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MEHRAN HAGHIRIAN
Mehran Haghirian is the Director of Regional Initiatives at the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a London-based think tank dedicated to advancing economic development, economic diplomacy, and economic justice in the Middle East and Central Asia. His career focuses on conflict resolution and diplomacy, with a particular emphasis on the Persian Gulf region. Haghirian holds a PhD in Gulf Studies from Qatar University and a master’s degree in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service in Washington, DC. He has previously served as a researcher and assistant director at the Ibn Khaldon Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, a visiting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and a program assistant at the Atlantic Council's Future of Iran Initiative. Currently, Haghirian leads the Integrated Futures Initiative, a project aimed at strengthening economic diplomacy and fostering regional cooperation in the Gulf.
EDUCATION
August 2018 – May 2024
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN [PERSIAN] GULF STUDIES
QATAR UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Doha, Qatar
Dissertation: Differentiating Foreign Policy Strategies in the Arabian Peninsula: The Decision-Making Calculus towards Iran
Most Distinguished Student, College of Arts and Sciences (Spring 2024)
August 2015 – May 2017
MASTER OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
Washington, DC
Thesis: Effectuating A Cooperative Future Between Iran and the Arab States of the Persian Gulf
June – July 2016
CERTIFICATE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND MULTILATERAL GOVERNANCE
GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF GENEVA
Geneva, Switzerland
August 2012 – May 2015
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PEACE STUDIES
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY, WILKINSON COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Orange, CA
Honors: Sigma Iota Rho
January 2011 – May 2012
MAJORED IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
Boston, MA
September 2007 – June 2010
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
INSTITUT LE ROSEY
Rolle and Gstaad, Switzerland
WORK EXPERIENCE
BOURSE & BAZAAR FOUNDATION
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Director of Regional Initiatives
March 2021 - Present
EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
BERLIN, GERMANY (REMOTE)
Visiting Fellow, Middle East and North Africa programme
March - October 2022
IBN KHALDON CENTER FOR HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
DOHA, QATAR
Researcher in International Affairs
October 2018 – October 2022
ATLANTIC COUNCIL, FUTURE OF IRAN INITIATIVE
WASHINGTON, DC
Program Assistant
August 2016 – May 2017
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
WASHINGTON, DC
Graduate Teaching Assistant
January 2016 – December 2016
Graduate Assistant to Professor Fereshteh Nouraei-Simone in a graduate level course titled SIS-619 — Iran and the United States: Conflict and Rapprochement (Fall 2016)
Teaching Assistant to Professor Fereshteh Nouraei-Simone in an undergraduate level course titled SISU-380 — Iran and Middle East Conflicts (Spring 2016)
COMMENTARIES
"Denmark: Cashing in on Sweden's Eurovision"
BBC World Service - Business Daily
February 6, 2024
Interviewed by Daniel Rosney
"BRICS Membership Won't Solve Iran's Crisis of Legitimacy at Home"
DAWN
September 2023
Interviewed by Giorgio Cafiero
"The Unique Promise of Environmental Cooperation in the Gulf"
Center for Strategic and International Studies
July 11, 2023
Interviewed by Will Todman
"Gulf Regional Economic Cooperation: Challenges and Opportunities"
Qatar Economic Forum
May 24, 2023
Panelist
“La réconciliation entre Téhéran et Riyad a peu de chance de sauver l’économie iranienne”
Le Monde
April 20, 2023
Interviewed by Ghazal Golshiri
"Qatar-Iran Ties Deepen Amid Shifting Regional Consensus"
Middle East Institute - National University of Singapore
August 17, 2022
Interviewed by Clemens Chay
“Close call between Iran and US naval ships in Strait of Hormuz”
The World - PRI
June 21, 2022
Interviewed by Carol Hills
“Why a terror designation is the last sticking point in Iran-US talks”
CNN
March 28, 2022
Quoted by Mostafa Salem and Nadeen Ebrahim
"From Washington to Tehran: Doha’s Diplomacy at Work"
ISPI
February 3, 2022
Commentary
"Soft Power and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar"
Ibn Khaldon Center for Humanities and Social Sciences
November 5, 2021
Presented research on "Soft Power and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar: Learning from Experiences of Past Mega-Sporting Event Hosts"
"Hypes and Hopes for the Iranian Nuclear Deal"
ISPI
November 29, 2021
Commentary
"Gulf Studies Center 6th Annual Conference"
Qatar University
November 7, 2021
Presented research on "Reconfiguring the Regional Security Architecture in the Persian Gulf: Intra-GCC Conflicts, Relations with Iran, and Great Power Interests"
"‘Nuclear terrorism’ in Natanz threatens diplomacy in Vienna"
TRT World
April 13, 2021
Quoted by Giorgio Cafiero
"Iran’s threat to Israel more sound than fury"
Asia Times
January 12, 2021
Quoted by Kourosh Ziabari
“What will reduced tensions within the GCC mean for Iran?”
Al Jazeera
January 7, 2021
Quoted by Maziar Motamedi
"Iran in the New Eurasian Context"
Bourse & Bazaar and the Middle East Institute – Singapore (Webinar)
July 30, 2020
Presented research on “The Rivalry between Iran and the GCC States in the Eurasian Context”
“Iran plays diplomatic hardball ahead of enrichment deadline”
Al Jazeera
July 8, 2019
Quoted by Ted Regencia
“Is Trump baiting Iran into an armed confrontation?”
Al Jazeera
January 28, 2019
Quoted by Ted Regencia
“Iran president Rouhani warns country faces 'war situation'as he vows to bypass new US sanctions”
The Independent
November 5, 2018
Quoted by Borzou Daragahi
“How Iran Hopes to Counterpunch Trump”
The Daily Beast
May 11, 2018
Quoted by Borzou Daragahi