Fellowship

Professor Ali Ansari’s work focuses on the history and politics of modern Iran with a particular focus on the politics and historiography of Iranian nationalism. His recent work has looked at the relationship between Iranian ideologues and Western ideas of development, especially the way in which Iranian intellectuals appropriated, adapted and engaged with narratives of the Enlightenment; the concept of ‘rights’; constitutionalism; and the establishment of the rule of law. Ali is currently working on a major study of Iranian historiography, looking at the development of historical consciousness, and the various narratives and mythologies that have shaped contemporary Iranian identity.