On 13 December 2020, the members of the Board of Governors of The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) handed over the reins of governance to newly appointed members, after 25 years of dedicated and thoughtful leadership. To mark this significant moment in the IIS’s history, Salima Bhatia, Head of Communications and Development, sat down with Dr Shafik Sachedina, a long-serving member of the outgoing board and Head of the Department of Jamati Institutions at the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat, to reflect on the Institute’s remarkable development and impact over the years.
SB: Thank you for speaking with me, Vazir Shafik Sachedina. Before I ask you about the Institute’s growth and the many facets of its work, I would like to go back to the beginning. Could you give us an insight into the origins of the IIS?
SS: The 1975 Ismailia Association Conference in Paris was a landmark event. It was there that the decision to establish the IIS in London was made by Mawlana Hazar Imam following a consultation process with leaders of the global Jamat. Another critical decision made at that conference was an agreement to develop one centralised religious education curriculum for the global Jamat, to be situated within the broader context of Muslim civilisations. This decision was the seed of a core aspect of the IIS’s work, which would later blossom: the development of the curriculum for the primary and secondary levels, in 10 languages, and the training of members of the Jamat to teach it through the Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP).
These were prescient decisions made by the Imam-of-the-Time, at a period when the Jamat had begun to move to the West. Remember that this was the era, in the mid-seventies, before the Cold War had ended, before the Iranian Revolution and its impact on the Muslim world, before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and before Jamats from different traditions encountered each other in large numbers.
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How did that vision develop in the early years of the IIS?
I am aware that, since day one, Mawlana Hazar Imam remained closely and personally involved in even the minutest aspects of the growth of this infant entity. In the first decade, from the IIS’s location in a small suite of offices in Holborn, the groundwork for its further expansion was undertaken by a core group comprising Diwan Sir Eboo Pirbhai, Vazir Anil Ishani and Vazir Amir Bhatia, assisted administratively by Shams Vellani as the newly recruited IIS Executive Officer, and Eqbal Rupani, who was coordinating the roll-out of the work streams emanating from the Paris Conference. On the academic front, three key individuals joined the Institute subsequently, and their contribution cannot be overstated: Professor Azim Nanji, Dr Aziz Esmail, and Dr Farhad Daftary, who provided consistent academic and intellectual leadership. They, along with many other leaders and scholars at the Institute, have driven the highest standards in our research and thinking, and diligently ensured that our outputs remained true to the values of the Imamat and the Jamat. This is no small achievement. Mr Vellani and Dr Esmail will retire at the end of this year, while Dr Daftary continues to lead the Institute in his capacity as the Co-Director.
Our 15-year programme strategy approved in 2011 captures the IIS’s mission, vision, and strategy developed by these key figures and others in those early years. The plan is based on five thematic areas deriving from guidance given by Mawlana Hazar Imam over the years: development of a resource and archival base; research and scholarship; production of teaching and educational materials; human resource development for the Jamat; and building institutional capacity and partnerships.
The directions that Mawlana Hazar Imam indicated at the time of approving the strategy are worth sharing today. He emphasised the importance of ensuring the quality of all our work. He endorsed the recommendation that the Jamat be viewed as the primary constituency of the IIS. What this means in practice is that everything that the Institute does must benefit the Jamat — directly or indirectly. The IIS is a research academic institution, yes, but it is one with empathy and responsibility for a community of faith, and it is the reference point for academic and human resource development matters for the ITREBs around the world. However, I wish to underline that in matters of the practice of the faith, our rituals, rites and practices, it is the Imam-of-the-Time, and only the Imam-of-the-Time, that has the authority to make decisions.
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I would like to hear a bit more detail about each of these areas. Could you tell us about the IIS’s development of a resource base and its rich collections now found in the Ismaili Special Collections and the Aga Khan Library, London?
Every community has a history and memory, and there is a need for this heritage to be preserved, studied, and communicated. I believe that part of the Imam’s vision in founding the Institute was to ensure the preservation of our community’s heritage and the creation of human, intellectual and cultural resources, from our past and present, and for our future. Much of the IIS’s effort is dedicated to the preservation and analysis of manuscripts, artefacts, and memorabilia held in the special collections. The collection catalogues enable scholars and students from across the world to access the collection, or to study them in London, thereby contributing to the scholarship of Ismaili history, philosophy, and practices.
