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Head Librarian
​​Dr Ghali leads the Aga Khan Library. He is an associate professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at The Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC).

He received his PhD in Arabic Manuscript Traditions from Cairo University in 2012. He also completed coursework for a master’s degree in Islamic studies, and earned a diploma in Executive Management from the Institute of Management.

Dr Ghali coordinates and teaches the Paths to Sufism module for MA students at the AKU-ISMC, and co-teaches on other modules such as Concept of Nation in Modern Arabic Literature and Muslim Societies in a Changing World. He delivers guest lectures on Pre-Islamic Poetry and Prose Culture and Quran Recitation at The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS). Dr Ghali also organizes yearly short courses on Arabic Manuscript Traditions and Qur’an in Daily Muslim Practices.

He is also a member of the Editorial Board of Abdou Filali-Ansary Occasional Papers. In 2020, he was elected as a board member of The Islamic Manuscript Association.

Dr Ghali publishes in many different research areas, and gives guest lectures and presentations at international conferences. His forthcoming publication is a critical edition of previously unknown documents belonging to the leading Egyptian figure and Muslim reformer Muhammad Abduh (d.1905).

Collections Development Librarian

​Shah is the collections librarian for the Aga Khan Library. He is a qualified librarian with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from London Metropolitan University.

He is a graduate of the IIS’ Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities. He also holds two further master’s degrees: Social Anthropology from SOAS University of London, and International Relations from the University of Peshawar in Pakistan.

Shah’s responsibilities include collection development, reference assistance and library liaison. He is also compiling an annotated bibliography of literature on the Aga Khan Development Network.

Before becoming our collections librarian, Shah worked in many other capacities and undertook many projects in the IIS library. As Keeper of the Special Collections, he initiated and managed the microfilming and cataloguing of the library manuscripts.

Reference and Instruction Librarian

After receiving his education in Arabic and Islamic studies from seminaries in the UK and India, Waseem achieved his BA (Honours) in Arabic with Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies from the University of Durham. He also earned an MA in Library and Information Studies at University College London, and an MA in Historical Research Methods at SOAS University of London.

He began his career in librarianship as a cataloguer of Arabic materials and leading library assistant at the British Library in 2002. He then joined the AKU-ISMC as an assistant librarian in 2005, became a librarian in 2010, and started his current position in 2021.

Waseem is primarily responsible for the acquisitions of print and ebooks, and providing information literacy training. His research interests include the history of Sufism in South Asia, early and medieval Islamic documents and sources, dialectical theology, principles of fiqh, and hadith studies.

Library Coordinator

​Pedro holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Library and Information Science from the University of Granada, Spain, and an MA in Librarianship from the University of Sheffield. He has been working in information services for more than a decade. Before joining AKU-ISMC, he worked in libraries at fine arts museums, mining and engineering companies, and medical, business and media schools.

Since 2016, Pedro has worked on improving all Aga Khan Library systems, electronic resources and digital projects. He has developed the Aga Khan Library Digital Collections platform and the Aga Khan Library website. As part of his current position, he oversees the development of the new library management system and other system migrations.

He is currently working with the Head Librarian to develop the new library strategy and oversees all library operational functions, including planning and budgeting, financial management, and policy development.

His professional interests include the marketing and promotion of libraries, librarianship advocacy and politics, bibliometrics and other impact evaluation metrics, open-source software, and open-science strategies.

Gallery Curator

Esen curates the Aga Khan Centre Gallery, and manages its artistic and engagement programmes.

She is a professional artist with a degree in Fine Art Sculpture, and postgraduate study work across drawing, painting, installation, embroidery and sculpture. She has exhibited her pieces in several collective and solo exhibitions worldwide. In 2017, she received a three-year Honorary Visiting Research Fellowship at the University of Sunderland.

Before joining the gallery, Esen worked as an educator and curator in museums and galleries across the UK. She promoted community-focused creative arts projects to facilitate access to and engagement with the arts and culture.

In 2014, Esen founded DRAWING, a series of exhibitions and events that explore the role and importance of drawing in work and everyday life. DRAWING engaged over 100,000 audience members through live exhibitions, events, creative learning and online activities. Esen continues to develop DRAWING as an online gallery.

Please contact Esen for enquiries about the Aga Khan Centre Gallery.

Library Assistant

Ilaria holds a BA in Languages, Cultures and Societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice. Here she specialized in Middle Eastern studies with Arabic and Turkish language studies. Her dissertation explored the luxury trade between Venice and Constantinople in the 16th century. She has recently completed a MA in the History of art and architecture of the Islamic Middle East at SOAS, with her research work focusing on Ottoman architecture and its relations to the Mediterranean.

Her role in the Aga Khan Library is to ensure its upkeep and help students and researchers with their queries. Her work includes outreach and promotional activities through projects such as the Aga Khan Library Tunes on Spotify, the upcoming Aga Khan Library movie nights, and content creation on social media.

Tours Programme Officer