Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
2005 Research And
Fundraising
Presentation
March 5, 2005
MIT Faculty Club
Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Quick Overview
“ The ISG is a prominent university-based group in
North America currently doing applied research
on Iran and Iranian-Americans from a native
Iranian, non-partisan, objective and policyoriented perspective. We have one of the
strongest teams of Iranian ancestry assembled
in North America that has made research on Iran
and Iranian-Americans its priority.
Our network spans hundreds of Ph.D. students,
postdocs and faculty members, businessmen
and entrepreneurs who have developed trust in
our capabilities, vision and leadership.
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Quick Overview
With this human capital, and the resources at our
disposal through MIT, we have set our minds on
improving the status of Iranian-Americans in the
U.S., and to help the long-term social, economic
and technological development of Iran. You are
here, because we believe you care for these
goals as well. As such we want to convince you
in the next 40 minutes that supporting us will go
a long way in achieving these goals. “
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Mission
ISG is a non-partisan, academic research group
with the aim of promoting an analytical
understanding of the long-term social, economic,
political and cultural issues related to the
development of the Iranian society through
consultation with and dialogue amongst
intellectuals, experts and the public at large
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
History
• Established as a non-profit academic organization in
September 2002.
• Founded by four active members at MIT. Has grown
to over 30 members from MIT, Harvard,
Northeastern, BU and other universities in the U.S.,
Europe and Iran.
• In its short existence, ISG has been recognized by
U.S. and Iranian media, Iranian-American
organizations and academic groups as a leading
organization on Iranian and Iranian-American
research.
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Organization
Board of Directors
Overseeing activities and general guidelines
4 academics and 2 business/community leaders
Executive Board
In charge of managing research strategy and tactics
Currently 6 Doctoral Students
Research Associates
Conducting research projects under supervision of executives
Currently 14 Ph.D. Candidates, Academics and Professionals
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
What We Do
•ISG Research Projects
• Iran Analysis Quarterly Journal
• ISG Lecture Series
• ISG Community Services
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
ISG Research Highlights
Research on
Iran
Research on
Iranian-American
Community
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Iranian-American Community Survey
• Nationwide community survey of individuals of Iranian ancestry from
January-March 2005
• 3880 individuals (more than 1.2% of the total official population of
Iranian-Americans) responded.
• Survey focused on social and cultural characteristics and concerns of
community
• To be continued on an annual basis
• Can help Iranian-American organizations serve their constituents better
by understanding their makeup and needs.
• Status: 2005 Survey Completed, Starting Second Phase
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Census-based Socioeconomic
Characteristics of the Iranian-American
Community
• Report published on Socioeconomic characteristics of the IranianAmerican Community based on the 2000 U.S. Census Summary File
4 Data
• Iranian-Americans among the highest educated and most
successful among 67 ancestry groups
• Report covered by national media outlets such as the Washington
Times, the LA Times and the Washington File.
•Translations published in major Iranian reform Newspaper
• Radio Interviews on the Report with BBC World Service, and Local
and national radio Stations
Status: Completed
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Women’s Studies Group
• Research on Women’s
movements in Iran and
abroad, with focus on
capacity building for women
NGOs.
• Currently 9 female
Researchers supervised by
Dr. Assyeh Mir
• Project for translation of
“Iron-jawed Angels” into
Persian headed by Bahar
Mikhak.
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Social Networks and the Iranian Youth
• More than 300,000 Iranians are part of Orkut, the
largest internet-based social network in the world,
making Iran the third largest represented nation after
Brazil and the United States.
• Unique opportunity to study the characteristics and
interests of the Iranian youth who make up more than
70% of Iranians in Orkut.
• We have used computerized methods to extract data
on interests, socioeconomic and educational
backgrounds, communities of interest and social
interactions from a random sample of around 1000
individuals.
• Status: In Progress
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Natural Disaster Management For Iran
• Recent earthquake in Zarand, and the
previous earthquake in Bam
highlighted the need for coherent and
comprehensive strategies for dealing
with earthquakes in Iran.
• ISG has published a report on the
scientific, social and economic issues
in natural disaster management.
• More customized reports to the Iranian
situation needed
• Status: Report Published, Second
Phase in Progress
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Other Current and Planned Projects
•Qualitative Survey of Second Generation IranianAmerican Youth
•Presenting Iran: Challenging Stereo Types
•Online English-Persian Web-Translator
• Iranian Development Gateway Information Portal
•Privatization of State-Owned Enterprises in Iran
•U.S.-Iran Relations and the Effect of Sanctions
• Returning to Iran: Challenges and Potentials
• Sector Analysis of Iranian Industry
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Past Publications
• Factsheet on the Iranian-American Community (December 2003)
• Earthquake Management for Iran (January 2004)
• Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Iranian-American
Community (February 2004)
• Iranian-American Civic Participation (March 2004)
• Bibliographia Iranica (more than 280 pages of Bibliography on
Iranian Studies) (October 2004)
• Privatization of State Owned Enterprises (November 2004)
• Factsheet on the Legal and Historical Status of the Persian Gulf
(February 2005)
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Iran Analysis Quarterly Journal
• The Iran Analysis Quarterly is an
academic journal dealing with
social, political, economic, cultural,
and development issues of
contemporary Iranian society,
published every three months.
