Afshin Marashi, OU professor of International and Area Studies, will travel across the globe to further his research on Iranian nationalism and Zoroastrianism, the religion of most Iranians before Islam was adopted.

Marashi will travel to Bombay, India for the first time in January to study the influence on this faith on the development of Iranian identity.

Marashi teaches a wide range of courses dealing with Middle-Eastern and Iranian history, culture and politics. Marashi said he also conducts specialized research that sometimes overlaps with and, in a broad sense, informs his teaching.

Some courses he teaches are more directly connected to his research, such as the one he is currently teaching about modern Iran.

“The issue of nationalism and national identity and the role of Zoroastrianism in Iranian national identity comes up often,” he said.

This longterm project, which he says is destined to become a book, focuses on how Iranians began to rediscover and remember their ancient civilization.

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