Rethinking Iran at Johns Hopkins SAIS
Challenging Assumptions. Advancing Understanding.
Discussions about Iran are often framed in narrow, overly politicized terms. The result is a public discourse that rarely reflects the complexity of the country—its society, politics, history, and regional role. Rethinking Iran is a long-term initiative at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) committed to bringing depth, context, and academic rigor to the study of Iran.
Launched in 2018, we bring together scholars, students, policymakers, and practitioners to engage critically with the most pressing questions about Iran.
Academic Rigor. Policy Relevance. Global Impact.
As an initiative at Johns Hopkins SAIS, we are committed to academic rigor, policy relevance, and global impact. We aim to foster a more informed and multifaceted understanding of Iran through:
Rigorous, Interdisciplinary Research
We support scholarship that draws from history, political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies to illuminate Iran's domestic dynamics and international posture.Policy-Academic Integration
We aim to bridge the gap between scholarship and decision-making by offering accessible, evidence-based insights for policy professionals and the broader public.Open, Informed Dialogue
We create platforms for inclusive conversation across sectors and perspectives, fostering engagement that is critical, constructive, and grounded in research.
What We Do
Through research, events, and publications, we generate insight and foster dialogue:
Research
We conduct and support projects that deepen understanding of Iran's politics, economy, society, and regional role—often amplifying perspectives not typically heard in policy or media circles.Events
Our conferences, seminars, and workshops bring together leading voices from academia, government, and civil society, both in Washington and abroad.Publications & Media
Our work appears in books, academic journals, policy outlets, and original media formats. Our publication How Sanctions Work has opened new avenues for debate, while our illustrated series Sanctioned Lives translates research into accessible, human-centered storytelling.Student Engagement
SAIS students play a central role in our work—contributing to research, gaining mentorship, and engaging with real-world challenges through immersive learning.
Our Team
Vali Nasr
Vali Nasr is the Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center. He served as the eighth Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS between 2012 and 2019 and served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke between 2009 and 2011.
Dr. Nasr is the author of many books, including Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History; The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat; The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam will Shape the Future; and How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare.
Dr. Nasr has advised senior American policymakers, world leaders, and businesses, including the President, Secretary of State, senior members of the Congress, and presidential campaigns. He has written for New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others.
Narges Bajoghli
Narges Bajoghli (pronounced: Nar-guess Baa-jogh-lee) is an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS. An award-winning cultural anthropologist and multi-media visual storyteller, Dr. Bajoghli’s explores the intersections of media, power, and resistance in global politics.
Her first book, Iran Reframed: Anxieties of Power in the Islamic Republic (Stanford University Press), received widespread acclaim and multiple awards for its groundbreaking ethnographic approach, including the Margaret Mead Book Award. Her second book (co-authored), How Sanctions Work in Iran, offers an in-depth analysis of the impact of sanctions on Iranian society. Dr. Bajoghli’s forthcoming book, examines the legacy of chemical warfare in the Middle East and its broader implications for global military experimentation and violence.
Dr. Bajoghli’s research and writing have been featured in prominent outlets, including Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, and Vanity Fair. She is a frequent commentator on issues such as sanctions, resistance movements, and the role of media in shaping political ideologies.
As a trained visual anthropologist and documentary filmmaker, Dr. Bajoghli is the director of the film The Skin That Burns, on survivors of chemical warfare. Her graphic novella, Sanctioned Lives, visually captures the everyday realities of life under sanctions and is part of a broader transmedia project bringing critical discussions of sanctions to new audiences. She is currently at work on a feature-length documentary and a graphic novel.
As an educator, Dr. Bajoghli has received multiple teaching awards for her innovative courses on ethnography, media, and the politics of resistance. She is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of global leaders and thinkers, fostering intellectual curiosity, and bridging the gap between academia and public discourse.