Association for Iranian Studies

The Association for Iranian Studies (AIS) is an international academic organization dedicated to advancing scholarship and research in Iranian Studies across multiple disciplines. Based in Toronto, ON, AIS serves as a hub for scholars, students, researchers, and academics worldwide who are engaged in the study of Iranian history, literature, culture, and society. The organization publishes Iranian Studies, a peer-reviewed journal recognized as the principal publication in the field, covering all regions with Persian or Iranian heritage including Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and northern India, as well as diaspora communities throughout Europe and the United States. AIS facilitates scholarly exchange among its international membership of over 500 academics and researchers through regular conferences, seminars, and collaborative initiatives. The organization promotes high standards of scholarship in Iranian Studies at both graduate and undergraduate levels, encouraging the teaching and advancement of the discipline globally. As an affiliated member of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), AIS operates as an independent, non-partisan, multi-disciplinary community committed to supporting rigorous academic research, publication, and presentation. The organization also administers numerous prestigious awards including the Saidi-Sirjani Book Award, AIS Book Prize, and Latifeh Yarshater Award, recognizing excellence in Iranian Studies scholarship. Through its Committee for Intellectual and Academic Freedom (AIS-CAIF), established in 2005, the organization champions unrestricted pursuit of research and freedom of expression in all forms and media.