Dr. Sara Bazoobandi

Sanction evasion, economic and military collaboration, and narratives of resistance against a US-led liberal global order bind Russia and Iran together. To thwart their continued and intensified power projection, the West needs to strengthen ties with other key actors in the Middle East and Eurasia.

The Iranian government has turned to the development of knowledge as a power projection tool. In Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s speeches from 2011-20, “knowledge based” was among the most frequently used terms when addressing topics such as “jihad” and “economic resistance".

“Purification” of the higher education and “jihad of knowledge” have assisted the Iranian government in advancing its military, cyber-based, and nuclear capabilities. This paper reviews these strategies and evaluates their outcomes.

The dynamics of the relationship between the United States and China have been shifting. This has prompted changes in strategic calculus and policy adoption by the friends and foes of each side. Iran, given its decades-long links with China, has made several.

Einst hofften Mercedes und andere im Iran auf gute Geschäfte. Heute zündelt Teheran im Nahen Osten. Der neue Präsident bietet keinen Anlass zur Hoffnung, kommentiert die GIGA-Forscherin.

Gulf Research Meeting 2023, Cambridge University, Cambridge Organisers: Gulf Research Centre Cambridge Hamid Talebian (Speaker), Dr. Sara Bazoobandi (Speaker)

Presentation of a draft paper by Dr. Sara Bazoobandi and Hamid Talebian at the annual Gulf Research Meeting conference.

Organiser: Institute for International Political Studies Dr. Sara Bazoobandi (Speaker)

The struggle for gender equality has remained hard to overcome for many MENA countries. Gender-based violence, lack of equal opportunities to economic activities, and deprivation from political participation and representation have been amongst the long list of such challenges. This event brings together experts of the field to share insights and analyses on the persistent gender inequalities across the region.