Islamic fundamentalism and the post-revolutionary visual arts in Iran
A grant for £2,500 was awarded to Dr Ali Ansari to convene a joint workshop with the Institute for Iranian Studies, Vienna, on the subject of “History, Myth and Nationalism”. The money was awarded last spring and the workshop is scheduled for March/April in Vienna, with a financial contribution from the Austrian Academy. This workshop will aim to bring together researchers from Britain and the German- speaking world with a view to forging constructive and sustainable academic links. It is anticipated that academics from Iran will also attend. The workshop will not only foster links between BIPS and the Institute in Vienna, but also encourage the development of intellectual contacts with the new Institute for Iranian Studies being established in St Andrews. The new Institute, which will be formally inaugurated this academic year, has been generously endowed with 12,000 Persian language books, and consequently should become a major centre of studies for Iranian civilisation and culture in the United Kingdom. The books will form the basis of the launch of a dedicated Postgraduate course in Iranian studies from 2007.