The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies
at the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University
in collaboration with
The Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University
and the Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies program at Oklahoma State University
jointly present the inaugural
Conference on Global Iranian Diaspora Studies
The Conference on Global Iranian Diaspora Studies will assemble scholars from various disciplines contributing to transnational and multidisciplinary Iranian Diaspora, with a particular interest in South-South relations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.
Panels and speakers are invited to present original research on topics related to the Iranian diaspora, including:
- Exploring diverse historical, artistic, literary, and cultural expressions of the global Iranian diaspora, including gender, class, ethnicity, generation, and overlapping identities (e.g., LGBTQ+, religious minorities, persons with disabilities)
- Comparative studies across Iranian diaspora communities, including between Iranian and other migrant groups
- Activism and social movements within the Iranian diaspora, including engagement with homeland politics
- The role of language and media in shaping Iranian diasporic identities
May 29-30, 2026
Toronto, Canada
Deadline: May 30, 2025
Please send your title along with a 250-300 word abstract, a 100-word bio, and your contact information to: gidc.eomi@utoronto.ca. Be sure to include "Conference on Global Iranian Diaspora Studies 2026" in the subject line of the email. Notification of acceptance will be sent by September 30, 2025.
The conference organizers invite individual papers, pre-organized panels, and creative submissions that engage with the conference topics.
To maximize the value of in-person exchanges, the conference will be held exclusively in-person. Presentations will be conducted in English. A limited number of travel grants may be available to graduate students on a competitive basis.
Conference Committee:
Mohamad Tavakoli, University of Toronto
Persis Karim, San Francisco State University
Amy Malek, Oklahoma State University
Nima Naghibi, Toronto Metropolitan University
Amin Moghadam, Toronto Metropolitan University
Farzaneh Hemmasi, University of Toronto
CFP: Conference on Global Iranian Diaspora Studies (May 2026)