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Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian & Persian Gulf Studies

OU College of International Studies, The University of Oklahoma website wordmark

Farzaneh Family Center

for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies

The mission of the Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies is to coordinate a variety of teaching, research, and outreach activities at the University of Oklahoma that explore the history, culture, society, and politics of Iran, the Persian Gulf, and those regions historically shaped by the Persian language. These activities include publications, lectures, conferences, workshops, film screenings and art exhibits.

The Farzaneh Family Center is a part of vibrant and growing resources in Middle East and North Africa studies at the University of Oklahoma. Visit our MENA at OU page for more information.

Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies

Events

Women, Life, Freedom: Whither Iran?

March 29, 3-4 p.m.
Zarrow Hall 145

Farsi Friday

Every Friday, 2-3 p.m.
Kaufman Hall 230

Join us every Friday for conversation, tutoring and a taste of Persian culture. For more information, contact Marjan Seirafi-Pour at marjan@ou.edu.

Persian Tutoring Spring 2023

Spring 2023 Persian Tutoring

Every Wednesday, 1-2 p.m.
Farzaneh Hall 319

Take advantage of free tutoring sessions to improve you pronunciation, advance your reading and writing skills, and practice conversation with our student tutor Anahita Niknejad.

Anahita was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. One of her main interests since high school has been Persian literature and language. Anahita is studying Landscape Architecture at the University of Oklahoma's Gibbs College of Architecture. Her favorite subject in this field is the preservation of historical buildings and environments. 

For more information on Persian tutoring, contact Marjan Seirafi-Pour at marjan@ou.edu.


News & Announcements

Iranian Studies cover of January 2023 Issue
Faculty News

February 14, 2023

IAS Professor Afshin Marashi Edits Special Issue of the journal Iranian Studies, "Parsis and Iranians in the Modern Period"

Vahid Davar
Center News

November 22, 2022

Vahid Davar Named Winner of the 2022 Jafar and Shokoh Farzaneh Prize for Best Article on Persian Literature

Afshin Marashi
Faculty News

October 26, 2022

IAS Professor Afshin Marashi publishes op-ed in The Oklahoman, "Iran's Struggle for Democracy Has a Long History"

Husnia Hazara and Mehri Rezaee
Center News

September 08, 2022

Farzaneh Family Center Hosts Scholars from Afghanistan as Part of CIS Scholars-at-Risk Initiative

About Us

Omar Khayyám

A marble statue of Omar Khayyam, the 11th century Persian polymath, stands outside the David L. Boren College of International Studies at Farzaneh Hall. The statue was carved by the famed sculptor Hossein Fakhimi.

The Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies serves as the hub for Iranian Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Established in 2010 as an academic program within the OU David L. Boren College of International Studies, the Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies expanded into a center in 2016 through a generous donation by the Farzaneh Family. An institutional member of the American Institute for Iranian Studies and the Association for Iranian Studies, the Center draws from the multidisciplinary strength and research breadth of its faculty to offer one of the premier curriculum and programming initiatives in Iranian Studies today.

Students are able to select from a growing list of course offerings in Iranian Studies at the University of Oklahoma, including language instruction in Persian at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. The Center currently offers an undergraduate minor in Iranian Studies, and is working towards establishing an undergraduate major. In the coming years, the Center will also establish a graduate program in Iranian Studies.

In addition to its academic emphasis, the Center organizes an active “Iranian Studies Lecture Series” that brings scholars from the field of Iranian Studies to the University of Oklahoma campus. These lectures cover all aspects of Iranian history, culture, society, and politics. The “Iranian Studies Lecture Series” is open to the public and has been generously supported by the Farzaneh Family, the Parsa Community Foundation, and the Iran Heritage Foundation.

We invite you to explore our additional initiatives on this webpage.

The Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies
is located on the third floor of Farzaneh Hall at 729 Elm Ave, Norman, OK 73019.

Joshua Landis, Director
Email: landis@ou.edu
Phone: (405) 325-3330

Marjan Seirafi-Pour, Farzaneh Family Instructor of Persian and Director of Outreach Programs
Email: marjan@ou.edu
Phone: (405) 325-5164