2025 Election

First of all, I am deeply honoured and privileged to have been nominated as the future president of the Association for Iranian Studies. This is a grave responsibility as it involves safeguarding the position and the visibility of the field and supporting the aspirations and desires of our members. I have given this idea ample thought before accepting this commitment, so that I can fulfil my tasks as president with dedication. One of the main reasons for committing myself is that Iranian Studies have offered me immense inspirations and support for the last thirty years. I now feel that it is time to give back to the field. If elected, I would like to strengthen international collaborations, building bridges with colleagues from diverse countries, especially with Persian-speaking countries. I would like to maintain the scholarly excellence, promoting not only humanities-based research but also embracing interdisciplinary research, which broadens our perspectives, generating new ideas and innovative research. I would also like to create a context in which young scholars can flourish themselves, being prepared for the challenges of the next generation.

It is a profound honor to be nominated for the presidency of the Association for Iranian Studies. I was born in Iran just a few years before the 1979 Revolution into an Armenian working-class family, and my entire childhood was shaped by the Iran-Iraq war. As a first-generation college graduate, I pursued my passion for literature, earning a master’s degree in English Literature in Iran and beginning my teaching career at Islamic Azad University. By the time I left Iran in 2006, I was a tenured Associate Professor. Arriving in Los Angeles as an immigrant, I was asked to redo my master’s degree, which I completed at California State University, Los Angeles. Soon after, I entered the PhD program in Comparative Literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated in 2013. That same year, I began my first U.S. tenure-track faculty position at Georgia College and State University in the English Department. In 2016, I joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the Roshan Assistant Professor of Persian Studies.

My scholarship explores Persian literature and culture through the lenses of gender, sexuality, and minority studies, with particular attention to how questions of identity are represented, contested, and reimagined. I have written extensively on the intersections of ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality in both classical and modern Persian texts, highlighting voices and experiences that have often been marginalized in the field. My work also engages with the Iranian diaspora and the lived experiences of ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities, situating Iranian Studies within broader conversations in comparative literature, gender theory, and cultural studies. Across three published monographs, an edited volume, and numerous articles – with another monograph and edited volume currently in progress – I aim to move Iranian Studies beyond the confines of “area studies” and into sustained dialogue with global disciplines, emphasizing both its theoretical richness and its contemporary relevance.

I have also taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses, receiving multiple teaching awards. Beyond teaching and scholarship, I have taken on major leadership roles, including building the Persian Studies program at UNC, recently establishing a Persian major, and serving as Director of the Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies for the past three years.

AIS has long been the leading international organization dedicated to fostering rigorous, diverse, and inclusive scholarship on all aspects of Iranian history, literature, culture, and society. Our strength rests on the commitment of past presidents, council members, and our broader community, who have built a professional home for scholars across generations and continents. I see myself as part of a generation that serves as a bridge between our senior colleagues, who have laid the foundations of this field with extraordinary dedication, and the new generation, whose energy, creativity, and fresh perspectives will define Iranian Studies for decades to come.

If elected, I will strive to preserve this legacy while expanding AIS’s reach and inclusivity to meet the evolving needs of our field. I will work to ensure transparent and participatory governance, establishing regular communication, listening sessions, surveys, and forums so that members’ voices guide AIS’s direction, while cultivating diverse leadership pipelines that reflect the richness of our community.

