Iranian Peace Studies Scientific Association
The Iranian Peace Studies Scientific Association (IPSAN) is a non-profit, interdisciplinary association that started to operate in 2015 [1] with the official permit from the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Association admits members who have graduated from the fields of political science, international relations, psychology, education, law, sociology, ethnic studies and anthropology.
Background
On Wednesday, 17 June 2015, thanks to the efforts made by Dr Mojtaba Maghsoudi (Associate Professor at the Islamic Azad University of Central Tehran Branch), the Iranian Peace Studies Scientific Association (IPSAN) was officially established in its first General Assembly and its board members were elected. The Association aims at promoting peace studies and culture.
Founding Board
Founding Board Members of the IPSAN
| Members | Areas of Specialty |
| Mojtaba Maghsoudi | Political Science |
| Mohammad Amin Ghanei Rad | Sociology |
| Maghsoud Ferasatkhah | Higher Education Development Planning |
| Nasrin Mosaffa | Political Science |
| Davoud Hermidas-Bavand | International Relations |
| Bagher Shamlou | Criminal Law and Criminology |
| Mohammadreza Tajik | Political Discourse Analysis |
| Tahereh Miremadi | International Relations |
| Gholamreza Memarzadeh | Public Administration |
| Majid Khorshidi | Political Science |
| Mohsen Khalili | Political Science |
| Elaheh Hejazi | Political Science |
| Jafar Tofighi Darian | Chemical Engineering |
| Reza Eslami | International Law |
| Akram Ghadimi | Political Science |
Members of the First Board
2015-2018
| Members | Positions |
| Mojtaba Maghsoudi | Chairman of the Board |
| Mansour Rahmani | Deputy Chair |
| Mohammad Amin Ghanei Rad | Board Member |
| Bagher Shamlou | Board Member |
| Ali Morshedizad | Treasurer |
| Tahereh Ebrahimifar | Inspector |
| Majid Khorshidi | Alternate Member |
| Gholamreza Memarzadeh | Alternate Member |
| Iman Mirzazadeh | Alternate Inspector |
Members of the Second Board
2018
| Members | Positions |
| Mojtaba Maghsoudi | Chairman of the Board |
| AbdolAmir Nabavi | Board Member |
| Bagher Shamlou | Board Member |
| Mohammad Mansournejad | Board Member |
| Ali Morshedizad | Treasurer |
| AmirHoushang Mirkoushesh | Inspector |
| Ali Malekpour | Alternate Member |
| Mehrdad Khorram Nasr | Alternate Inspector |
Members of the Third Board
2021
| Members | Positions |
| Mandana Tishehyar | Chair of the Board |
| AbdolAmir Nabavi | Board Member |
| Nematollah Fazeli | Board Member |
| Mohammad Mansournejad | Board Member |
| Neda Haji Vosough | Treasurer |
| Mojtaba Maghsoudi | Inspector |
| AmirHoushang Mirkoushesh | Alternate Member |
| Mehrdad Khorram Nasr | Alternate Member |
| Shaghayegh Heidari | Alternate Inspector |
Goals
- Advancement and development of the field of Peace Studies;
- Development of specialised forces in the field of Peace Studies;
- Conducting joint scientific and cultural research at the national and international levels in partnership with researchers involved in Peace Studies;
- Cooperation with administrative, scientific, and research institutes;
- Offering educational and research services to individuals who are interested in Peace Studies;
- Publication of books and scholarly journals;
- Holding academic conferences and colloquia at national, regional, and international levels.
Previous Scientific Activities
- Participation in the organisation of above 20 international festivals, national conferences, and art festivals;
- Holding more than 20 scientific sessions, including roundtable discussions and session for book review, pathology, etc;
- Holding IPSAN’s first national conference entitled “What is Peace? Conceptual-Theoretical Foundations and Strategic Perspectives,” with more than 40 speakers;
- Publication of IPSAN’s first Book of Abstracts, entitled Chisti-ye Solh; Mabāni-ye Mafhumi-Nazari va Cheshmandāz-hāye Rāhbordi [What is Peace? Conceptual-Theoretical Foundations and Strategic Perspectives] including more than 145 abstracts;
- Signature of MoUs on scientific cooperation with governmental and non-governmental institutions and universities;
- Activities conducted by scientific committees.
