Call for Papers Now Open – 15th Biennial Iranian Studies Conference

3 July 2025

 Dr. Bodil Carina Ponte-Kok

The call for papers for the fifteenth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference was published on the AIS website:

Conference Dates / Location

  • Dates: August 5-8, 2026
  • Location: Utrecht University, Netherlands

Pre-registration

Call for Papers

The Association for Iranian Studies (AIS) and The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Utrecht University, The Netherlands invite proposals in all subfields of Iranian Studies for the 15th Biennial Conference of Iranian Studies to be held at Utrecht University from 5th to 8th August, 2026. AIS encourages works grounded in the humanities and social sciences which probe new scholarly approaches to Iranian Studies, broadly defined (including, but not restricted to, Iran’s historical borderlands, the wider Persophone World, and the Iranian expatriate communities of Europe and beyond). The primary language of the conference will be English, though we hope to have a small number of panels in Persian.

About Proposals

Paper proposals must be limited to 300 words and must present succinct scholarly outlines of the central themes, sources, and main arguments of the presentations. Pre-arranged panels will be the norm for this conference. Preferably, panels will consist of four papers, though panels with three papers will be considered. Panel organisers should complete the appropriate panel registration form online, and each presenter will need to submit their own paper proposal forms for their panel. Individual paper proposals are discouraged. Anyone seeking to propose an individual paper should contact the Programme Committee chairs in the first instance.

We request that all those proposing papers for the conference remain mindful of the Association’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (https://associationforiranianstudies.org/about), especially when proposing panels. The completed paper and panel proposal forms must be submitted electronically through the AIS website. The forms for both paper and panel proposals can be accessed on the AIS website (for instructions on how to submit, please visit here). Membership and preregistration are prerequisites for submission and participation.

To become a member of AIS and to register, please click here: https://associationforiranianstudies.org/membership.
For further information or any questions, please contact: Biennial26@associationforiranianstudies.org

Panel convenors should also submit a short panel proposal (of no more than 300 words) detailing the main theme of the panel, and indicating how the individual presentations relate to that subject. Panel members must submit a brief bio (of no more than 150 words), and an abstract of their paper (of no more than 300 words), outlining the central themes, sources, and main argument of the presentation.

Participants can only present a paper on one panel and serve as a chair or discussant on one additional panel.

Deadlines

The submission process will open on July 1st, 2025 and will continue until September 21th, 2025.

Adjudication

Panels will undergo a peer-review process by a Programme Committee of scholars led by co-chairs, Professor Dominic Parviz Brookshaw (Oxford) and Professor Asghar Seyed-Gohrab (Utrecht). The names and academic affiliations of the other members of the Programme Committee will be published on the AIS website after the closing of the submissions process. All applicants will be notified of the status of their proposal in December 2025, so that the approved candidates will have sufficient time to arrange funding through their institutions, and to apply (if necessary) for a Netherlands visa. It should be noted that online presentations will not be possible.

Contact Information

Website technical problems  admin@associationforiranianstudies.org

General inquiries director@associationforiranianstudies.org

For all inquiries in regard to the conference logistics contact the program chair at Biennial26@associationforiranianstudies.org