Join us to learn about opportunities for graduate students with the Einaudi Center for International Studies. This session will discuss how to discover or strengthen global interests, including research and travel grants, guest lectures, fellowships, and more!

Can't attend? Email programs@einaudi.cornell.edu for more information.

26-27 March 2026 University of Johannesburg Kingsway Campus, Auckland Park

Abstract Submission: 15 January 2026 Notification of Speaker and Abstract Decisions: 10 February 2026 Conference Registration Opens: 10 March 2026 Conference Fee: R3000.00

Organizers: Cornell Law School, University of Johannesburg Faculty of Law, University of Zambia, and the Centre for International and Comparative Labour

We are calling for abstracts to be submitted from around the globe. Abstract should not exceed 150 words and include up to 5 keywords. Full papers should not exceed 8000 words. All submitted abstracts, papers will go through a double–blind peer– review process with decisions and comments availed to all authors. Final acceptance is only granted upon revising the manuscript in line with the reviewer's comments. Acceptance of the manuscript is subject to review and approval by the publishers. Publication in the proceedings and presentations at the conference are subject to registration and submission of copyright forms. Submit abstracts to suhailv@uj.ac.za

In light of the war with Iran, Arang Keshavarzian's book talk will now be a roundtable discussion on recent events. This conversation will examine the war with Iran beyond the headlines, situating this latest outbreak of violence within broader historical, social, and regional contexts and debates.

The event is hosted by the Southwest Asia and North Africa Program (SWANA), part of the Einaudi Center for International Studies, and cosponsored by the Department of Near Eastern Studies.

Panel

Arang Keshavarzian (Middle East Studies, New York University)Golnar Nikpour (History, Dartmouth College)Seema Golestaneh (SWANA director and Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University)Moderator: Mostafa Minawi (History, Cornell University).

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About Arang Keshavarzian

Arang Keshavarzian is Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University. His research and teaching centers on questions of political economy of Iran and the wider Middle East. He has had a particular interest in the relationship between spatialization, capitalism, and political power. He is the author of Bazaar and State in Iran: The Politics of the Tehran Marketplace (Cambridge UP, 2007) and co-editor, with Ali Mirsepassi, of Global 1979: Geographies and Histories of the Iranian Revolution (Cambridge UP, 2021). His most recent book is Making Space for the Gulf: Histories of Regionalism and the Middle East (Stanford UP, 2024). It is the recipient of the 2025 Roger Owen Prize from MESA for best book in economic history, economics, and political economy, as well as an honorary mention for the 2025 biannual book award from the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies. His articles on various topics have appeared in several edited volumes as well as Politics & Society; International Journal of Middle East Studies, Geopolitics; Economy & Society; International Journal of Urban and Region Research, and Middle East Report.