Previous Administrative Activities
- Holding general assemblies and board elections;
- Preparing the Association’s organisational chart;
- Setting up and equipment of the Association’s headquarters;
- Regular monthly meetings of the Board;
- Received a licence for the Quarterly Journal of Peace Studies from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran;
- Creation and publication of the Association’s calendar entitled “Peace Courier”;
- Setting up the Association’s website and Telegram channel;
- Setting up a Telegram channel entitled the “Specialized Peace Library” and introducing the latest scientific productions in Peace Studies;
- Visit to various scientific and cultural centres.
Selection of the IPSAN as an A-Grade Association in Iran
In the 22nd Festival of Top Researchers and Technologists of the Islamic Republic of Iran, held with the presence of the Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology and the Ministers of Science, Research and Technology, the Interior, and Sports, a number of university presidents and technology parks, and several governors in the Persian Gulf Conference Hall, Tehran International Exhibition, on 16 December 2021, the IPSAN was selected as an A-Grade Association, and Dr Mohammad Ali Zolfi Gol, Minister of Science, Research, and Technology bestowed a plaque of appreciation to Dr Mojtaba Maghsoudi, Chairman of the IPSAN Board.
It is worth mentioning that in 2021 the Association achieved this position from among the 440 MSRT-licensed scientific associations attending the Festival. The association had also received an A Grade from the Iranian Commission for Scientific Associations in 2020.
Specialised Groups
A considerable part of the scientific and research activities at IPSAN are conducted in a number of scientific-specialised groups. To date, 10 scientific-specialised groups are operating under the Association. Each group is dedicated to a specific field of Peace Studies, and its members are also experts in the same field. As the main pillars of the IPSAN, the groups are involved in regular organisation of meetings, seminars, conferences, and workshops, publication of articles and books, and conducting research projects in relevant fields. The groups are as follows:
- Women and Peace Studies Group
- Peace-related Book Review Group
- Peace and Environment Group
- International Relations and Peace Group
- Law and Peace Group
- Art and Peace Group
- Literature and Peace Group
- Translation and Peace Group
- Sports and Peace Group
- Sociology and Peace Group
Seminars
- Holding a seminar on “Peace and Interdisciplinary Studies” held at the Cultural Think Tank of the National Library of Iran on 21 September 2015. In this seminar, Maghsoud Ferasatkhah, Hossein Alaei, Reza Eslami, Mansour Rahmani, and Dr Mojtaba Maghsoudi delivered speeches.
- Seminar on “Religious Convergence and Peace Diplomacy in the Middle East” which was held at the Institute for Social and Cultural Studies on 19 April 2016. Mohammad Amin Ghane’i Rad, Seyed Javad Miri, and Mohammad Mansournejad delivered speeches in this seminar.
- A seminar in “Peace-based Curriculum,” with lectures by Mohammad Amin Ghane’i Rad, Mojtaba Maghsoudi, and Alireza Sadeghi, which held at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 9 March 2016.
- Roundtable Conference in “Review and Criticism of the book of TowhidGara’i va Solh”, with the presence of the author, Emad Afrough, and three critics, Majid Tavassoli, Abbas Khalaji, and Ali Morshedizad, a faculty member at Shahed University. The Roundtable Conference was held in the IQNA Agency’s Hall on 2 August 2016.
- Holding the “Peace in Children’s Literature” Festival with the presence of Mostafa Rahmandoust and Rabia Movahed at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 8 October 2016.
- Holding a seminar on “Research and Peace” at the Faculty of Political Science, Islamic Azad University of Central Tehran Branch, on 14 December 2016. Mojtaba Maghsoudi, Mohammad Javad Haghshenas, Shaghayegh Heidari, and Hamid Azizian were the speakers at this seminar.
- A Roundtable Conference on “Collective Thinking and Institutional Capacity Building” with the purpose of empowering the Association and setting up its specialised groups. The event was held at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 26 February 2017.
- Seminar in “Women and Peace,” with speeches by Sheida Mahnam, Mojtaba Maghsoudi, and Abbas Mohammadi Asl held at the Cultural Think Tank of the National Library of Iran on 5 March 2017.
- Holding a Conference on “Ethical Elections and Election Ethics,” with speeches by Mohammad Amin Ghane’i Rad, Seyed Ali Mahmoudi, Abbas Manouchehri, Mojtaba Maghsoudi, Mohammad Mehdi Mojahedi, Zahra Shojaei, Morteza Nabavi, Mohammad Mansournejad, and Mohammad Bagher Shamlou. The Conference was held in partnership with the Iranian Political Science Association at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 3 May 2017.
- The first annual conference in “What is Peace? Conceptual-Theoretical Foundations and Strategic Perspectives,” with more than 40 speakers and 230 abstracts, held at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 29 November 2017.
