The Institute of Ismaili Studies

The Institute of Ismaili Studies, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, hosted a Voices of Contemporary Islamic Thought webinar exploring how education can respond to interconnected global challenges, including climate change, health inequities, and sustainable development.

Chaired by Dr Salim Kassim-Lakha and moderated by Dr Muhammad Keshavjee, the session features Dr Miqdad Asaria, with summary reflections by Dr Zamira Dildorbekova. The discussion examines the concept of polycrisis, the role of education in cultivating greater agency, and how diverse ethical and intellectual traditions can help communities imagine and build more sustainable futures.

Watch the discussion: https://www.iis.ac.uk/multimedia/educating-for-hope/

STEP Cohort 17 student-teachers reflect on learning, interdependence, and education through an outdoor workshop exploring nature, observation, and reflection at Queen’s Wood in London.

The session was not a break from study. Instead, it explored IIS Secondary Curriculum’s Muslim Devotional and Ethical Literature module through a different learning environment.

Read more about the session on the IIS website: https://www.iis.ac.uk/news/2026/june/nature-learning-step-workshop/

A forthcoming IIS publication examines contemporary debates on sharia through historical, political, and social perspectives. The book explores questions of reform, constitutionalism, human rights, ethics, and the evolving role of Islamic law in modern Muslim societies.

Contemporary Trends in Sharia: Critical Debates in Historical Contexts – co-authored by political sociologist Dr Hadi Enayat and English-trained Barrister-mediator Dr Mohamed M. Keshavjee, with a foreword by Dr Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of The Hague Conference on Private International Law – opens up a fresh space for reflection.

Learn more about the upcoming publication: https://www.iis.ac.uk/news/2026/may/contemporary-debates-on-sharia-book/

This lecture explores the textual foundations of Fatimid legal thought through the writings of al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān, the foremost Ismaili jurist and founder of Fatimid Ismaili jurisprudence. It considers how earlier Shiʿi materials and traditions were collected, reworked and transformed into a coherent legal framework for the Fatimid state.

Part of the Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series, the event will be delivered by Dr Kumail Rajani, with Dr Aslisho Qurboniev as discussant. 10 June 2026, 5.00–6.30pm BST, at the Aga Khan Centre and online.

Further details and registration: https://www.iis.ac.uk/events/textual-foundations-fatimid-law/

Members of The Travellers Club visited the Aga Khan Centre for a tour of the building. They explored the Aga Khan Library collections and the Canticle of the Birds exhibition, engaging with shared interests in culture, scholarship, and dialogue.

The group included George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, among a number of former diplomats, as well as explorers and authors - a fitting audience for a space dedicated to knowledge, culture, and cross-civilisational dialogue.

Find out more on the IIS website:
https://www.iis.ac.uk/news/2026/may/travellers-club-visit-aga-khan-centre/

Image credit: Ilaria Gianfranceschi

Applications are now open for IIS Dissertation Writing Scholarship 2026, supporting graduate students researching Ismaili and Islamic studies topics.

Deadline to submit is 30 September 2026. Visit the IIS website to learn more: https://www.iis.ac.uk/news/2026/may/dissertation-writing-scholarship-2026/

This IIS Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series (IHTLS) lecture explores the intellectual relationship between Aziz Nasafi’s writings and Nizari Ismaili traditions in the Persian Mongol world.

Dr Mohammad Amin Mansouri examines themes of monism, metaphysical unity, spiritual hierarchy, and cross-sectarian exchange across Sunni, Sufi, Shiʿi, and Ismaili intellectual traditions. The discussion also considers post-Alamut Ismaili thought, the legacy of Ibn ʿArabi, and the transmission of ideas in medieval Islamic intellectual history.

Watch the lecture on the IIS YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ZEHkhgyS1h0