German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

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Hamid Talebian

Doctoral Researcher

Hamid Talebian

  • Short CV

    • Since 03/2022: Research fellow at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies
    • Since 10/2022: Doctoral researcher at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies and University of Hamburg
    • 11/2021 - 12/2021: Consultant at the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
    • 03/2021 - 07/2021: Gender-based violence (GBV) advising assistant at the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
    • 2015-2018: Research fellow/coordinator at Iran Future Studies Research Institute 
    • Education: B.A. in Political Science, University of Tehran; MPhil in Global Development (specialization in Gender), University of Bergen

    Current Research

    • Iran's foreign policy towards Africa 
    • Transnational Shia politics and networks

    Countries and Regions

    • Iran
    • African continent (external actors)

    Dissertation

    • Iran's Educational and Sectarian-Revolutionary Para-Statal Actors in Sub-Saharan Africa: Explaining the Islamic Republic of Iran's Articulation of its (Soft) Power

    Hamid Talebian

    Doctoral Researcher

    T. +49 40 42825-622hamid.talebian@giga-hamburg.de

    Publications

    Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies | 2023

    The Evolvement of Iran–Israel’s Rivalry in the Red Sea and Eastern Africa

    This paper reviews the history of involvement of the two countries in these regions, and analyses how policies of confrontation in both countries have changed and developed over the different historical periods.

    Hamid Talebian

    Doctoral Researcher

    Dr. Sara Bazoobandi

    Research Fellow / Research Team Spokesperson

    GIGA Focus Global | 6/2022

    Bolstering the Bromances: Turkey’s and Iran’s Tightening Ties with Africa

    The war against Ukraine has created possibilities for emerging actors in Africa – such as Iran and Turkey – to scale up their engagement with the continent. This Focus deals with the question of how the changing global dynamics are allowing Iran and Turkey to boost their ties across the African continent.

    Mira Demirdirek

    Doctoral Researcher

    Hamid Talebian

    Doctoral Researcher

    GIGA Focus Middle East | 6/2022

    Iran’s Uprisings: A Feminist Foreign Policy Approach

    Iran’s uprisings carry strong implications for states that have adopted a feminist foreign policy. For Germany, this is an opportunity to showcase the potential of its recent turn towards a new feminist foreign policy agenda.

    Diba Mirzaei

    Doctoral Researcher

    Hamid Talebian

    Doctoral Researcher

    Research Projects

    Research Project | 01/03/2022 - 28/02/2025

    Explaining Middle-Power Engagement in External Regions: A Comparison of Iranian, Saudi, and Turkish Sub-Saharan Africa Policies

    By means of a comparative historical analysis of Iranian, Saudi-Arabian, and Turkish engagement in Africa following the continent’s decolonization processes and running up until 2020, this project seeks to make sense of middle-power engagement in external regions. First, the project will identify the periods of shifting IST engagement in Africa. Second, it will analyze the reasons why, and the conditions under which, IST have stepped up—or reduced—their foreign policy efforts in Africa. Third, it will develop mid-range generalizations on middle-power engagement in external regions.
    DFG, 2022-2025

    Media Contributions

    Radio France Internationale (RFI) | Interview | 27/01/2024

    La visite du Premier ministre du Niger, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, en Iran: surmonter les sanctions et chercher des alliés

    Le Monde Afrique | Interview | 09/01/2024

    Au Sahel, l’Iran en pleine offensive diplomatique

    Hamid Talebian explains that recent Iranian outreach to the Sahel is driven by building anti-Western alliances with countries that are increasingly moving away from the 'West'.

    Il Sole 24 Ore | Quote | 01/11/2023

    Dalle armi al Sudan al Mar Rosso, così l’Iran di Raisi cerca di espandersi in Africa

    Hamid Talebian provides context for Iran's activities in the Horn of Africa and its consequences for Iran-Israel rivalries in the Red Sea and Eastern Africa.

    Lectures

    GIGA Forum | 13/09/2023

    Can Germany’s Feminist Foreign Policy Work in Afghanistan, Iran, and Ukraine?

    Can Germany’s Feminist Foreign Policy Work in Afghanistan, Iran, and Ukraine?, GIGA, Neuer Jungfernstieg 21 (room 243), 20354 Hamburg, Germany, and online Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Hamid Talebian (Speaker)

    Hamid Talebian

    Doctoral Researcher

    Conference | 21/09/2023 - 23/09/2023

    Iran’s Africa policy during the 1970s: An Unfinished Project

    29th International DAVO Congress, Universität Wien, Vienna Organisers: German Middle East Studies Association for Contemporary Research and Documentation Hamid Talebian (Speaker)

    Presentation at the 29th International DAVO Congress, Universität Wien, Vienna

    Hamid Talebian

    Doctoral Researcher

    Conference | 11/07/2023 - 13/07/2023

    Iran-Israel’s Rivalry in the Red Sea: Spill Over of the Mediterranean Proxy War?

    Gulf Research Meeting 2023, Cambridge University, Cambridge Organisers: Gulf Research Centre Cambridge Hamid Talebian (Speaker), Dr. Sara Bazoobandi (Speaker)

    Presentation of a draft paper by Dr. Sara Bazoobandi and Hamid Talebian at the annual Gulf Research Meeting conference.

    Hamid Talebian

    Doctoral Researcher

    Dr. Sara Bazoobandi

    Research Fellow / Research Team Spokesperson

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