Welcome to the website of Aga Khan University's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civlisations (AKU-ISMC). As you will see by exploring our webpages, ISMC is currently refreshing to make it stand out ever more as a premier research institution for the topics we cover. The Institute has its roots in the vision of AKU’s late first chancellor, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who passed away in February 2025. We are committed to furthering the Institute’s mission as envisioned by our founder, now under the leadership of His Highness Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V, and Princess Zahra Aga Khan, the Pro-Chancellor. Our vision for the future is aligned with the AKU Strategic Plan (2024-2028) and the report of the Second Chancellor’s Commission, Reflections on the Future Aga Khan University (2023. We aim to be an entrepreneurial institution dedicated to social development in geographies relevant for AKU and AKDN. The first step toward this is the establishment of four research foci that you can see here. During the academic year 2025-26, we plan to launch numerous new initiatives that will reach out to audiences in London and beyond.
As Dean of AKU-ISMC, I am committed to increasing ISMC’s global visibility as a place for generating new ideas aimed at enhancing the quality of life across the world. Please stay tuned to our website to learn about our faculty's ongoing and new research projects, the impact our work makes around the world, and our efforts to be a voice in public discussion of Muslim contexts of the past, present, and future.
If you would like to get in touch, please send an email to: ismc.dean@aku.edu
