About
Ph.D. Program: Arabic, Armenian, Persian, Turkish, and Islamic Studies
As an Iranian, I was always interested in the Near East. But the decisive factor for me was my fascination with the fluidity of the borders, physically, culturally, and ideologically, in medieval Central Asia, in particular the ebb and flow between the nomadic and sedentary tendencies. I chose the MES department at the University of Michigan because it has the unique composition of professors that I can most learn from. It is as yet too early to tell what my research will be on, but it will most definitely involve medieval Turkmen tribes. The most rewarding moment within the graduate program so far was finally seeing the golden braid that connects the seemingly disparate topics I have been grappling with. I come from a long line of educators and academics so, upon completion, I hope to join their ranks.
