Doctoral research fellow  Niusha Hajian

In her research, Niusha Hajian explores how non-dominant political and ethnic groups in Iran have conceptualized and continuously re-articulated their perspectives on Middle Eastern conflicts and foreign policy since the mid-twentieth century. Departing from state-centered approaches, the project shifts focus toward alternative political and intellectual currents spanning the pre- and post-1979 revolutionary eras, including left-leaning, nationalist, Islamist, and grassroots movements.

The study traces key historical junctures, and by employing discourse analysis on political writings, publications, and media during the key moments will demonstrate how diverse Iranian factions have framed and reframed their perspectives on regional foreign policy in response to Iran's shifting national landscape. The findings will ultimately reveal that Iranian geopolitical discourse has never been monolithic or ideologically fixed; rather, it remains a contested, layered, and historically contingent debate.