Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS

Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS The Centre for Iranian Studies was launched at SOAS in October 2010 The CIS page on Facebook is updated and maintained by Aki Elborzi: [email protected]

The Centre for Iranian Studies was established in 2010 under the umbrella of the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) at SOAS. The Centre for Iranian Studies draws on the range of academic research and teaching across the disciplines of SOAS, including Languages and Literature, the Study of Religions, History, Economics, Politics, International Relations, Music, Art and Media and Film Studies. The

Centre organises lectures, seminars and conferences, holds regular film screenings and other events. The Centre is dedicated to promoting high quality research on Iran, including in collaboration with other such centres in the UK, in Iran and internationally. It aims to build cordial relations with the various diasporic communities in London and to showcase and foster the best of contemporary Iranian talent in the arts, music, digital culture and film.

Art in exile on show at London’s Iranian Contemporary Art Biennale | By Katayoun Shahandeh for The Conversation UK
03/06/2026

Art in exile on show at London’s Iranian Contemporary Art Biennale | By Katayoun Shahandeh for The Conversation UK

The show brings together communities separated by migration, sanctions, censorship and political borders.

What Iran’s absence from the Venice Biennale reveals about art and politics | By Katayoun Shahandeh for The Conversation...
11/05/2026

What Iran’s absence from the Venice Biennale reveals about art and politics | By Katayoun Shahandeh for The Conversation UK

Rather than existing outside politics, the Venice Biennale has become a site where geopolitical tensions are actively staged and contested.

Iran has been threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz for years – it’s a key part of Tehran’s defence strategy | By Ar...
02/04/2026

Iran has been threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz for years – it’s a key part of Tehran’s defence strategy | By Arshin Adib-Moghaddam for The Conversation UK

Iran has used its ability to close the waterway many times over the past 40 years.

Iran’s cultural heritage in the crossfire - By Katayoun Shahandeh (SOAS) for The Conversation UK
19/03/2026

Iran’s cultural heritage in the crossfire - By Katayoun Shahandeh (SOAS) for The Conversation UK

When war damages historic monuments, more than architecture is lost.

The 2025 SOAS Artist-in-Residence Fellowship of the SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies presents a ...
23/10/2025

The 2025 SOAS Artist-in-Residence Fellowship of the SOAS Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies presents a new major solo exhibition of Karl Singporewala’s sculptural interpretations of Zoroastrian symbolism.

The 2025 SOAS Artist-in-Residence Fellowship of the Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies presents a new major solo exhibition of Karl Singporewala’s sculptural interpretations of Zoroastrian symbolism.

SOAS China Institute podcast - 'China, Iran and the Middle East — After Trump's Airstrikes'
07/07/2025

SOAS China Institute podcast - 'China, Iran and the Middle East — After Trump's Airstrikes'

The shockwaves from Donald Trump’s airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear programme continue to reverberate. China condemned the attack as violating the UN Charter and warned that it risked destabilising the Middle East, an area where Beijing has fast-...

The Persian Film Awards 2025 will be hosted at SOAS on 22 and 23 March 2025
17/03/2025

The Persian Film Awards 2025 will be hosted at SOAS on 22 and 23 March 2025

Persian Film Awards is a prestigious annual event celebrating excellence in Persian cinema and content creation worldwide.

The English edition of Tabnak News featured an interview with Arshin Adib-Moghaddam about the representation of the Iran...
07/01/2025

The English edition of Tabnak News featured an interview with Arshin Adib-Moghaddam about the representation of the Iranian role in Palestine. The interview centred around the claim of Prof. Rashid Khalidi of Columbia University that Iran does not support the Palestinian cause.

Professor Arshin Adib-Moghaddam tells that from a historical and analytical perspective, it is simply wrong to say that Iran supports the Palestinian cause for the interest of the state or society without establishing how that interest is defined in the first place.

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SOAS, University Of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
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