Farzaneh Hall
Email: abedini@ou.edu
Vahid Abedini is the Farzaneh Family Assistant Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Florida International University, where his dissertation on elite formation in post-revolutionary Iran received the award for Best Dissertation in Political Science. Before joining OU, he served as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Arkansas.
Abedini’s research focuses on the intersection of international relations and comparative politics, with particular emphasis on elite politics, foreign policy, and political economy. His book manuscript, based on his doctoral dissertation, examines the generational gap among Iranian political elites in the post-revolutionary era and addresses the question of succession crises and political instability in the absence of strong political party institutionalization in post-revolutionary states. His second book project traces the trajectory of elite-making in modern Iran, exploring how politics, education, and international relations intersect to shape pathways to power.
At OU, Abedini teaches courses on elite politics, development, technology, and foreign policy, with a focus on the Middle East and Iran. His research has appeared in Comparative Politics and other scholarly venues. A strong advocate of scholarly exchange, he is an active participant in academic gatherings and regularly attends conferences such as APSA, ISA, MESA, and MPSA.