My Vision for AIS

1. I am committed to lowering barriers for scholars from under-resourced regions and institutions through expanded grants, hybrid participation opportunities, and equitable membership models.
2. I will champion open-access projects and collaborative platforms that expand access to Iranian Studies resources. To further extend the reach and visibility of our field, I will foster initiatives such as webinars, podcasts, and lecture series that connect Iranian Studies with broader audiences around the world.
3. Having served as a tenured faculty member in Iran and later in North America, I am uniquely positioned to understand the challenges and opportunities scholars face in different academic systems. I will work to strengthen connections between colleagues inside Iran and those in the diaspora, as well as between colleagues in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. This includes fostering opportunities for collaboration, resource-sharing networks, and initiatives that make scholarship more accessible across borders despite institutional barriers.
4. I believe that the vitality of Iranian Studies depends on nurturing young scholars and creating an environment where they can thrive. To this end, I will establish a regular forum or dedicated session where graduate students and early-career colleagues can share their needs, challenges, and aspirations directly with AIS leadership. By investing in their growth and listening attentively to their concerns, AIS can ensure that their creativity, innovation, and intellectual risk-taking shape the field’s future and guarantee its long-term vibrancy and sustainability.
5. I believe it is essential to move beyond treating Iranian Studies solely as an “area studies” field and instead place it in sustained dialogue with global disciplines. Iranian Studies must be recognized as a site of theoretical and methodological innovation, contributing to and engaging with comparative literature, world history, gender and sexuality studies, diaspora and migration studies, digital humanities, and cultural theory. To achieve this, I will encourage conference programming that highlights our colleagues who have already ventured into adjacent fields and can model how Iranian Studies engages with broader scholarly conversations. I will also support collaborative research networks across disciplines, and expand professional development workshops that help younger scholars situate their work within wider theoretical and methodological frameworks.

The vitality of AIS comes from its members’ dedication and the careful stewardship of past presidents. My vision is to honor that legacy while charting new paths for accessibility, inclusivity, and innovation. I will lead not from above, but alongside you with empathy, transparency, and resolve. Together, we can ensure that AIS remains the premier global home for Iranian Studies – rigorous, inclusive, and thriving for generations to come.

Dear AIS members,
It is a pleasure to present my candidacy for the position of Council Member. My name is Denis Hermann, and I am a historian of Qajar Iran and Twelver Shiʿism, working primarily on the role of the ulama in shaping Qajar Iran, notably their participation in the Constitutional Revolution of 1906–1911. My dissertation, published in 2017, focused more specifically on the social and doctrinal history of the Shaykhi school in Qajar Iran.
I currently direct the Centre de Recherche sur le Monde Iranien (CeRMI) in Paris, after serving as Director of the Institut Français de Recherche en Iran (IFRI) in Tehran and as Head of the History Department at the Institut Français d’Études Anatoliennes (IFEA) in Istanbul. Over the years, I have coordinated several collective research projects and edited volumes devoted to the Iranian world, focusing on social and intellectual history, religious thought, and historical scholarship.
Having lived for nearly ten years in Iran and Turkey, I remain deeply connected to the field and to local academic communities. I am currently preparing an English-language book based on my habilitation à diriger des recherches (HDR), which I defended in June 2025 at the University of Aix-en-Provence, originally entitled Production littéraire et culture politique des oulémas en Iran qajar: du miroir des princes au constitutionnalisme. The primary originality of this work lies in examining the sustained engagement of the Qajar-period ulama in reflections on politics and the ordering of society.
If elected to the AIS Council, I would be honored to support the work of the President and my fellow Council members, helping to foster collaboration among scholars across generations and disciplines, and to strengthen ties between researchers working on Iran across different continents. I am committed to contributing to the community’s shared efforts in promoting Iranian Studies with openness, rigor, and collegiality.
It would be a privilege to serve this community and to contribute, in whatever way I can, to its continued vitality.
Warm regards,
Denis Hermann.