- Publication of the Book of Abstracts of IPSAN’s first annual conference entitled What is Peace? Conceptual-Theoretical Foundations and Strategic Perspectives. Mohammad Amin Ghane’i Rad and Shaghayegh Heydari were the scientific and executive secretaries of the conference, respectively.
- The seminar in “Women and Sustainable Peace” was held by the “Group for Women and Peace” of the Association at the Salam Hall of the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights, Peace, and Democracy, Shahid Beheshti University, on 4 December 2017. Reza Eslami, Maryam Ejlali, and Ali Malekpour delivered speeches in this seminar.
- The seminar on “Cyberspace, Women, and Social Injuries” was held by the Group for Women and Peace at the Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e Jam Branch, on 4 January 2018 and Mahnaz Amirpour, Fatemeh Daneshvar, Hamideh Saeedi, and Neda Hajivosough were the speakers of the event.
- The seminar on “Prospects for Peace in Afghanistan” was held at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 7 January 2019. Amrullah Saleh (former head of the Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security) spoke and Mojtaba Maghsoudi and Saeed Shokouhi were the coordinators of the event.
- A book review session was held for the review and criticism of the book Peace, Security, and Development at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 14 January 2019. Author of the book, Ahmad Movaseghi, and three critics by the names of Ali Morshedizad, Mojtaba Maghsoudi, and Amir Hossein Zomorrdian attended the event.
- The specialised seminar in “Women and Peace: Investigating the Legal Driving Forces” was held by IPSAN’s Group for Women and Peace at Shahid Beheshti University on 5 March 2018. Maryam Afshari, Reza Eslami, Hassan Fadaei, and Fatemeh Ahmadi spoke at this event.
- The seminar in “Women, Peace, and Tolerance in Islam” by IPSAN’s Women and Peace Group. The seminar was held on 7 May 2018 at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum, and Sedigheh Vasmaqi delivered a speech in the seminar.
- The session entitled “Peace and Shahnameh” was held thanks to the joint efforts made by the Bukhara Magazine and the IPSAN. The session was held in Ferdowsi Hall of the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 3 July 2018.
Participation and Cooperation in Convening Scientific Activities
- Participation in the conference entitled “World Science Day at the Service of Peace and Development” which was organised by the Iranian Association for Science Promotion in Milad Tower on 10 November 2015.
- Participation in the conference entitled “Scientific Community and Sociopolitical Movements with a Focus on Scientific Associations,” held in partnership with the Iranian Political Science Association and the Iranian International Studies Association. The event was held on 24 February 2016 in the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum and speeches were delivered by Ghasem Eftekhari, Davood Hermidas Bavand, Mojtaba Maghsoudi, and Ahmad Naghibzadeh.
- Cooperating with the Kish Institute of Science and Technology in holding the “Peace Competition Festival” held in Kish Island in March 2016.
- Cooperating with the Iranian Sociological Association to hold the third Conference entitled “Conceptual and Theoretical Research on Iranian Society.” The conference was held at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, on 11 and 12 May 2016.
- Participation in the seminar held within the framework of the “Cyrus the Great” Scientific Conference, entitled as “Studies on Peace and Ancient Iran” with speeches delivered by Ali Akbar Amini, Abdolmajid Arfa’i, and Alireza Afshari in partnership with the Afraz Cultural Association in the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 1 October 2016.
- Cooperating with the Iranian Association for Science Promotion in holding the “Science Promotion Week” ceremony, from 6 to 10 November 2016.
- Participation in the “Establishment of the Peace Sociology Group” in the Iranian Sociological Association. The event was held in the Shariati Hall of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, on 11 December 2016 and lectures were delivered by by Seyed Hossein Seraj, Mohammad Amin Ghane’i Rad, Nematollah Fazeli, Mojtaba Maghsoudi, Elahe Koolaei, and Mohammad Javad Haghshenas.
- Participation in holding the Conference entitled “Iran and Hashemi’s Heritage: Academic Reflections in Ayatollah’s Political Record” in partnership with the Iranian Political Science Association. The event was held at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 25 January 2017 and speeches were presented by Davood Hermidas Bavand, Seyed Jalal Dehghani Firoozabadi, Amir Mohammad Haji Yousefi, Mohammad Reza Dehshiri, Hossein Raghfar, Mojtaba Maghsoudi, Hadi Khaniki, and Kioumars Ashtarian.
