Nahid Ghani, Research Associate

Dr. Nahid Ghani is an academic researcher in the field of Iranian studies. She completed her PhD (Marriage laws in ancient Iran in Zoroastrian jurisprudential texts) in ancient culture and languages at the University of Tehran (2013). Her MA dissertation (also from the University of Tehran) was the study of old Jewish-Persian texts which was published in 2009. She has published her papers in academic journals and presented her work in conferences, the recent one was “Temporary marriage in Pre-Islamic and Islamic Iran according to jurisprudential texts”, at the Tenth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference, Montreal, 2014. She has served as the translator as well as member of editorial board of Iran Vij, Parseh Publication Bureau, Tehran. Her twenty years experience of language teaching in Iran and Canada has provided her with a better insight into methodology and education.

Dr. Ghani’s scholastic education is broad and encompasses a number of various areas that fall under the headings of culture, religion, history, women’s studies, archaeology and historical linguistics. She gained her knowledge of ancient Iranian culture and religion through the study of old and classic texts (Middle Persian, Avestan, Manichaean, early Jewish-Persian, early New Persian) in Sassanid and early Islamic era. Her research at the Centre will focus on construction of Iranian national identity through museology and archaeology. She investigates the initiation of archaeology and museums in Iran from nineteenth century, their development to present time and how they have been utilised during this period to encourage nationalism and hence buttress authoritarianism.