Joy Johnson is celebrating 34 years at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Join host Selina Ramji as they discuss Joy’s passion for people, travel, and storytelling.

00:00 Meet Joy Johnson

01:24 Joining the IIS

03:45 Choose how you live

05:04 Highlights at the IIS

06:47 Aga Khan Centre tours

08:34 The joy of reading

09:54 Lessons in travel

Alnoor Nathani is celebrating 30 years at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Join host Selina Ramji as they discuss Alnoor’s passion for art and design and how he brings that to the IIS’ ta’lim (curriculum).

00:00 Meet Alnoor Nathani

00:50 Joining the IIS

05:47 The IIS Digital Curriculum

08:25 Career highlights

11:29 Raising the bar (and keeping it there)

12:59 IIS’s 40th Anniversary

14:20 Islamic Art

Dr Shainool Jiwa is celebrating 25 years at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Join host Selina Ramji as they remember how Dr Jiwa got started in the Institute, what inspired her to study the Fatimid Empire (909-1171 CE) and how she brings Islamic studies to a wider audience today.

Shah Hussain, currently a librarian with the Aga Khan Library, has been with The Institute of Ismaili Studies for 20 years. Join host Selina Ramji as they recount his life in Chitral, Pakistan, joining IIS as a graduate student, and the importance of libraries, today.

Dr Shiraz Kabani is celebrating 25 years at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Join host Selina Ramji as they share how Dr Kabani got started with institutional work and what inspires him to continue reaching the Ismaili community.

The Oral History Project, by the Ismaili Special Collections Unit of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, seeks to preserve the memories, experiences and stories of the members of the Ismaili communities across the world in their own voices. ⁠Learn more⁠.

In this episode of Voices of History, we meet with two remarkable women, Bibi Afroze and Siramdam Begum, from Hunza in North Pakistan. They share their recollections of the hardships of growing up in an isolated mountain community in the mid-20th century, but with an appreciation for its unique traditions, festivities and a profound sense of unity and hope. They also share their memories of the first-ever visit of an Ismaili Imam to the region in 1960, which has transformed the trajectory of the region.

As Bibi Afroze and Siramdam Begum were interviewed for the IIS Oral History Project in Burushaski, a language isolate spoken in Hunza, Nagar and Yasin valleys of North Pakistan. Click here to listen to the episode in Burushaski.

The Oral History Project, by the Ismaili Special Collections Unit of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, seeks to preserve the memories, experiences and stories of the members of the Ismaili communities across the world in their own voices. Learn more.

In this episode of Voices of History, we meet with two remarkable women, Bibi Afroze and Siramdam Begum, from Hunza in North Pakistan. They share their recollections of the hardships of growing up in an isolated mountain community in the mid-20th century, but with an appreciation for its unique traditions, festivities and a profound sense of unity and hope. They also share their memories of the first-ever visit of an Ismaili Imam to the region in 1960, which has transformed the trajectory of the region.

As Bibi Afroze and Siramdam Begum were interviewed for the IIS Oral History Project in Burushaski, a language isolate spoken in Hunza, Nagar and Yasin valleys of North Pakistan. Click here to listen to the episode in English.

The Oral History Project, by the Ismaili Special Collections Unit of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, seeks to preserve the memories, experiences and stories of the members of the Ismaili communities across the world in their own voices. Learn more

In this episode, we’ll meet Dr Mohamed Keshavjee, a former governor of the Institute of Ismaili Studies and award-winning specialist in cross-cultural mediation. Dr Keshavjee shares his experience growing up in South Africa in the midst of the 'winds of change'. He also reflects on his experiences with His Highness Aga Khan IV and how that has influenced his life and work.Do you have a story to share with the IIS Oral History Project? If you want to share your memories, story of your family or story of an elder you know, please reach out to Oral History Project Coordinator Rizwan Karim at rkarim@iis.ac.uk.