approach to the study of Islam and Muslim societies, with a particular focus on Ismaili contexts. The IIS will offer three online and two face-to-face courses at the Aga Khan Centre in London, and four field-based short courses. Online short courses will be offered on alternate days with each day lasting around four hours using the Zoom platform.

 

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Applications Open

  • 23 Mar - 27 Mar 2023
  • Short Courses

Shi’i Islam: Thought, Beliefs and Practices

This five-day course will bring together participants from diverse backgrounds to discuss, in an engaging and enabling environment, some of the key questions about Shi‘i Islam such as: How did it develop from its roots in 7th-century Arabia to the highly elaborated tradition with its rich doctrinal, artistic, performative and intellectual heritage?

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Applications Open

  • 26 Apr - 11 May 2023
  • Short Courses

Introduction to Islam

This online interactive course will bring together participants from diverse backgrounds in an engaging environment, to discuss key issues faced by Muslims around the globe. A pluralistic and civilisational approach will be adopted, highlighting the role of human agency, creativity and imagination in devising new solutions to the challenges encountered by contemporary Muslims.

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Applications Open

  • 08 May - 26 May 2023
  • Short Courses

Shari‘a: Development of Fiqh and Ethics in Muslim Contexts

This online interactive course is designed for individuals in leadership roles within Jamati and Imamat institutions, educators, professionals and others interested in learning about this theme. The course will provide an understanding on how what has come to be called shari‘a developed and evolved in Muslim history.

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Applications Open

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  • 05 Jun - 16 Jun 2023
  • Short Courses

The Qur’an and its Interpretations

This is an intensive online course for those who wish to become familiar with the Qur’an and the complexities that surround it. Taught by specialist faculty from the IIS’s Qur’anic Studies Unit, the course looks at the Qur’an from various angles.

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Applications Open

  • 21 Jul - 25 Jul 2023
  • Short Courses

Exploring Ismaili Traditions

This five-day course offers a unique opportunity to learn about the diverse Ismaili communities that encompass many linguistic traditions, cultures, ethnicities, and ritual practices.

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Applications Open

  • 09 Sep - 13 Sep 2023
  • Short Courses

Religious Symbolism in Art and Architecture

This five-day course will aim to explore the role of symbols and religious symbolism within the art and architecture of diverse faith communities, with a particular reference to symbolism in Muslim contexts.

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Applications Open

  • 06 Oct - 11 Oct 2023
  • Short Courses

Exploring Ismaili History: Walking in the footsteps of the Fatimids

This field-based course offers a unique opportunity to learn about Fatimid history, culture and architectural heritage, as well as experience some of the major developments shaping present-day Tunisia.

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Applications Open

  • 26 Oct - 30 Oct 2023
  • Short Courses

Ismaili Communities in Migration: The East African Experience

This five-day course in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, will explore the history of East African Ismaili Muslims from the 19th century to the present day.

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Applications Open

  • 09 Nov - 14 Nov 2023
  • Short Courses

Understanding Culture

This course is designed to explore different understandings of the notion of culture: both as ways of life and as the products of intellectual and artistic creativity, and why they need to be nurtured, renewed and passed on to future generations.

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