Najam Abbas | Voices of IIS Episode 9

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 Abbas02:15 Early life in Delhi and family background05:40 Academic journey and studying economics09:10 Moving to Pakistan and further studies13:30 Joining the Institute of Ismaili Studies17:05 Research interests and key projects21:20 Reflections on teaching and mentorship25:45 The role of family and community29:10 Challenges and lessons learned33:00 Vision for the future of IIS36:20 Advice for young scholars39:00 Closing thoughts and gratitude