In its academic programmes, the Institute of Islamic Studies focuses on the religion of Islam, on the history and civilization of the Islamic world, and on the dynamics of contemporary Muslim societies.

Founded in 1952, the Institute has striven to understand the societies and cultures of Islam in an unbiased way, taking into account the scholarship of Muslims (both recent and traditional) and that of non-Muslims. This has been done not only in the abstract but through active engagement, both here in Montreal and in various Islamic countries, and is reflected in our research, our teaching and our outreach efforts, in which our professors and students from many backgrounds have interacted in meaningful ways with Islamic scholars, institutions, and communities throughout the world. This multiculturalism is one of our defining strengths, having made the IIS one of the preeminent institutions of Islamic studies in the world.