The Aga Khan Centre is a place of education, knowledge, cultural exchange and insight into Muslim civilisations. The building is the UK home for three organisations founded by His Highness Aga Khan IV.
Aga Khan Foundation (United Kingdom)
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is a leading global development organisation working to tackle the root causes of poverty. For more than 50 years, we have helped create strong community institutions that support sustainable, locally-driven initiatives to improve the lives of millions of people. By combining local knowledge with global best practices, we strive to bring about transformative and long-lasting improvements to quality of life.
Working alongside the agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network and through partnerships with local communities, civil society and business as well as governments and international aid agencies, AKF is building a future where we all thrive together.
Learn more at akf.org
Left: Building bridges, connecting communities and catalysing economic development on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. Top right: Pioneering early childhood development programmes in Uganda to ensure girls and boys have the best possible start in life. Bottom right: Supporting women in India to establish small livestock businesses and become more financially independent.
Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations
The Aga Khan University (AKU) established the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (ISMC) in 2002. AKU-ISMC is a higher education institution with a focus on research, publication, graduate study and outreach. It promotes scholarship that opens up new perspectives on Muslim heritage, modernity, culture, religion and society. AKU-ISMC students conduct innovative research into Muslim civilisations and religious traditions primarily from the perspectives of the social sciences and humanities.
Learn more at www.aku.edu/ismc
Left: A student studying for an MA in Muslim Cultures. Top right: a close up. Bottom right: An illuminated copy of the Qur’an is displayed in the Aga Khan Library, London.
The Institute of Ismaili Studies
The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) was established in 1977 to promote scholarship and learning about Muslim societies and to encourage a better understanding of their relationships with other cultures and faiths. Its research, publications and educational programmes promote scholarship in previously marginalised areas of the study of Islam. These include the intellectual and literary heritages of Shi‘a Islam, with an emphasis on Ismaili traditions. IIS’s programmes focus on multiple approaches, expressions and interpretations, giving it a reputation for openness and tolerance.
Learn more at www.iis.ac.uk
Left: An example of a Fatimid coin from IIS’s collection. Top right: An example of an 18th century manuscript of Poetry in Praise of the Prophet, Ottoman Turkey, from IIS’s collection. Bottom right: Students from the Secondary Teacher Education Programme.