I am honored to be considered for election to the AIS Council and look forward to the possibility of serving its diverse and growing membership. I am currently assistant professor of Modern Middle East History at Carnegie Mellon University.
I left Afghanistan as a child at the height of the Cold War, and growing up in Southern California within an Afghan-diaspora community profoundly shaped my intellectual and personal path. Immersion in Persian-language literature, arts, and music not only nurtured my love of the language but also gave me access to communities where I could further explore my interests and deepen my understanding of cultural roots. This formative experience continues to inform both my research and my commitment to study Persian languages and cultures as spaces of connection across borders and histories.
My scholarship is grounded in the Persianate world, spanning Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Central and South Asia, and the broader diaspora, with a particular focus on the intersections of media, music, and popular culture. My research has appeared in Iranian Studies and other leading venues, reflecting my commitment to advancing the study of Persian across historical and contemporary contexts.
Currently, I am completing a monograph on the history of radio in Afghanistan, which situates the country as an auditory crossroads in the Middle East and South/Central Asia. By examining global communication technologies as both tools of governance and platforms for sonic dissonance, my work illuminates the affective power of sound, the role of mass media in fragmented societies, and the circulation of Persianate cultural production across borders. My research has been recognized with the World History Association’s 2023-24 Best Dissertation Prize and supported by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies (AIAS), and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) InterAsia Academy.
Beyond scholarship, I am deeply committed to preserving and promoting the diversity and cultures of Persian speaking communities. I spearheaded the acquisition of Afghanistan’s only female master musician to-date, Ustad Farida Mahwash’s archive at Stanford University and co-direct the Sonic Resistance Archive, a digital repository preserving Persian-language music and poetry produced in the northern regions of Afghanistan since 2021. These initiatives make primary cultural materials accessible to scholars and communities globally, while supporting the survival and dissemination of Persian-language artistic heritage.
As an AIS Council member, I would work to strengthen interdisciplinary and transnational collaboration in the study of Persian languages and cultures, foster mentorship for emerging scholars, and expand access to diverse Persian-language cultural archives and research. I aim to contribute to AIS’s mission by promoting rigorous scholarship, supporting teaching of Persian and Iranian studies, and highlighting the dynamic histories and contemporary realities of Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Persian-speaking world.
Thank you for considering my candidacy for AIS council membership and for taking the time to review my research, teaching, and service.

Thanks for nominating me for AIS council membership. I would be delighted to serve this community.
I am an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, where my research focuses on modern and contemporary Persian literature and Iranian book history. I am currently writing a book on the history of Iran's publishing industry from 1953 to today. My previous books include the award-winning Orientalism versus Occidentalism: Literary and Cultural Imaging Between France and Iran since the Islamic Revolution (I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury 2013) and Iranian Literature after the Islamic Revolution: Production and Circulation in Iran and the World (Edinburgh University Press, 2021). My interdisciplinary approach bridges literary, historical, and sociological analysis, combining close and distant reading with archival research and fieldwork. I contribute to our field as Associate Editor (Modern Literature) for Iranian Studies and Editor (Modern Persian Literature) for Encyclopaedia Iranica.
My international journey has shaped my understanding of Iranian studies as a rich and diverse field. Born and raised in France with a BA in Philosophy from the Sorbonne, I discovered Persian literature and language, an encounter which transformed my life's trajectory. This path led me to Iran, where I lived in 2005 and 2006, then to postgraduate studies at SOAS University of London, a Fulbright Visiting Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University, and eventually to my position in Australia. I am convinced that Iranian studies progresses precisely because of its multiple perspectives, including diverse geographical contexts, methodological approaches, and scholarly traditions.
I have contributed to the AIS community since 2008, regularly organising and chairing conference panels. As an AIS council member, I will continue to foster a community where the richness of Iranian culture is explored through every lens, and to support junior scholars and researchers from Iran. I will also work to strengthen meaningful dialogue between Iranian studies scholars in the diaspora and those working within Iran, as these scholarly communities mutually enrich one another.

