Aga Khan Program in Islamic Architecture

Established in 1979, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) at Harvard University and MIT is supported by an endowment from His Highness The Aga Khan. The program is recognized today as a leader in the study of architecture and urbanism in the Islamic world. A considerable number of our PhDs and SMArchS (Master of Science in Architectural Studies) graduates are teaching in leading universities in various parts of the Islamic world and in the West, while a few are curators in major museums, and most are either self-employed as designers or employed in architectural and construction firms.

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) at MIT is dedicated to the study of Islamic architecture, urbanism, visual culture and conservation, in an effort to respond to the cultural and educational needs of a diverse constituency drawn from all over the world. The aim of the program is to concentrate its teaching and research activities in the following directions:

  • To enhance the understanding of Islamic architecture and urbanism in light of critical, theoretical and developmental issues.
  • To support research at the forefront of the field in areas of history, theory and criticism of architecture and urbanism.
  • To explore approaches to architecture that respond critically and thoughtfully to contemporary conditions, aspirations, and beliefs in the Islamic world.
  • To provide an extensive base of information about architecture in the Islamic world and to share it with scholars, teachers, and practitioners from everywhere.

Along with the focus on improving the teaching of Islamic art and architecture and setting excellence as the standard in professional research, AKPIA also continually strives to promote the visibility of pan-Islamic cultural heritage.

http://web.mit.edu/akpia/www

Academic Programs in AKPIA

The Aga Khan Program provides financial and logistic assistance for graduate students who are working on Islamic subjects, but it is not a degree program. The courses of study funded at MIT by the Aga Khan Program are listed below. Program funds are available to graduate students in Islamic art, architecture, urban history, and the history of landscape architecture. At MIT, only students who have been admitted to, or are already enrolled in, the PhD program in History, Theory, and Criticism in the Department of Architecture or the SMArchS program, with a concentration in Architectural Studies of the Islamic World, are eligible for AKPIA funding. However, since funds are very limited, no student should expect full support.

PhD in History Theory and Criticism, with a concentration on Islamic Architecture and Urbanism

The History Theory and Criticism discipline group admits students to conduct doctoral studies in the history and theory of architecture and urbanism in the Islamic world. Usually, one student a year is admitted and funded through AKPIA's endowment. Students are expected to fulfill all HTC requirements before embarking on their thesis project.

Master of Science in Architectural Studies (SMArchS)

The program offers a concentration in Architecture and Culture in the Islamic World as an area of study in the two-year degree programs. AKPIA scholarships are made available for concentration in Islamic architecture and urban studies to students formally admitted to the SMArchS Program.

Post-Doctoral Fellowships for Research in Islamic Architecture

AKPIA sponsors a postdoctoral fellowships program at MIT. The program is intended for young scholars who are engaged in research on Islamic architecture and urbanism. One or two fellowships are granted every year.

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Contact

José Luis Argüello

Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT

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