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Shahram Akbarzadeh

Shahram Akbarzadeh

Professor of Middle East & Central Asian Politics, Deputy Director (International), Alfred Deakin Research Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University

Shahram Akbarzadeh is Research Professor of Middle East & Central Asian Politics and Convenor of Middle East Studies Forum (MESF) at Deakin University.

He has an active research interest in the politics of Central Asia, Islam, Muslims in Australia and the Middle East.He has been involved in organising a number of key conferences, including a Chatham House rule workshop on Australia's relations with Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan (2007), sponsored by the International Centre of Excellence for Asia Pacific Studies, and a conference on the Arab Revolution with Freedom House, sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

In 2000 Professor Akbarzadeh was the Middle East Studies conference co-convener and served as the Central and West Asia Councillor for the Asian Studies Association of Australia (1999-2004). He has promoted Asian studies through contacts with industry and the academia by research and publication. He guest edited a special issue of Asian Studies Review on the Middle East (Vol.25, No.2, 2001) and a special issue of the Journal of Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies on Globalization (Vol. 5, No.2, 2000).

He has published more than 40 refereed papers. Among his latest publications are a sole-authored book on Uzbekistan and the United States, a co-authored book on US Foreign Policy in the Middle East, and a co-authored book on Muslim Active Citizenship in the West.

Professor Akbarzadeh is the founding Editor of the Islamic Studies Series, published by Melbourne University Press, and a regular public commentator. He has produced key reports for the Australian Research Council (ARC) on Australian based scholarship on Islam, and also for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) on Muslim Voices and Mapping Employment and Education; and has produced a report on Islam in the Australian media. He acted as Convenor of the Islam Node for the ARC Asia Pacific Futures Research Network.

He is a member of the Editorial Board of four leading refereed journals: Global Change, Peace & Security, the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, the Journal of Asian Security & International Affairs, and Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs; and an International Advisory Board member of the World Journal of Islamic History and Civilization.

Global Geopolitics Series

Is Iran’s anti-Israel and American rhetoric all bark and no bite?

Sep 03, 2024 00:31 am UTC| Insights & Views

On August 27, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, told the newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and his cabinet that talking to the enemy may be useful. In a thinly veiled reference...

Global Geopolitics Series

Iran is gaining credibility in the Muslim world and feeling emboldened

May 08, 2024 11:06 am UTC| Insights & Views

Irans leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires on Gaza, every US veto of a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution, and every arrest of an anti-war...

Global Geopolitics Series

Despite its inflammatory rhetoric, Iran is unlikely to attack Israel. Here's why

Oct 27, 2023 14:54 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Iran has warned Israel of severe consequences from multiple fronts if it does not halt its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip. This warning is widely interpreted as a declaration of intent for Iran to enter the...

Global Geopolitics Series

Iran vows revenge for Soleimani's killing, but here's why it won't seek direct confrontation with the US

Jan 07, 2020 15:31 pm UTC| Insights & Views

US President Donald Trump has not held back on threatening Iran after the targeted killing of General Qassem Soleimani, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and a key player in expanding Irans links with armed...

Hassan Rouhani's economic legacy may be his key to winning a second term

May 19, 2017 05:47 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy Politics

Todays presidential election in Iran had turned into a vote of confidence for President Hassan Rouhanis four years in office. Irans economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy have become key electoral...

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Economy

Asian Currencies Weaken as Dollar Rebounds Amid Middle East Uncertainty and Japan Inflation Data

Most Asian currencies declined on Tuesday as mixed signals surrounding the Middle East conflict, a recovering U.S. dollar, and softer Japanese inflation data weighed on regional markets. Investors remained cautious as...

Japan's Private Sector Growth Slows in March Amid Rising Costs and Middle East Uncertainty

Japans private sector expansion lost steam in March 2025, with both manufacturing and services activity cooling as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East drove up business costs and dampened confidence, according to the...

Australia-EU Free Trade Deal Signed After Years of Negotiations

Australia and the European Union have officially signed a landmark free trade agreement, marking the end of years of negotiations and opening a new chapter in economic relations between the two regions. The deal gained...

Suspicious Oil Market Trades Precede Trump's Iran Peace Post by 15 Minutes

Financial markets are buzzing with controversy after a report by the Financial Times revealed that roughly $580 million in oil futures were traded just 15 minutes before President Donald Trump published a post on Truth...

U.S. Futures Slide as Iran Denies Nuclear Talks with Washington

U.S. stock index futures declined Monday evening after Iran officially denied engaging in any diplomatic discussions with Washington, contradicting earlier statements from President Donald Trump that suggested progress...

Politics

U.S. and Costa Rica Reach Deportation Transfer Agreement

The United States and Costa Rica have officially signed a preliminary agreement allowing Costa Rica to receive third-country migrants deported by the U.S. government. The announcement was made by Costa Ricas presidency on...

Bolsonaro Released from ICU After Lung Infection Battle

Brazils former President Jair Bolsonaro has been moved out of intensive care following a challenging hospitalization, local media confirmed on Monday. The 71-year-old was transferred to a standard hospital room after...

Israel Eyes Litani River as New Border Amid Escalating Lebanon Offensive

Israels Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has publicly called for redrawing Israels northern boundary to reach the Litani River, deep within Lebanese territory marking one of the most direct statements yet from a senior...

Trump Visits Graceland, Pays Tribute to Elvis Presley During Memphis Trip

President Donald Trump made a memorable stop at Graceland, Elvis Presleys iconic Memphis estate, expressing his lifelong admiration for the King of Rock and Roll during a visit focused on federal efforts to reduce crime in...

Kim Jong Un Declares Nuclear Forces Permanent, Labels South Korea "Most Hostile State"

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed his countrys commitment to expanding its nuclear arsenal, declaring the nations status as a nuclear-armed state irreversible. Speaking before the Supreme Peoples Assembly on...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Nintendo Switch 2 Production Cut as Holiday Sales Miss Targets

Nintendo has announced plans to scale back production of its Switch 2 console following disappointing holiday season sales, particularly in the United States. According to a Bloomberg report, the Japanese gaming giant will...

Elon Musk Announces Terafab: SpaceX and Tesla to Build Dual AI Chip Factories in Austin, Texas

Elon Musk revealed plans for a massive dual-chip manufacturing complex called Terafab in Austin, Texas, set to be jointly developed by SpaceX and Tesla. The announcement marks a significant step in Musks broader strategy...

NVIDIA's Feynman AI Chip May Face Redesign Amid TSMC Capacity Crunch

NVIDIA could be forced to redesign its next-generation Feynman artificial intelligence chip platform as contract manufacturing giant TSMC struggles to keep pace with surging global demand. According to a report from...

Elliott Investment Management Takes Multibillion-Dollar Stake in Synopsys

Activist hedge fund Elliott Investment Management has quietly built a multibillion-dollar position in Synopsys, the electronic design automation (EDA) giant, signaling a push for stronger financial performance from one of...

Palantir's Maven AI Earns Pentagon "Program of Record" Status, Reshaping Military AI Strategy

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) is drawing renewed investor and industry attention after the U.S. Department of Defense officially designated its Maven Smart System as a program of record, a classification that...
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