It is an honor to be considered for the Association for Iranian Studies’ Council. I have had the good pleasure of being involved with AIS since my early days in graduate school at UCLA, assisting as the head of the conference registration committee for the 2010 biennial conference in Santa Monica, CA and serving as one of two AIS student representatives to the Council from 2011 to 2013. Since 2010 I have had the opportunity to attend all of AIS’ biennial conferences, presenting papers on Persian literature and participating on panels relating to Persian language pedagogy. Throughout the years and through these experiences, the AIS community has come to feel like a family, whose mission and efforts I hold very dear.
I am currently a Lecturer in Persian language and culture at UCLA’s Program of Iranian Studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. In this capacity I have taught, and continue to teach, a variety of classes, ranging from Accelerated Elementary Persian geared towards heritage learners of the Persian language to advanced, upper-division literature courses. Prior to joining the faculty of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA, I taught Persian at the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (formerly Oriental Studies) as Senior Lecturer. My pedagogy is rooted in the creation and fostering of community within the language classroom, as well as in the art of genuine interaction with and appreciation for culturally authentic experiences and sources. My goal has always been to instill in my students a love for the worlds created and inhabited by the Persian language, highlighting and drawing on its awe-inspiring beauty and diversity.
As someone who holds a doctorate in premodern Persian literature, my research is largely focused on the role of women in premodern Persian epic romances, particularly in Ferdowsi’s Shāhnāmeh, Gorgāni’s Vis o Rāmin, and Neẓāmi’s Khosrow o Shirin. My work interrogates matters of liminality, identity, and gender in these sources, focusing especially on issues of female agency and power. My scholarship has also engaged with the distinctive voice of a female religious scholar and poet, situated within the early modern Persian literary canon.
In addition to teaching and writing, I have served on the executive board of the American Association of Teachers of Persian (AATP) as executive secretary since 2022. As of May 2025, I have also joined the board of the Farhang Foundation as secretary. Serving in both of these capacities has offered me the opportunity to become better familiar with the workings of two wonderful organizations dedicated to serving the communities of Persian language teachers and of Iranians, respectively.
As a member of the AIS Council, I would combine my former experiences with AIS, my expertise in the fields of Persian language and literature, as well as the experience I have gained from working at and with important, internationally recognized institutions to help the Association continue its essential work of promoting the field of Iranian Studies internationally and assisting in its further establishment and growth. I would also highlight the importance of encouraging and supporting student engagement and involvement in our fields of study as a means to ensure that we are building a strong, bright future both for our next generation of scholars and for our field at large.

The Association for Iranian Studies has long provided a vital intellectual home for scholars and students committed to understanding the rich and complex histories of Iran and the Persianate world. As someone whose personal and academic journey has taken him from Mashhad and Tehran to Los Angeles and Orange County, I have experienced firsthand the challenges and opportunities that come with navigating different academic and cultural contexts. These experiences have shaped not only my scholarship but also my commitment to serving students and building communities within our field.
I am currently a Ph.D. student in Visual Studies at the University of California, Irvine, where my research examines the reception of the ancient world in 19th- and early 20th-century Iran. My work pays particular attention to early photography, picture postcards, and the role of museums and archives in shaping cultural memory. In addition to these topics, I have also published and presented widely on Iranian art, cultural heritage, and the history of Iranian music recording industry. This interdisciplinary approach reflects my belief that Iranian Studies is at its strongest when it embraces the diverse methods and perspectives that our field has to offer.
My academic journey has also been closely tied to curatorial and archival work. As Archive Manager for the Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture at UC Irvine, I organize and digitize materials to make them more accessible to students and researchers. As a Getty Consortium Scholar, I engaged with rare archival collections to produce original research. Earlier, at the Music Museum of Tehran, I both digitized valuable historical materials and helped build exhibitions that brought these collections into public view.
Even after immigrating to the United States, I have continued to travel regularly to Iran, where I have deepened my collaborations with institutions, archives, students, and fellow scholars. These ongoing connections allow me to engage directly with the academic and cultural landscape of Iran while also contributing to dialogues in the U.S. and Europe. This dual perspective has reinforced my commitment to bridging scholarly communities across borders and ensuring that voices from within Iran remain an integral part of our field.
Since beginning my student years at UCLA, I have also actively participated in and supported events and conferences at both UCLA and UCI. These opportunities to help organize and contribute to academic gatherings have taught me the importance of student involvement in shaping the culture of our scholarly communities. Just as AIS has been a hub for intellectual exchange, these experiences demonstrated to me how much energy and creativity students can bring when given the right platforms.
If entrusted with the role of Student Representative, I would be committed to advancing several key priorities:

