This is the www representation of IAUT, an independent Iranian student group at University of Toronto.

Activities

o  Talks

o  Classes

o  Movies

o  Cultural Exchange

o  Concerts

o  Entertainment

o  Library

Publications

o  Letters

o  Brochures

o  Reports

Agora

o  Agora Lecture Texts

o  Conatct Agora

Title: Pathways to Democratization of Iran and US-Iran Relations

"The speech will cover US-Iran relations but it will focus on the alternative paths to transition to a democratic Iran. As I argued in my Montreal lecture, the two are linked and the Iranians need to face both issues simultaneously even though they may not need to arrive at simultaneous solutions. I still believe that the US should normalize relations with the current regime but I am also almost convinced that the Iranian domestic politics presents an insurmountable obstacle. I will try to provide tentative answers to a number of key questions in regard to the future of reform (or revolution?) in Iran and of US-Iran relations, more importantly to the following core questions: What kind of Iran suits the needs, aspirations, and capabilities of the Iranian nation, and whether that Iran is compatible with the requirements of a resurgent US in the context of a new regional and global reality. Check out this website for further information: www.american-iranian.org

Biography

HOOSHANG AMIRAHMADI

holds a Ph.D. in planning and international development from Cornell University and is a professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He has served as chair and graduate director of his department and director of the University's Middle Eastern Studies program. Dr. Amirahmadi is the founder and president of American-Iranian Council, a research and policy think tank devoted to improving understanding between the peoples of Iran and the United States, and promoting the overall development of Iran. Dr. Amirahmadi is the author of Revolution and Economic Transition: The Iranian Experience, and editor of ten other books including The Caspian Region at a Crossroad: A New Frontier of Energy and Development; Small Islands, Big Politics: The Tomb and Abu Musa Islands in the Persian Gulf; The United States and the Middle East: A Search for New Perspectives; Post-Revolutionary Iran; Iran and the Arab World; Reconstruction and Regional Diplomacy in the Persian Gulf; Urban Development in the Muslim World, Revisiting US-Iran Relations; and Seizing An Historic Opportunity: breaking Through the US-Iran Impasse. He has also published over 200 journal articles, book chapters and review articles. He is a frequent contributor to many conferences in Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. His writings and interviews with media have been translated and published in Europe, Iran and the Arab world. He is widely known for his pioneering works on civil society in Iran and US-Iran relations. Professor Amirahmadi is on editorial and advisory board of many journals and associations. He has held several fellowships and has been a recipient of grants from NEH, SSRC, NJDHE, among other institutions. Professor Amirahmadi is a frequent contributor to national and international TV (CNN, News Hour, etc.), radio (BBC, VOA, Public Radio, etc.) and newspapers (NYT, WP, etc.) on Iranian political economy, US-Iran relations, and Middle East affairs. Dr. Amirahmadi has served as consultant for the UNDP, the Aga Khan Foundation, the World Bank, private corporations, law firms and governments on national, regional and international political-economic issues, energy and industrial policies, and foreign investment. He specializes on Iran, visits the country frequently, and offers an insider perspective.

o   Home

Administration

o  Constitution

o  Executive Committee

o  Contact Information

Outreach

o  Membership Application

o  Organizations

o  People

External Links and Rsources

o  Weblogs

o  Websites

o  Newspapers

We thank and acknowledge University of Toronto Student Services for their support on this website. Webpage designed and occasionally tuned by Kaveh Khodjasteh.