The Institute

The field of Iranian Studies focuses on the societies and cultures of the Iranian-speaking world from pre-Islamic times to the present day. Iranian Studies in Göttingen in particular is not limited only to the present-day borders of Iran, but it also includes other regions influenced by the Persian language and culture in its research and teaching. Here in Göttingen, Iranian Studies is offered both as B.A. and M.A. programs.

In the B.A. program for Iranian Studies great value and importance is placed on a high-quality language education which will open up many paths for graduates who want to further their studies into research, as well as for those pursuing a non-university professional life. The bachelor students have the opportunity to study Iranian Studies combined with another B.A. program as part of the two-subject bachelor's.

The English-speaking M.A. program requires an adequate knowledge of Persian. The Iranian and Persianate Studies M.A. provides a deeper and more specialized knowledge of the language, literature, history, society, and culture of Iran and the Persianate world. The students can study the M.A. program as a single-honors master, or as a joint honors program combined with one or two minors.

Iranian Studies in Göttingen has a long tradition, with several influential scholars studying, teaching, and working in this department in the last century. Doctoral students, staff and visiting scholars work and conduct research in various fields of Iranian Studies at the department. While the focus had been on pre-Islamic Iran and philology in the past, today’s research focus is on Indo-Persian history and culture.

The Iranian Studies library is part of the KWZ library. It has an extensive collection of books, journals, and other printed material on pre-Islamic Iran and Iranian philology. The institute itself houses a collection of Iranian films.