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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

Oil Prices Soar Over 8% After Israel Launches Preemptive Strike on Iran

Oil prices surged sharply in Asian markets on Friday after Israel launched a large-scale preemptive airstrike on Iran, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict and potential disruptions to global oil supply. As of...

Gold Soars as Israel-Iran Conflict Triggers Safe-Haven Rush

Gold prices surged in Asian trading on Friday as geopolitical tensions escalated following Israels preemptive airstrikes on Iran, targeting numerous military and nuclear facilities. The strikes triggered a wave of...

Dollar Gains with Yen and Franc as Israel Strikes Iran, Oil and Gold Prices Surge

The U.S. dollar rose sharply alongside safe-haven currencies like the Japanese yen and Swiss franc following reports that Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. Two U.S. officials confirmed the strikes to Reuters, clarifying...

Japan Denies Discussing U.S. Treasury Holdings in Tariff Talks

Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato clarified on Friday that Japans $1 trillion-plus U.S. Treasury holdings were not specifically discussed in meetings with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Speaking at a regular...

US Stock Futures Drop as Israel Launches Strikes on Iran

U.S. stock futures plunged late Thursday following reports that Israel launched military strikes on Iran. The SP 500 Futures dropped 1.5% to 5,961.75, Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 1.7% to 21,567.55, and Dow Jones Futures...

Politics

Trump to Hold Security Meeting After Israeli Strikes on Iran Raise Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump will convene a National Security Council meeting at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) on Friday, following Israeli airstrikes on Iran that heightened fears of wider conflict in the Middle East. The White House...

Iran Vows Harsh Retaliation After Israeli Strike on Nuclear Sites

Iran has warned of a harsh and decisive retaliation following an Israeli airstrike on its nuclear facilities early Friday, escalating fears of a broader Middle East conflict. According to a high-ranking Iranian security...

Israel Coordinated Iran Strike with U.S., Denies Rift Claims

Israel fully coordinated its recent military strike on Iranian targets with the United States and informed Washington ahead of the operation, according to an Israeli official quoted by state broadcaster Kan on Friday. The...

South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung Vows Business-Friendly Trade Talks with U.S.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed his commitment to pro-business policies and trade reform on Friday, pledging to ease regulations and accelerate tariff negotiations with the United States. Speaking at a...

Senator Padilla Handcuffed During DHS Press Conference, Sparks Outrage

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed, handcuffed, and briefly detained during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference in Los Angeles on June 12. Padilla, a Democrat from California, attempted to...

Science

NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are steadily recovering after spending nine unexpected months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeings Starliner capsule. Initially intended...

SpaceX Starship Test Flight Reaches New Heights but Ends in Setback

SpaceXs massive Starship rocket, central to Elon Musks vision for interplanetary travel, launched its ninth uncrewed test flight from Starbase, Texas, on May 27, 2025. The two-stage vehiclecomprising the upper-stage...

Trump’s nomination for NASA leader boasts business and commercial spaceflight experience during a period of uncertainty for the agency

Jared Isaacman, billionaire, CEO and nominee to become the next NASA administrator, faced questions on April 9, 2025, from members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation during his confirmation...

Lab-grown meat: you may find it icky, but it could drive forward medical research

Lab-grown meat causes heated debates. Proponents see benefits for the climate and animal welfare. Opponents worry about a Frankenstein food they regard as risky and unnatural. Whatever your opinion, the technology...

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

Technology

Apple Shifts iPhone Exports from India to U.S. to Bypass China Tariffs

Apple is ramping up iPhone exports from India to the U.S. to sidestep rising tariffs on Chinese-made devices. From March to May 2025, Foxconn exported $3.2 billion worth of iPhones from India, with a striking 97% headed to...

FAA Closes Investigation Into SpaceX Starship Flight 8 Engine Failure

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that it has officially concluded its investigation into the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap, attributing the incident to a hardware failure in one of the...

Meta Invests $14.3B in Scale AI to Boost AGI Ambitions

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has made a strategic $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, valuing the AI data infrastructure startup at over $29 billion. The move marks Metas second-largest deal after its $19 billion...

Reddit User Growth Slows for Third Straight Month as Digital Ad Market Rebounds

Reddits user base declined for the third consecutive month in May, according to Piper Sandler. The platform lost 6 million users month-over-month, driven mainly by a 7 million drop in feed ad units. Conversation units,...

OpenAI Eyes $40B Fundraise with Backing from Saudi PIF, Reliance, and SoftBank

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions with major global investors, including Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Indias Reliance Industries (NSE:RELI), as it seeks to raise up to $40 billion in fresh funding,...
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