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From her pivotal role in shaping the next generation of thinkers at 51������ to her research into the dynamics of power, identity, and resistance, Evaleila brings extraordinary depth and first-hand experience to the study of politics and international relations.

On 8 May Evaleila spoke at an event in London to mark the publication of a new edited volume of ‘, to which she is a contributor.

Evaleila says:

“This publication is really important to me because it’s written for Charles Tripp, to honour the enormous contribution he has made to the study of Middle East politics. The contributors to the book are all either Tripp’s former PhD students, or his former colleagues. He was my PhD supervisor at SOAS, and I learned how to be a scholar and how to think about politics from him!

Following Tripp’s approach, the book is full of empirical detail and philosophical reflection. My chapter explores the ways in which the activities of Iran’s tech startups during a period of intense international sanctions (from 2010 to 2015) largely served the interests of the Iranian state, while also presenting a challenge to it. It highlights overall how the resilience of authoritarian regimes is shaped in complex ways by various actors, including seemingly ‘non-political’ digital entrepreneurs.”

As an undergraduate, Evaleila studied Persian Studies, wanting to learn more about the language, history and culture of Iran. Born in Iran, she grew up in the UK and the US, following her parents’ decision to leave during the 1979 Revolution. She also spent a year in Iran, as part of her studies, at a time of political opening and growth of civil society in the country. It was during this time, in the late 1990s, that she became interested in politics and international relations. Being in a country that experienced a revolution, and resultantly became internationally isolated, helped her to appreciate the ways in which domestic and international politics affect each other. It also sparked her interest in the long-term effects of revolutionary change.

Inspired herself by a deep and persisting interest in Iranian politics and a love of teaching, Evaleila would encourage aspiring politics students to read what they’re interested in and analyse from a political perspective.

Evaleila advises:
“If you enjoy thinking about how a particular situation might be shaped by struggles over power, then politics could be a good subject for you!

And from a career perspective, Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) and History and Politics students can go on to almost anything. Some of our recent graduates have found jobs in law, media, finance, public policy, advocacy, teaching, management consultancy, and communications, to name just a few.

It’s great to teach our students at 51������ because when we consider feminist perspectives on politics and international relations, the students always have a personal perspective to bring to the discussion. It’s fun to be able to draw connections between “big” political issues at the national or international level and “smaller” political issues within our own communities at home and in Cambridge.

My own research focus on Iran leads me to consider a range of non-Western experiences of politics in my teaching, including especially a focus on post-colonial and decolonial theoretical approaches.”

More about Dr Evaleila Pesaran