- Participation in holding the National Conference entitled “Resistance Economy and the JCPoA” in partnership with the Iranian International Studies Association. The event was held at the Institute for Political and International Studies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the IR Iran in March 2017.
- Participation in holding a workshop on peace approaches in Iran’s security environment, entitled “Apology and Forgiveness in Religion and Politics,” with a speech by Mohammad Jafar Mahallati. The workshop was organised in partnership with the Directorate for International Academic Cooperation at Kharazmi University; Iranian International Studies Association, and the Iranian Political Science Association at Kharazmi University on 18 April 2017.
- Participation in the first “International Peace Festival,” hosted by the Vice-Presidency for Sociocultural Affairs, Al-Zahra University, on 7 and 8 May 2017;
- Participation in the Conference entitled “Peace, the Persian Gulf, and Regional and Global Relations” with lectures delivered by Bijan Abdolkarimi, Seyed Javad Miri, Mohammad SalarKasraei, Mohammad Farazmand, Mohammad Javad Haghshenas, and Seyed Javad Salehi. The event was held in partnership with the Iranian Sociological Association and the Iranian Political Science Association at the Humanities Thinkers’ Forum on 31 May 2017.
- Participation in the seminar entitled “Ethics of War and Peace” with speeches delivered by Saeed Hajjarian, Davood Feyrahi, and Javad Heidari. The seminar was held in partnership with the Iranian Political Science Association and the Research Institute for Culture, Arts, and Communications on 20 August 2017.
- Participation in the fifth festival in “Art for Peace” held at the Artists’ Forum from 12 to 21 September 2017;
- Participation in holding the seminar entitled “War and Anti-War Literature” with speeches delivered by Hamid Abdollahian, Ahmad Shakeri, and Mohammad Hanif. The seminar was held at the Faculty of Management, Kharazmi University, in partnership with the Alumni Association of Kharazmi University and the Andisheh Qalam Association, on 23 October 2017.
- Participation in the 4th Congress in Social Psychology, entitled “Psychological Aspects of Peace,” which was held in collaboration with the Iranian Association of Social Psychology, Research Centre for Social Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, on 18 October 2017.
- Participation in the “Tehran International Peace Event” which was held at Tarbiat Modares University on 12 November 2017 and courses were taught by world-renowned Peace Studies professors from Bulgaria, India, and Iran.
- Collaboration with the Iranian Association for Science Promotion in holding the event entitled “World Science Day at the Service of Peace and Development” on 15 November 2017.
- Participation in the session entitled the “Establishment of the Afghan Scientific Association for International Peace Studies” with the presence of 30 researchers and university lecturers and the speech delivered by Mohammad Mansournejad. The session was held on 17 February 2018 in the Motahhari Hall of the University of Tehran’s Farabi Campus.
- Providing support for the organisation of the 12th “National Scientific-Cultural Conference in the Persian Gulf” held on 30 April and 1 May 2018 by the Iranian Students’ Tourism and Travelling Agency;
- Participation in the first national conference in “University, Peace, and Development” with lectures delivered by Mojtaba Maghsoudi, Bagher Shamlou, Abdol Amir Nabavi, Ali Morshedizad, Jahangir Karami, Alireza Soltani, Amir Houshang Mirkoushesh, Farideh Mohammadalipour, and Masoud Motalebi. The event was held by Shams Institute of Higher Education, Gonbad, on 26 April 2018.
- Participation in the “Positive Peace Seminar” held by the International Relations Department, Tarbiat Modares University at the Humanities Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University on 30 April 2018. In this event, speeches were delivered by Professor Tarja Vayrynen, Director of the Institute for Peace Studies, University of Tampere, Finland; Simin Hajipour, Majid Reza Momeni, Saeed Shokouhi, and Seyed Masoud Mousavi Shafaei.
- Participation in the “Peace and Health Great Festival,” with speeches delivered by Nasir Ahmad Noor, the then Ambassador of Afghanistan; Mohammad Amin Ghane’i Rad, Mojtaba Maghsoudi, and Mohammad Javad Sa’adat, along with a performance of Iran’s National Anthem by a local choir, live music, and a health screening programme, in partnership with the Afghan Association for International Peace Studies at the Humanities Thinker’ Forum on 16 May 2018.
- Cooperation with the Manshur-e Solh Publications in publishing the book Farhng-e Solh va Dowlatha (originally Nonkilling Security and the States), edited by Joam Evans Pim, translated by Parvaneh Shahinnejad, foreword by Mojtaba Maghsoudi, and published in March 2018.