Abbas Milani
Encyclopedia
Abbas Malekzadeh Milani is an Iranian-American
historian
and author
. Milani is a visiting professor
of Political Science
and the director of the Iranian Studies
program at Stanford University
. He is also a research fellow
and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at Stanford University
's Hoover Institution
. Milani has found evidence that Persian modernism
dates back to more than 1000 years ago.
when he was sixteen, graduating from Oakland Technical High School
in 1966 after only one year of studies. Milani earned his B.A.
in political science and economics
from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1970 and his Ph.D.
in political science from the University of Hawaii
in 1974.
With his girlfriend Fereshteh, Milani returned to Iran to serve as an assistant professor of political science at the National University of Iran
from 1975 to 1977. He lectured on Marxist
themes veiled in metaphor but was jailed for one year as a political prisoner
for "activities against the government". He was a research fellow at the Iranian Center for Social Research from 1977 to 1978. He was also an assistant professor of law
and political science at the University of Tehran
and a member of the board of directors of Tehran University's Center for International Studies from 1979 to 1986, but after the Iranian Revolution
he was not allowed to publish or teach. With his young son Hamid and his wife Fereshteh, he left Iran in 1986.
Returning to California, Milani was appointed professor of History
and Political Science as well as chair of the department at Notre Dame de Namur University
in Belmont
, south of San Francisco. He served as a research fellow at the Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley. Milani became a Hoover Institution
research fellow in 2001 and left Notre Dame de Namur for Stanford in 2002.
He is currently the Hamid and Christian Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford. He lives on campus with his second wife, Jean Nyland who is chair of Notre Dame de Namur's psychiatry department.
Iranian-American
Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Milani is a visiting professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and the director of the Iranian Studies
Iranian Studies
Iranian studies , is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of history, literature, art and culture of the Iranian people. It is a part of the wider field of Oriental studies....
program at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He is also a research fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
. Milani has found evidence that Persian modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
dates back to more than 1000 years ago.
Biography
Milani was born in Iran to a prosperous family and was sent to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
when he was sixteen, graduating from Oakland Technical High School
Oakland Technical High School
Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech, or just simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland, California, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District.-Background:...
in 1966 after only one year of studies. Milani earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1970 and his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in political science from the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
in 1974.
With his girlfriend Fereshteh, Milani returned to Iran to serve as an assistant professor of political science at the National University of Iran
Shahid Beheshti University
Shahid Beheshti University was formerly The National University of Iran . The university's name was changed during the cultural revolution in Iranian universities, 1980-82. It is located in Evin District and extends into Velenjak District in northwestern Tehran, Iran, on a main campus of...
from 1975 to 1977. He lectured on Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
themes veiled in metaphor but was jailed for one year as a political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
for "activities against the government". He was a research fellow at the Iranian Center for Social Research from 1977 to 1978. He was also an assistant professor of law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and political science at the University of Tehran
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran , also known as Tehran University and UT, is Iran's oldest university. Located in Tehran, the university is among the most prestigious in the country, and is consistently selected as the first choice of many applicants in the annual nationwide entrance exam for top Iranian...
and a member of the board of directors of Tehran University's Center for International Studies from 1979 to 1986, but after the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
he was not allowed to publish or teach. With his young son Hamid and his wife Fereshteh, he left Iran in 1986.
Returning to California, Milani was appointed professor of History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Political Science as well as chair of the department at Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre Dame de Namur University — formerly the College of Notre Dame — is a private, Catholic University located in Belmont, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Notre Dame de Namur University is an accredited university in San Mateo County, and the fifth-oldest university in California...
in Belmont
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
, south of San Francisco. He served as a research fellow at the Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley. Milani became a Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
research fellow in 2001 and left Notre Dame de Namur for Stanford in 2002.
He is currently the Hamid and Christian Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford. He lives on campus with his second wife, Jean Nyland who is chair of Notre Dame de Namur's psychiatry department.
Writings
- 1982: Malraux and the Tragic Vision, Agah Press
- 1987: On Democracy and Socialism, Pars Press
- 1996: Tales of Two Cities: A Persian Memoir, Mage Publishers (ISBN 0-934211-47-7)
- 1998: Modernity and Its Foes in Iran, Gardon Press
- 2000: The Persian Sphinx: Amir Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of the Iranian Revolution, Mage Publishers (ISBN 0-934211-61-2)
- 2004: Lost Wisdom: Rethinking Persian Modernity in Iran, Mage Publishers (ISBN 0-934211-89-2)
- 2008: Eminent Persians: The Men and Women Who Made Modern Iran, 1941–1979, Syracuse University Press (ISBN 978-0-8156-0907-0)
- 2011: The Shah, Palgrave Macmillan (ISBN 1-4039-7193-5)
External links
- Milani's Official Stanford Web Site
- Milani's Hoover Institution Biography A BBC Interview with Abbas Milani
- Milani on how to provide real help for Iranian democrats in the Boston ReviewBoston ReviewBoston Review is a bimonthly American political and literary magazine. The magazine covers, specifically, political debates, literature, and poetry...