• As of January 2005, four issues
have been published. Next Issue in
Late March
• Distribution to more than 250
academic institutions worldwide
• ISSN application filed with the
Library of Congress
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
ISG Lecture Series
• Four Lectures a Year
• Range of topics, such as the fate of democracy in Iran,
nonviolent action, women’s rights, ethnic and minority
rights in Iran, and Persian modernity, The China Model
and Iranian Economic Reform, and Culture of Modernity
• Speakers have included Mr. Siamak Namazi (Iran), Dr.
Farzin Vahdat (Harvard), Dr. Gene Sharp (Albert Einstein
Institution), Dr. Houchang Chehabi (BU), Dr. Shahla
Haeri (BU), Dr. Abbas Milani (Stanford), Dr. Mohsen
Kadivar (Iran), Dr. Abdolkarim Soroush (Iran), Mr. Faraj
Sarkoohi (Journalist, Iran)
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
ISG Community Services
• Letter to Senator Kennedy with Iranian Association of
Boston
• Invited Lecture for MIT Political Science Department on
Modern Iranian History
• Factsheet on Visa issues for Iranian students submitted
to Congressman Marty Meehan of Massachusetts
• Persian Gulf Historical and Legal Factsheet for National
Iranian-American Council and other Iranian-American
Organizations challenging National Geographic
• Organizational Support for Harvard Carr Center Lectures
and MIT Women’s Studies Lectures
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Solid Position Within MIT
• MIT has increasingly recognized ISG as a promising
research center. ISG is featured in the MIT Middle East
catalog as one of the main knowledge bases for Iranian
Studies.
• President’s office at MIT has pledged to include ISG in
its fundraising efforts
• Director for Center for International Studies at MIT has
expressed interest in extensive cooperation with ISG.
• Dean of the Humanities and Social Sciences has
expressed support for ISG’s research program.
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Sustainability and Continuity
• As a student-based organization, we have tried hard to
design our structure so it will not be dependent on
particular people
• Much of the work takes place In virtual space enabling
former members to continue cooperation
• Process documentation work has been meticulous
• Transition periods have been designed to transfer
organizational knowledge and memory to new
Executives
• Executive board members are automatically nominated
for Board of Director positions and kept in contact with
organization
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Similar Organizations
• ISG is a unique organization, yet there are other organizations that engage in
one or more aspect of ISG’s activities.
Organization(s)
Activities
University-based Iranian Studies
Centers Nationwide
(Harvard, UCLA, UMD, Columbia,
Purdue, etc.)
Academic Research on Iran, mostly with historical
perspectives. Little or no applied research. Limited
aspects of expertise, mostly limited to one or more
faculty members working on Iran.
Center for Iranian Research and
Analysis (CIRA)
Started similar to ISG, more limited to political analysis
of Iranian issues.
Foundation for Iranian Studies (FIS)
Scope of intent similar to ISG, yet more from a
historical perspective. Little or no economic and
technological domain expertise
Society for Iranian Studies
Traditional Iranian Studies Research Center
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Our Value Added
• Core Organizational Capabilities:
•Areas of Expertise: Contemporary Iranian politics, Iranian economic
development, Iranian technological development, public policy, political
economy, systems thinking, International relations, Iranian social history,
International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution and Iranian Science-Policy
• Excellence: Members are among the best of their peers with tens of
national and international awards for academic achievements in science,
engineering and management.
• Credibility: Affiliation with MIT, alongside with enormous success and public
support for past activities has made ISG one of the most credible
organizations within the limits of its activities.
• Non-partisanship and Objectivity: The ISG principle of not advocating
positions or politics as part of its research has allowed us to form relations
with individuals and organizations from all walks of Iranian and IranianAmerican society.
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
• Our Network
Our Value Added
• Our academic network includes hundreds of Iranian-American
academics and Iranian graduate students across the United States,
We also have close contact with more than a dozen American
experts on Iranian issues at different think tanks and universities in
the U.S.
• Our entrepreneurs network reaches CEOs, CTOs and VPs of Top
Fortune 500 companies such as Yahoo, Oracle, Google, AT&T,
CISCO and AMB Corp., as well as many smaller high-tech firms
managed or run by Iranian-American execs.
• Our network in Iran includes faculty members and students in
departments of management and engineering at Sharif University of
Technology and Tehran University.
•We are connected to more than 40 Iranian-American organizations
that support our activities on Iranian-American issues.
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Financial Support
• ISG receives limited funding ($200-$300 per semester) from the
Graduate Student Council for its lectures. These do not cover travel
costs for speakers.
• ISG Executive Board Members are committed volunteers, and
administrative costs are minimal.
• We have come a long way with limited funding and the good will of
our members and extended network. Yet, it is impossible to become
a more professional and sustainable organization without the
support of the community.
• We need to outsource many of our routine activities to professionals
who can take the quality to the next level.
• Donations to ISG are channeled through the MIT accounting office,
and are considered gifts to MIT. Donations are tax deductible. MIT
supervises all financial transactions for the group and requires
detailed receipts for all reimbursements.
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Iranian Studies Group at MIT ‫گروه مطالعات ایرانی دانشگاه‬
Moral and Strategic Support
• Our growth is not just a matter of financial support.
• As business and community leaders and successful professionals,
we need your feedback in strengthening our organization
• We need to establish ourselves in the Boston area more than ever
before, and we need champions. We would like you to help us
create solid foundations within the Boston-area community.
• Let us know of how you think we could best structure our efforts
given our goals.
Thank You for Coming, For listening and for
providing Feedback. We appreciate it.
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