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"My broad research interests fall at the nexus between international relations and comparative politics with a chief emphasis on third world security, political economy of energy, postcolonial analysis, and global North-South energy relationships (post-petroleum) as either political dependence, independence or both. In my PhD thesis, I aim to unravel the complexity of how energy systems, petroleum or solar (or hydroelectric), concentrate rather than disperse power and shape particular kinds of state’s sovereignty in the Twenty-first century. At the heart of my research interests, there lies a sympathy for non-mainstream political science, critical international relations theory, and the voice of subalterns in international relations. As such, my work contributes to the great conversation on why there is no theory of third-world international relations and joins the efforts to decolonize the field of its euro-centrism and traditional mainstream orthodoxies."

Anas Fassih, Ph.D. Student in Political Science 

"The Iranian revolution in 1979 dramatically restructured the customary performance settings for Persian classical music, creating a challenging environment for both performers and audiences. Both the performance and dissemination of music were heavily restricted; grants for artists were eliminated; and classical performers found it very difficult to gain permits for concerts and the publication of albums. To survive in this extreme situation, musicians found themselves significantly dependent on public opinion and feedback as the source of their primary income. The necessity of satisfying an audience, limited the ability of composers to experiment with avant-garde music. Instead, there was a tendency to insert elements of forbidden popular and dance musics within classical music in order to generate higher sales, including the incorporation of dance themes and rhythms, and an increase in the use of drums. The objective of my master’s research is to understand the scope and significance of musical change in relation to post-revolutionary cultural policy."

Mehdi Rezania, Ph.D. Candidate in Music 

"I propose to carry out ethnographic research to examine how explicit sexual expression overlaps with a notion of piety. Most studies examining the impact of online social networks on transforming religious communities and intimate relationships have treated these two as separate or and even antithetical. I intend to challenge dichotomies of modern discourse by examining the mutually transformative intersection of Islamic piety and public sexuality. I approach piety not as a static norm to be conformed to or avoided, but as something that people perform, rework, and reconfigure to present new phenomena in line with tradition despite apparent deviations."

Samira Torabi, PhD Candidate in Anthropology

"My study investigates the racial and ethnic relations experienced by Muslim students in connection to the pressing issue of Islamophobia. It explores the lived experiences of Muslim students at the U of A, to explore their academic freedom, ethnic relations, identity struggles, and responses to anti-Muslim hatred and discrimination. It also aims to give participating students a ‘voice’ by soliciting their policy recommendations to foster inclusivity and social justice."

Md Nazmul Arefin PhD student in Sociology

"Home! A notion we all hold, yet its essence eludes definition, Especially for immigrants, who leave one home in pursuit of a better one. 
After receiving my bachelor's in Architectural Engineering from the University of Guilan/Iran and my master's from the Polytechnic University of Milan/Italy in Architecture and Interiors, my personal odyssey as a Middle Eastern living in two continents and arriving at a third has led me to the Department of Anthropology at U of A. My studies here reside at the intersection of Architecture, Anthropology, Urban Sociology, and Human Geography. Peering beyond the surface, I seek to unravel the untold narratives of each immigrant that carry within them a spectacular epic. It is within the lines and among these stories that I wish to determine the meaning of home."

Darush Farrokh PhD student in Anthropology