Second Biennial Iranian studies conference

Hosted by the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge, at Downing College, on 8-9 April 2015.

We were thrilled to welcome 129 early career scholars from 28 countries to present at the University of Cambridge for the Second Biennial Symposia Iranica. The programme consisted of thirty-three panels, four colloquia and the Early Career Scholars’ Q&A. With a further twenty-four academic invitees, it constituted the largest gathering of the field in Britain since 2006.

We received 20% more submissions in response to our call for papers than in 2013, with a noticeable upswing in interest from the Balkans, Scandinavia and South Asia, and our eight review committees fielding 432 proposals in total from 43 countries. Of these, 41% were extended offers to participate following double-blind peer review by a panel of academics.

Cover: Azadi Square, Tehran. Used with kind permission of © Sasan Tavakoli Farsani.