AATP Panel 93 at AIS 2026 Conference
Friday, August 7, 2026 - 1:45-2:45 PM - Room 0.19
Janskerkhof 2–3, 3512 BK Utrecht, Netherlands

 

AATP is organizing a panel at the Association of Iranian Studies (AIS) 2026 Conference in Utrecht, Netherlands.

93. Teaching Persian in a Changing World Order:
Language Education, Cultural Understanding, and the Strategic Role of Language

 

The panel will include three paper presentations and explore how Persian language education adapts to the shifting global landscape through innovation, advocacy, and the use of emerging technologies. Persian has long been recognized as a language of strategic and cultural importance, yet recent geopolitical changes, funding reductions, and technological disruption have redefined what it means to teach and sustain less commonly taught languages in higher education.

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Panel Organizer: Dr. Peyman Nojoumian

Panel Chair & Discussant: Dr. Nahal Akbari, University of Maryland

 

Presentations:

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1. Persian as a Strategic Language in the Age of Immersive Technology: Building Cultural Diplomacy and Educational Resilience

   Dr. Peyman Nojoumian, University of Southern California
    

2. Sustaining Persian Language Programs: Addressing Students’ Needs, Advocacy and Institutional Challenges

   Dr. Anousha Sedighi, Portland State University
    

3. Reimagining Persian Language Teaching: Technology, Multimodal Pedagogy, and Cultural Engagement in a Changing World
   Dr. Neda Sahranavard, University of California, Irvine
    

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----------------------------------OTHER RELEVANT PANELS-----------------------------------​

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63. Short Story as Material for Teaching Persian as a Foreign Language

Room 0.19 - Friday August 7, 2026 - 8:30-10:30 AM

 

Chair:  Dr. Mahdi Touraj (King's University College)

Discussant: Dr. Mahbod Ghaffari (University of Cambridge)

 

Presentations:

 

1. The Persian Short Story and Translation: Journey to Course Development
   Dr. Pouneh Shabani-Jadidi (University of Chicago)
    

2. Improving Language Skills and Enriching Literature Learning through Short Stories: A Data-Driven Strategy for Persian Second Language and Contemporary Literature Classes
   Dr. Azita H. Taleghani (University of Toronto)
    

3. Teaching Persian through Short Stories: When Worlds of Words Collide
   Dr. Nahal Akbari (University of Maryland, College Park)
    

4. Harnessing the Power of Short Stories in the Persian Language Classroom: Strategies for Maximized Student Engagement and Proficiency Development
   Dr. Yass Alizadeh (New York University)

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78. Innovations and Challenges in Teaching Persian Language and Culture: Interdisciplinary in Persian Studies

Room 0.19 - Friday August 7, 2026 - 10:45-12:45 AM

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Chair: Dr. Azita H. Taleghani (University of Toronto)

Discussant: Dr. Pouneh Shabani- Jadidi (University of Chicago)

 

Presentations:

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1. International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and Persian Diaspora Students: Preserving or Losing the Mother Tongue
   Ms. Fatemeh Faroughi (University of Debrecen)
    

2. Persian Performed: Performance Pedagogies across Song and Stage
   Dr. Behzad Borhan (McGill University)
    

3. Teaching Cultural Narratives through Women-Centered Iranian Films: A Cultural Semiotic Approach for Course Content Design
   Dr. Shadi Shajiei (Ferdowsi University of Mashhad)
    

4. Using Contemporary Persian Films in Language Teaching: Bridging Linguistic Competence and Cultural Literacy
   Dr. Mahbod Ghaffari (University of Cambridge)

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