Naysan Adlparvar is a Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer in the Council on Middle East Studies (CMES). He was awarded a Rice Faculty Fellowship for the 2017-18 academic year. Naysan recently completed his PhD thesis, at the University of Sussex’s Institute of Development Studies (UK), investigating the changing nature of ethnic and religious identity in Afghanistan’s Bamyan Valley. His PhD research documented the effects of conflict and the impacts of post-2001 political reconstruction upon inter-ethnic relations in Bamyan.
Naysan’s primary research interests surround the nature of social relations in conflict-affected and transitional contexts. This includes not only research on identity, ethnicity and religious affiliation, but also examination of processes of social cohesion, local peacebuilding, and of issues surrounding the integration of refugees into host communities. In 2016, Naysan published an article entitled ‘The Evolution of Ethnicity Theory: Intersectionality, Geopolitics and Development’ that discusses the development of, and potential new frontiers of research in, ethnicity theory.
Naysan has previously worked for non-governmental organizations and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Afghanistan, Jordan and Iraq conducting research and providing technical advice. His work has focused on poverty reduction, community development, gender, and issues pertaining to social inclusion. He currently works with UNDP in Iraq to engage minorities and vulnerable groups in political and legislative processes.
Naysan will teach ‘Development and Change in Iraq and Afghanistan’ in Spring 2018. This course introduces students to contemporary developmental issues in the transitional contexts of Iraq and Afghanistan.