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.
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