German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

Short CV

Since 03/2022: Research fellow at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies
Since 10/2022: Doctoral researcher at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies and University of Hamburg
11/2021 - 12/2021: Consultant at the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
03/2021 - 07/2021: Gender-based violence (GBV) advising assistant at the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
2015-2018: Research fellow/coordinator at Iran Future Studies Research Institute
Education: B.A. in Political Science, University of Tehran; MPhil in Global Development (specialization in Gender), University of Bergen

Current Research

Iran's foreign policy towards Africa
Transnational Shia politics and networks

Countries and Regions

Iran
African continent (external actors)

Research Programmes

Global Orders and Foreign Policies

Dissertation

Iran's Educational and Sectarian-Revolutionary Para-Statal Actors in Sub-Saharan Africa: Explaining the Islamic Republic of Iran's Articulation of its (Soft) Power

Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

T. +49 40 42825-622 [email protected]

GIGA Focus Middle East | 6/2024

Non-State Actors and Autocratic Public Diplomacy: A Transregional View

Public diplomacy looms large in the foreign policies of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Zooming in on these states’ engagement with the African continent, this GIGA Focus Middle East explores the role played by real and alleged non-state actors in autocratic public-diplomacy efforts.

Dr. Jens Heibach

Mira Demirdirek

Hamid Talebian

Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies | 2023

The Evolvement of Iran–Israel’s Rivalry in the Red Sea and Eastern Africa

This paper reviews the history of involvement of the two countries in these regions, and analyses how policies of confrontation in both countries have changed and developed over the different historical periods.

Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

Dr. Sara Bazoobandi

Associate

GIGA Focus Global | 6/2022

Bolstering the Bromances: Turkey’s and Iran’s Tightening Ties with Africa

The war against Ukraine has created possibilities for emerging actors in Africa – such as Iran and Turkey – to scale up their engagement with the continent. This Focus deals with the question of how the changing global dynamics are allowing Iran and Turkey to boost their ties across the African continent.

Mira Demirdirek

Doctoral Researcher

Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

GIGA Focus Middle East | 6/2022

Iran’s Uprisings: A Feminist Foreign Policy Approach

Iran’s uprisings carry strong implications for states that have adopted a feminist foreign policy. For Germany, this is an opportunity to showcase the potential of its recent turn towards a new feminist foreign policy agenda.

Diba Mirzaei

Doctoral Researcher

Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

Research Project | 01/03/2022 - 28/02/2025

Explaining Middle-Power Engagement in External Regions: A Comparison of Iranian, Saudi, and Turkish Sub-Saharan Africa Policies

By means of a comparative historical analysis of Iranian, Saudi-Arabian, and Turkish engagement in Africa following the continent’s decolonization processes and running up until 2020, this project seeks to make sense of middle-power engagement in external regions. First, the project will identify the periods of shifting IST engagement in Africa. Second, it will analyze the reasons why, and the conditions under which, IST have stepped up—or reduced—their foreign policy efforts in Africa. Third, it will develop mid-range generalizations on middle-power engagement in external regions.
DFG, 2022-2025

Le Monde Afrique | Quote | 10/05/2024

L’uranium du Niger au cœur de négociations clandestines avec l’Iran

Hamid Talebian provides context and analysis on the history of relations between Iran and the Sahel, particularly Niger, as well as its aspirations for increased engagement with countries in the region.

Radio France Internationale (RFI) | Interview | 27/01/2024

La visite du Premier ministre du Niger, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, en Iran: surmonter les sanctions et chercher des alliés

Le Monde Afrique | Interview | 09/01/2024

Au Sahel, l’Iran en pleine offensive diplomatique

Hamid Talebian explains that recent Iranian outreach to the Sahel is driven by building anti-Western alliances with countries that are increasingly moving away from the 'West'.

GIGA Event | 16/10/2024 - 18/10/2024

Doctoral Researchers Conference: Researching with the Global South?

Doctoral Researchers’ Conference: Researching with the Global South?, GIGA, Neuer Jungfernstieg 21 (room 243), 20354 Hamburg, Germany Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Hamid Talebian (Organiser, Moderator)

This conference brings together GIGA doctoral researchers and invited early career researchers to critically explore and reflect on the ethical and practical aspects of conducting (doctoral) research with the so-called “Global South”. The Panel was coordinated by Hamid Talebian.

Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

GIGA Event | 16/10/2024 - 18/10/2024

Doctoral Researchers Conference: Researching with the Global South?

In creating a dialogue between Global International Relations (IR) and mainstream [Western] IR, this panel explored the complexities, synergies, and challenges of fostering such a space of dialogue.

Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

Diba Mirzaei

Doctoral Researcher

Workshop | 03/07/2024 - 05/07/2024

Populist Rebordering: Geopolitical Imagination in Turkey's Africa Policy under the AKP

EWIS 2024: 11th European Workshops in International Studies, Istanbul Organisers: European International Studies Association Mira Demirdirek (Speaker), Hamid Talebian (Speaker)

Paper presented in the workshop "Populist Geopolitics? Rethinking (Geo)Political Space through the Lens of Populism"

Mira Demirdirek

Doctoral Researcher

Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

Teaching | Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Marburg | 2024

Middle Eastern Powers and their Foreign Policies towards Africa

Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Marburg Marburg Germany

Hamid Talebian

Short CV

Current Research

Countries and Regions

Research Programmes

Dissertation

Hamid Talebian

Publications

Non-State Actors and Autocratic Public Diplomacy: A Transregional View

The Evolvement of Iran–Israel’s Rivalry in the Red Sea and Eastern Africa

Bolstering the Bromances: Turkey’s and Iran’s Tightening Ties with Africa

Iran’s Uprisings: A Feminist Foreign Policy Approach

Research Projects

Explaining Middle-Power Engagement in External Regions: A Comparison of Iranian, Saudi, and Turkish Sub-Saharan Africa Policies

Media Contributions

L’uranium du Niger au cœur de négociations clandestines avec l’Iran

La visite du Premier ministre du Niger, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, en Iran: surmonter les sanctions et chercher des alliés

Au Sahel, l’Iran en pleine offensive diplomatique

Lectures

Doctoral Researchers Conference: Researching with the Global South?

Doctoral Researchers Conference: Researching with the Global South?

Populist Rebordering: Geopolitical Imagination in Turkey's Africa Policy under the AKP

Teaching

Middle Eastern Powers and their Foreign Policies towards Africa

Notification

Social Media