Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions

09/23/2026

The Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions at UCLA is privileged to continue the publication of the Bulletin of the Asia Institute beginning with Volume 32.

While the publication of the Bulletin will be ascertained by the Yarshater Center, the University of California Press shall be providing the backbone for production and distribution. All print volumes, including the back catalog, will be available for purchase on the website of UC Press. Information regarding the publication of Volume 33 and beyond shall be forthcoming from both the Yarshater Center and UC Press.

Most importantly, the Yarshater Center is committed to the dissemination of all research gratis. The Bulletin shall be published simultaneously in high-quality print format and free Open Access, available to download via the websites of UC Press and the Yarshater Center. To maximize the scholarly impact of the Bulletin for generations to come, the back catalog of volumes shall also be included in an Open Access repository.

https://yarshater.ucla.edu/publications/bai/ -issues

06/11/2026

Job Opening: Programs and Administration Coordinator

We are seeking a Programs and Administration Coordinator to serve as our events lead, as well as assist with office management. (See full job description for all details.) We are a team who relies on detail-oriented people with multiple skill sets. We are looking for an employee who can organize events and facilitate the purchasing for events and general office management. Some of what this involves includes reserving lecture halls, coordinating travel with speakers, ordering catering, setup and teardown of event spaces, and managing audio/video needs. This position is hybrid, with an expectation of on-campus work a minimum of three days a week. Some evenings, early mornings, and weekend workdays (all for events) will be required.

The deadline to apply is 6/25/2026.

https://jobs.ucla.edu/jobs/10672

02/23/2026

Ancient Iran and Central Asia

Interactions and Shifting Identities

Professor Frantz Grenet (Collège de France)

A Series of Four Lectures in March 2026 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time

Royce Hall 314 and via Zoom

Watch on Zoom: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/97782495503

Wednesday, March 4, 4:00 pm PST

“A World between Worlds: Geography, History, and 
Identity of the Early Kušāns 
(First Century CE)”

Friday, March 6, 4:00 pm PST

“Kušān Rulers: In Search of an Imperial Narrative 
(Second to Fourth Centuries CE)”

Monday, March 9, 4:00 pm PDT

“Eastern Iranian Contributions to the Construction of the Šāhnāme: Kušāno-Sasanians, Sīstānīs, and Sogdians 
(Fourth to Eighth Centuries CE)”

Wednesday, March 11, 4:00 pm PDT

“Philhellenism among the Hunnic Elites 
(Fifth to Eighth Centuries CE)”

01/26/2026

We are pleased to share with you the recorded lecture of Antigoni Zournatzi, delivered at UCLA as part of the Yarshater Lecture Series on December 3, 2025.

https://yarshater.ucla.edu/media/videos/greek-persian-encounters-c-550-c-330-bce-looking-beyond-stereotypes/

Email from Yarshater Center Video Library Announcement: Yarshater Lecture Series with Antigoni Zournatzi Dear Friends of the Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions, We are ple

11/20/2025

Greek-Persian Encounters c. 550 – c. 330 BCE: Looking Beyond Stereotypes

Antigoni Zournatzi

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time

Royce Hall 306 and Via Zoom

Registration Requested: https://conta.cc/4o57PSU

10/27/2025

We are pleased to share with you the recorded lecture of Professor Cameron Cross (University of Michigan) from the Yarshater Lecture Series. This inaugural lecture was hosted at UCLA on March 5, 2025. His lecture, “Spiderweb Stories: Translations, Adaptations, and Connections in Persian Romance,” explored avenues for comparative literary study through the framework of early Persian romances.

https://yarshater.ucla.edu/media/videos/spiderweb-stories-translations-adaptations-and-connections-in-persian-romance/

Email from Yarshater Center Video Library Announcement: Yarshater Lecture Series with Cameron Cross Dear Friends of the Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions, We are pleased

10/13/2025

We are pleased to share with you the recorded lectures from the third Achaemenid Workshop, Towards a Literary History of the Achaemenid Empire, held at Columbia University and co-sponsored by the Pourdavoud Institute and Yarshater Center. Hosted on February 21 and 22, 2025, this conference sought to investigate the various literatures of the Achaemenid Empire, their impact on the empire, and the empire’s impact on them.

https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/events/achaemenid-workshop-3-towards-a-literary-history-of-the-achaemenid-empire/

09/12/2025

The Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World and the Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions invites you to join us for a fall reception.

In the company of our supporters, colleagues, academic affiliates, students, and esteemed guests, we shall be introducing the Institute and Center’s stimulating programming and research agenda for the academic year 2025–26.

Light refreshments will be served. Parking in Lot 2 or Lot 5 is recommended.

RSVP: https://forms.gle/gTd7gYmvRKqF6iVb6

03/19/2025

On behalf of the Yarshater Center, we would like to extend our best wishes for a serene Norouz 1404, and thank our vibrant and committed audiences for the steadfast support of our research and programming.

May the underlying philosophy of the Norouz celebration, with its promise of regeneration and renewal, be an unwavering companion as we face the challenges of our present time.

M. Rahim Shayegan
Director, Yarshater Center

03/06/2025

We were pleased to welcome Dr. Cameron Cross to UCLA yesterday for the inaugural Yarshater Lecture Series talk "Spiderweb Stories: Translations, Adaptations, and Connections in Persian Romance". We would like to thank everyone who attended the lecture for your time and attention. We hope you will join us again soon!