We now have the largest collection of Ismaili manuscripts in the world, and we have a unique collection of coins from our history, including the Fatimid and Alamut periods. This is a major endowment of knowledge of our traditions and heritage. Hazar Imam has made available his own manuscripts and artefacts to the Institute, and the IIS’s own collections have been enriched through the generosity of numerous donors, both Ismaili and non-Ismaili. In recent years, Hazar Imam has encouraged us to expedite the analyses of our collections — our Khojki manuscripts and those from Gorno-Badakhshan. Manuscript analysis feeds into the publications of critical editions and translations of key source materials in the Text and Translations Series, an important project that opens up these essential texts to inform scholarship and share with the Jamat.
In 2014, the libraries of the IIS and the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations were merged, which later formed the Aga Khan Library, London. The library is a serene, inspiring space set over two floors at the Aga Khan Centre, a perfect setting for the thoughtful study of both institutes’ collections.
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That leads me to my next question. Could you say more about the scope of IIS’s research and scholarship programmes?
The IIS seeks in particular to promote research in hitherto marginalised areas of the study of Islam and its multiplicity of interpretations, while also accentuating the plurality of the heritages that Muslim communities enfold. Doctoral scholarships in these areas, including the intellectual and literary expressions of Shi‘i Islam in general, and its Ismaili tradition in particular, have become a key vehicle in delivering on the Institute’s research mandate.
The Institute has made significant strides in developing Ismaili Studies as an academic field in its own right, and rebalancing the Shi‘i and Ismaili components as important aspects of Islamic scholarship internationally. The IIS has also catalysed and contributed to the nascent field of Fatimid studies, in which there has been significant progress in recent years. Many of our publications now feature on reading lists in Islamic Studies departments the world over, facilitating pluralism and diversity in the field, while deepening understanding of the history and culture of Ismailis and other Shi‘i communities. Dr Daftary’s rigorous research, scholarship, and academic work have contributed greatly to the Institute’s international reputation and positioning.
Our other key areas of research are Quranic Studies, Central Asian Studies, Constituency Studies and, more recently, South Asian Studies. Quranic Studies aims to promote scholarship on the plurality of interpretations inspired by the Quran. The Central Asian Studies Unit examines the history, culture, and traditions of the Ismaili and wider Shi‘i communities within the broader context of Muslim societies in Central Asia. The newly-established South Asian Studies Unit will similarly look at history and traditions in the Indian subcontinent. Constituency Studies aims to explore the history, oral history, and traditions of Ismaili communities and their heterogeneous contemporary realities, thereby informing the educational programmes of the IIS.
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What has been the IIS’s role in producing teaching and educational materials, and how has it helped to realise that vision of a centralised religious education curriculum for the global Jamat?
This is a core part of the IIS’s vision: it is vital that knowledge from our research programmes also informs the development of our educational materials and teaching programmes.
A decision was made to set up an Education Unit in 1982 and to sponsor staff on a curriculum writing course since we did not have trained curriculum writers at the time. The Pre-school series in English was published in 1983, followed by the Talim primary books between 1993 and 1998. The conceptual framework of the secondary curriculum was approved a few years later, in 2004. These curricula have been developed — and continue to be developed — under the guidance and direction of Mawlana Hazar Imam.
Specialist scholars were tasked with developing scholarly narratives for the secondary curriculum, which were then converted into student readers by the curriculum department. Dr Esmail and Mr Vellani played an important role in developing the secondary curriculum, meticulously reviewing the scholarly narratives and student readers to ensure their quality. The academic rigour of our research programmes similarly forms the backbone of the production of our curricula materials and our graduate studies programme.
More recently, a conceptual framework for Early Childhood Development (ECD) was approved by the Board in 2018. This framework will now form the moral and ethical component in a holistic ECD curriculum that is being developed by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
Last year, a curriculum digitisation policy with three phases was also approved. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic caused us to expedite the first phase of the policy with the launch of eBooks. I am very pleased to say that ITREB educators can now access the curriculum modules in English and several other languages on a bespoke and secure digital platform.
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Could you tell us more about the Institute’s role in developing the skills and knowledge of the Jamat and equipping them to serve their communities?
This side of the Institute’s work falls into two broad categories: graduate studies and Jamati education programmes. The IIS invests heavily in the quality of graduate studies with the aim of developing future leaders, teachers, and intellectuals able to bring about positive change in their own societies.
Our Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities (GPISH) encourages an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Islamic history and thought, and has opened up diverse career opportunities to its graduates around the world over the years. STEP launched in 2007 in response to the Imam’s wish to professionalise secondary teaching.
We now have over 650 graduates, many of whom are serving Jamati Institutions in professional and voluntary capacities, working for the AKDN, as well as other academic, civil society, and development organisations. Approximately 35% of the Institute’s current staff, many of whom hold senior positions, are also alumni of IIS programmes.
