His current research

focuses on the emergence of nationalism in Iran in the period 1860-1930. Combining the tools of intellectual history with general nationalism theory, he argues that Iranian nationalism is an identifiable ideology with a remarkably stable doctrine, which is born out of a traumatic encounter with the West. Among other aspects, he enquires into the role played by the Aryan discourse in Iranian identity politics, which he characterises by referring to the notions of ’self-Orientalisation’ and ‘dislocation’.

Reza Zia-Ebrahimi teaches the Politics of the Middle East as a tutor at Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations, and is a Fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation.

As a freelance consultant

since 2005, he provides various institutional clients with strategic political and business insight. For more information visit the consultancy page.

Previously

Reza Zia-Ebrahimi served as Regional Manager, Middle East & North Africa at the World Economic Forum, where he gained first-hand knowledge of the most pressing issues on the regional agenda and established personal relationships with a number of political, academic and business figures. In 2005-2007, he worked with MEC International Ltd as a Senior Consultant, contributing to a number of discussions and papers pertaining to security in the Persian Gulf and doing business in the region. In 2007-2008 he served as a Special Advisor to the Director-General of Interpeace.