Professor Azim Nanji is a

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n-born

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

Islamic studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...

. From 1998 until 2008, he served as Director of The

Institute of Ismaili Studies The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) is a research institute in London, United Kingdom. It aims to promote the study of Muslim cultures and societies, both historical and contemporary, in order to foster a greater understanding of their relatio ...

in London, England. At present, he is the Senior Associate Director of the

Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies The Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies facilitates, promotes and also serves as the central forum for interdisciplinary research and teaching in Islamic studies at Stanford University. The program's activities and initiatives focus ...

at Stanford University. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Global Centre for Pluralism a joint partnership between His Highness the Aga Khan and the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

Biography

Born in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

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, Professor Nanji attended schools in Kenya,

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

, and

Makerere University Makerere University, Kampala (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922. It became an independent national university in 1970. Today, Makerere University is composed of n ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

, and received his master's and doctoral degrees in Islamic Studies from

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...

, Canada. Dr. Nanji has held academic and administrative appointments at various American and Canadian universities. Until 1998, he was a

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

and Chair of the Department of

Religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. Since that time he has been with the Institute of Ismaili Studies, a research institute which aims to promote scholarship and learning of Muslim cultures and societies, with a view towards attaining a better understanding of Islam and its relationship with other societies and faiths. In 1988 he was Margaret Gest Visiting Professor at Haverford College, Pennsylvania, USA, and a Visiting Professor at Stanford University, California in 2004, where he was also invited to give the Baccalaureate Address in 1995. Professor Nanji has served as Co-Chair of the Islam section at the American Academy of Religion and on the editorial board of the Academy's Journal. He has also been a member of the Philanthropy Committee of the Council on Foundations and has been the recipient of awards from the Rockefeller Foundation, the

Canada Council The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the fede ...

, and the

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

. In 2004 he gave the Birks Lecture at McGill University. Within the

Aga Khan Development Network The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a network of private, non-denominational (de jure) development agencies founded by the Aga Khan that work primarily in the poorest parts of Asia and Africa. Aga Khan IV succeeded to the office of the 49t ...

, Professor Nanji has served as a member of the Steering Committee and Master Jury of the

Aga Khan Award for Architecture The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the field ...

, and as a task force member for the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations (AKU-ISMC), and continues as Vice Chair of the

Madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...

-based Early Childhood Education Programme in East Africa.

Publications

Professor Nanji has authored, co-authored and edited several books including: *''The Nizari Ismaili Tradition'' (1976), *''The Muslim Almanac'' (1996), *''Mapping Islamic Studies'' (1997) *''The Historical Atlas of Islam'' (with M. Ruthven) (2004) In addition, he has contributed numerous shorter studies and articles on religion, Islam and Ismailism in journals and collective volumes including the ''Encyclopædia of Islam'', ''Encyclopædia Iranica'', ''Oxford Encyclopædia of the Modern Islamic World'', and ''A Companion to Ethics''. He is also the Associate Editor for the revised Second Edition of ''The Encyclopaedia of Religion''. As of 2007, he is preparing a ''Historical Dictionary of Islam'' to be published by Penguin.

References

External links

1995 Baccalaureate Address at Stanford University

2004 Birks Lecture at McGill University

The Great Lecture Library

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nanji, Azim Kenyan Ismailis Kenyan emigrants to the United Kingdom Stanford University staff British Islamic studies scholars Makerere University alumni McGill University Institute of Islamic Studies alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Kenyan people of Asian descent