We also run education programmes for the Jamat, such as the ITREB Members’ Training Programme, Waezeen and Primary Teacher Educator training, and the newly-introduced programme of short courses, which forge connections and align the thinking between the IIS and ITREBs. With the guidance of Mawlana Hazar Imam, we have sought to deepen our understanding of the diverse needs of the ITREBs across the globe and ask how we can better support them to strengthen capacity.
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Could you tell us more about the IIS’s work building institutional capacity and partnerships over the years?
The blessings, guidance, personal interest, time, and involvement of Mawlana Hazar Imam has guided the Institute to the success it has achieved. The IIS has also benefited from the contributions of many others over the years, our governors, staff, students, volunteers, and partners, and it is difficult to do justice to this wealth of support. Each and every one has had a role to play in making the Institute what it is today.
Crucially, with the generous support of Mawlana Hazar Imam and donors in the Jamat, the Institute has secured a level of financial and organisational stability through the establishment of a significant endowment to underwrite its future. This will enable it to continue to build on its strong foundations in the future and develop its work in the fields of Islamic studies and religious education.
Having relocated its offices several times over the years, the Institute’s move to its new permanent home at the Aga Khan Centre in London in 2018 was a milestone in this respect. The new building is a truly inspiring space, with state-of-the art teaching facilities, the extensive Aga Khan Library, and spaces for thoughtful reflection in its courtyards and rooftop gardens, which are influenced by a variety of landscapes in the Muslim world. It’s an ideal setting for the exploration and expansion of knowledge that is at the heart of what the IIS does.
The IIS’s partnerships with the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS) and the University College London, Institute of Education (UCL IoE) are also very important for our graduate programmes, which they accredit. Not only do they enable students of the Institute to receive MA degrees, the agreements formalise long-standing relationships with SOAS and UCL, which both share the IIS’s aims of promoting outstanding scholarship and endowing the next generation of teachers with knowledge and skills.
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Finally, what are the areas of the IIS’s work that you are particularly excited about at the moment? What are your hopes for the Institute and the scope of its work in the future?
One positive consequence in what has been a difficult year with the Covid-19 pandemic has been an acceleration in the growth of our digital teaching and learning capacity, which was already under way before the virus took hold. Many of our courses have moved online, or are employing blended virtual and face-to-face learning, which has actually enabled us to develop virtual teaching skills and broaden our reach across the global Jamat. Although we hope to return to more in-person contact next year with our programmes, we are also excited by the potential of this expansion in online learning.
The Aga Khan Library is also digitising its manuscripts and rare books, so that these treasures can be studied — with the help of new technologies — by scholars from all parts of the globe. We also hope to make more items from the Ismaili collections, such as Khojki manuscripts, available online. Likewise, as I mentioned earlier, we have launched a series of eBooks of some of our selected publications. Another future aspiration for the Institute is achieving Taught Degree Awarding Powers, which would be a major turning point for the Institute and strengthen its position even further if it is accredited to become a degree granting institution. I am confident that the IIS’s commitment in this respect will help us work towards achieving this goal.
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To be successful today, there is a need to develop knowledge-based societies, where intellectual capital and the ability to conceptualise and translate knowledge as a shared resource is a key asset. The IIS is invested in this effort, as it has been for over 40 years, as it continues to deepen and broaden its research programmes and grow its educational programmes. These seek to develop tools for students of all ages to better understand their heritage and the history of Muslim societies, and to relate this understanding to their contemporary, lived reality.
I would like to say how proud we are that among the new Board of Governors appointments we now have several IIS alumni. From the sound foundations which have been built, we can look forward to an exciting future as the new board, under the guidance of Mawlana Hazar Imam, steward the continued development of our programmes and publications in the digital age.
As this interview concludes, my final word is that there is no way that we can adequately express the gratitude that not only we at the IIS but also the entire Jamat owe to our beloved Mawlana Hazar Imam. It is he who, since 1975, has driven our agenda with vision and energy, pushing us constantly and showing us new avenues and pathways that have led this institution to its present position, where it ranks among the pantheon of earlier historic and legendary centres of learning and knowledge that our Imams have inspired, such as Al Azhar.
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To learn more about The Institute of Ismaili Studies and its work, please visit the IIS website.
Photos: The Institute of Ismaili Studies, ITREB India, ITREB Pakistan, Hufton & Crow, Edmund Sumner, Christopher Little, John Sturrock, AKDN.
