Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA@MIT)

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:

(1) To enhance the understanding of Islamic architecture and urbanism in light of critical, theoretical and developmental issues.
(2) To support research at the forefront of the field in areas of history, theory and criticism of architecture and urbanism.
(3) To explore approaches to architecture that respond critically and thoughtfully to contemporary conditions, aspirations, and beliefs in the Islamic world.
(4) 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.

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT and Harvard University hosts a number of events during the academic year that are free and open to the public.