Dr Amier Saidula reflects on his journey from a State Prosecutor in China to a Senior Research Associate at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. He speaks about his multicultural upbringing in Kashgar, his career in law, and the unexpected path that brought him to IIS. After more than two decades researching Muslims in China, particularly the Ismaili community, he found renewed purpose and a platform for his voice.

Chapter Breakdown:

[0:00] Introduction & Guest Background

[1:07] Early Life in Kashgar & Family Heritage

[2:58] Mother's Influence & Early Writing

[5:29] University Success & Legal Career Launch

[7:48] Life as a State Prosecutor

[9:36] Career Advancement & Glass Ceiling

[13:52] Discovery of IIS & Seven-Year Journey

[16:39] Serendipitous Connections to IIS

[20:02] Arrival in London & the Graduate Programme

[21:31] Becoming a Research Associate

[22:36] Most Meaningful Achievement: Finding His Voice

[24:08] Languages & What He Loves About His Work

[26:32] Upcoming Projects: Monographs & Documentary

[27:24] Closing Remarks

In this episode of Voices of IIS, Dr. Toby Mayer reflects on his two-decade journey at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. With a half-Indian, half-English heritage, he pursued his undergraduate degree in Indian Studies at Cambridge before transitioning to medieval Arabic thought at Oxford. He discusses his forthcoming work on al-Shahrastani's esoteric Quranic commentary, which seeks to bridge Eastern and Western intellectual traditions while exploring the rational and mystical dimensions of Islamic thought.

00:00 Introduction

00:51 Indian Studies and what drew him to the field

01:05 Gap year experience working in India

02:10 Transition from Indian Studies to Arabic and Islamic studies

03:52 Personal encounters with Sufism and Islamic thought

04:49 Languages and working with medieval texts

05:54 Joining IIS and two decades of work

06:15 Memorable conferences and collaborations

07:57 The 2019 Esoteric Cultures of Scripture conference

08:21 Working with the late Professor Madelung

09:42 Teaching in the Graduate Programme

10:12 IIS's unique approach to Quranic studies

11:31 Forthcoming esoteric texts series

12:15 Current work on Shahristan's Quran commentary

13:25 Bridge-building between East and West, modernity and tradition

15:18 Personal interests in music, art, and human expression

16:19 Closing thoughts and gratitude

In this episode of Voices of IIS, Dr Najam Abbas reflects on his two-decade journey at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Born in New Delhi, he pursued his studies across Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, along a multilingual and transregional academic path. He discusses his pivotal work on The Great Islamic Encyclopaedia, which seeks to enhance access to knowledge of Persian and Central Asian Islamic traditions for English-language audiences."

00:00 Introduction to Najam Abbas
02:15 Early life in Delhi and family background
05:40 Academic journey and studying economics
09:10 Moving to Pakistan and further studies
13:30 Joining the Institute of Ismaili Studies
17:05 Research interests and key projects
21:20 Reflections on teaching and mentorship
25:45 The role of family and community
29:10 Challenges and lessons learned
33:00 Vision for the future of IIS
36:20 Advice for young scholars
39:00 Closing thoughts and gratitude