A Gift to Establish the Institute
The Pourdavoud Institute was made possible by a gift from Professor Pourdavoud’s granddaughter, Dr. Anahita Naficy Lovelace, and her husband, Mr. James B. Lovelace.
About the Pourdavoud Institute
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Our Mission
Established in 2017 as the premier research center for the study of ancient Iran, the mission of the Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World is to engage in transformative research on all aspects of Iranian antiquity, including its reception in the medieval and modern periods, by expanding on the traditional domains of Old Iranian studies and promoting cross-cultural and interdisciplinary scholarship.
The Pourdavoud Institute serves as a disciplinary home to stimulating intellectual encounters and exchanges for scholars working on ancient Iran and the ancient world, and contributes to the development of collaborative research projects in such diverse areas as Assyriology, Biblical Studies, Central Asian studies, Classics, Egyptology, ancient History, Indology, Sinology, and the Study of Religion.
Ebrahim Pourdavoud
Honoring an Iconic Scholar
The Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World was named after the late Professor Ebrahim Pourdavoud, an iconic scholar of ancient Iran, who was responsible for instituting the study of ancient Persia as an academic discipline in 1924, and training and mentoring generations of scholars during his career. He pioneered the first new Persian translation of the Avesta, the sacred scriptures of the Zoroastrian religion, and profoundly impacted Iranian mores by resurrecting and identifying ancient Persia as a positive force for societal progress in Iran.
Who We Are
The Pourdavoud Institute is led by the Director M. Rahim Shayegan, Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Professor of Iranian.
As generally mandated at UCLA, the work of the Pourdavoud Institute is overseen by a faculty advisory board consisting of senior faculty from across campus who are appointed by the Dean of Humanities and whose work pertains to the study of the Iranian world and related fields.
The board provides not only programmatic and financial oversight, but also advises the director in the fulfillment of the Institute’s mission and research agenda.
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About Ebrahim Pourdavoud
The Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World was named after the late Professor Ebrahim Pourdavoud, an iconic scholar of ancient Iran, with particular impetus from his daughter, Pourandokht.
Welcoming Comments from Pourandokht Pourdavoud Naficy, Spring 2017
Professor Pourdavoud’s daughter, Pourdandokht Pourdavoud Naficy, delivered the welcoming remarks at the Spring 2017 inauguration of the Pourdavoud Center. Read the full transcript here.