• Expanding Accessibility: Many students face challenges in participating fully in our field due to financial limitations, visa restrictions, or geographic distance. I will advocate for more funding opportunities for conference attendance and expand virtual participation so that scholars around the world, including those in Iran, can engage meaningfully with AIS.
• Strengthening Student Networks: Building spaces where graduate students can present their work, share resources, and connect with peers is essential. I will work to expand student-led workshops, roundtables, and informal gatherings to foster dialogue and mentorship.
• Promoting International Collaboration: My ongoing ties with institutions and scholars in Iran, together with my experiences in the U.S., place me in a unique position to further connect our communities across borders. I will actively encourage collaboration that includes diverse institutions, languages, and fields.

AIS has given me and many others the chance to grow, learn, and contribute to a global community of scholars. If elected as Student Representative, I will dedicate myself to ensuring that our student members feel supported, empowered, and connected—both to one another and to the wider academic world.

Statement for Student Council Member, Association for Iranian Studies
Hello! My name is Hannah Hassani and I am a second-year PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, UK. My dissertation examines the transformation of the Iranian bureaucracy between the Qajar and Pahlavi periods. I previously completed two MPhils at the University of Cambridge in Economic and Social History (2021) and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (2023). During the latter I was elected the Postgraduate Representative and attended departmental staff meetings on behalf of the master’s students in Middle Eastern Studies. My first degree was in Economics and International Affairs at the George Washington University in my beloved hometown of Washington, DC. Between my degrees I worked at a think tank (Urban Institute, Washington, DC) and a learning consulting firm (Milan, Italy).
I am running for student council member for November 2025 to November 2027. What would be my role? In some sense I believe a student member’s role is no different to one of a regular member: to consult on the pertinent and consequential issues faced by AIS. Where it differs, however, is in the mandate to lead the community of AIS student members in both resolving challenges and creating opportunities. My goals as the student council member are thus twofold:
Goal #1: Gain a comprehensive view of the challenges faced by the student members and to implement multi-year solutions to those challenges. Student members should be able to provide feedback as it occurs to them through an online “suggestion box” which I plan to implement and monitor. They should also have the opportunity to provide solicited feedback through an annual or semi-annual survey. These data then need to be translated into simple, realisable actions. For example, if students feel that they need more networking opportunities, I would work to create mentoring drop-in sessions at the next biennial conference in Utrecht. For longer-term challenges like funding and job opportunities a more extensive inquiry is needed to understand what specific actions would help students now. In the networking example, perhaps in addition to the opportunity to meet academics, students need guidance on formulating requests and maintaining relationships; I would help create guidelines for students and academics on best practices for both.
Goal #2: Create an inclusive culture of research support for students, mainly through the creation of a virtual community. Researchers thrive on collaboration, but graduate students are isolated from each other, scattered in universities across different countries. AIS can become the leading organisation for young academics in Iranian studies to meet and collaborate with one another. I imagine this in three main areas. First, a monthly or bimonthly video call for student research presentations to the wider AIS community. Second, shared databases for access to primary materials for researchers inside and outside Iran. Finally, a hardship fund for participation in events and the biennial meeting, as lack of access to funds should not prevent young scholars from attending events essential to their careers as an academic. The philosophy behind all these initiatives goes back to the belief that research is always improved by collaborating, and collaborating early on to save time and expand one’s possibilities.
By starting with these two pillars, the structure of a student community in AIS can start to take shape. My dream is for AIS to be the organisation in our field with the highest student numbers and satisfaction, and that it can serve as an incubator for fruitful academic careers and partnerships. Thank you for reading and considering my proposal.