With close to a billion people living in slums, accommodating a growing population and improving dwelling conditions across the globe is a critical challenge. Developed by the Delft University of Technology, this course uncovers how social, economic, and environmental factors are interrelated in housing design. Find out more.

A MOOC titled “Enhancing the Quality of Urban Life”, which analyses 15 projects that have been premiated by the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and have contributed significantly to urban upgrading, was completed in 2018 by the Jordanian architect, pedagogue and Aga Khan Award Steering Committee member Mohammad al-Asad and his colleague Lara Zureikat. The MOOC was posted on FutureLearn, the online portal of the Open University, UK, in May 2021, and is available on Edraak, the Jordan-based massive open online course portal.

The Architecture of the Mosque

A second MOOC, "The Architecture of the Mosque: Historical Roots and Modern Influences" has been elaborated and presented by Mohammad al-Asad, director of the Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE) in Amman, Jordan. This course has been produced by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, and Edraak, the Jordan-based MOOC portal. The course provides an overview of the architectural evolution of the mosque from the birth of Islam to the present, with an emphasis on the past half century. For this latter period, the course emphasises mosques that have received or have been shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The course language is English, but it also includes full Arabic subtitles.

Find out more and register for this free online course through the Edraak website: The Architecture of the Mosque: Historical Roots and Modern Influences.