ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡

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.

ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ scholar convenes conference on emotional flourishing

Dr Karen Bauer of ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ 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.

Annual Graduate Conference 2026: now open for registration

ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Annual Graduate Conference 2026 takes place on Monday 28 September. Emerging scholars will examine how Muslim lives are shaped by continuity and change. Register now to attend in person or online.
Persian miniature painting of eight seated figures in a walled courtyard, gathered in discussion beneath a large tree.

ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Governor joins Academics Without Borders Board 

Professor Tashmin Khamis, a member of ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡â€™ Board of Governors, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Academics Without Borders, a non-profit supporting higher education worldwide.
Portrait of Professor Tashmin Khamis.

Applications opening soon for the new three-year STEP

Discover ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡â€™s fully funded teacher-education programme, beginning in September 2027 and leading to an MA awarded by SOAS University of London.
STEP students on the stairs of the Aga Khan Centre.

Fatimid Sicily: History, Memory, and Legacy

Register for a two-day conference at the Aga Khan Centre and online, 19-20 October 2026, on Fatimid rule in Sicily and its Norman afterlife, alongside Islamic Traces, a photo exhibition on Palermo today.
Medieval map of Fatimid Sicily and Mediterranean sea routes from the Book of Curiosities manuscript

MENACASEA 2026: music, dance and spirituality in Muslim contexts

Join the fourth MENACASEA symposium as scholars, artists, and practitioners explore music, dance, movement, and spirituality in Muslim contexts. A hybrid event at the Aga Khan Centre, London.
Stylised illustration of dancers in colourful clothing performing expressive movement in a theatrical composition for MENACASEA

About ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡

ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡, 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 ShiÊ¿i studies, encompassing their historical and geographical contexts.

Discover our research

Research at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ seeks to contribute to the field of Islamic studies in general, with a particular focus on ShiÊ¿i and Ismaili studies.

Explore our publications

ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ publishes works by its own scholars as well as from the academic community outside the Institute.

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.

Panel discussion at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ launch event for A Practical Guide to Critical Religion at the Aga Khan Centre
Podcast

Voices of ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ with Naureen Ali

In this episode Naureen Ali reflects on her journey to ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡, her work cataloguing the Ismaili Special Collections, and the care behind preserving manuscripts, photographs, and objects that carry centuries of stories.

Naureen Ali seated at a table with a microphone and laptop, recording an episode of Voices of ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡
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.

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.