World Affairs Council Invites Harrisburg University Professor to Lecture
Feb 14, 2008
One of Houston's most prestigious citizen forums, The World Affairs Council, has invited Dr. Mehdi Noorbaksh of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology to lecture on Iran’s political, religious and economic power in February.
Noorbaksh will present, “Who Rules Iran: Ministers, Mullahs and Merchants,” at the University of Houston, at 10:15 a.m., Saturday, February 23. He will lecture on "Iran and the Greater Middle East: Political Goals and How Relations are Managed," beginning at 1:30 p.m., and he is scheduled to participate in a third lecture on business and energy in the Middle East.
Through varied and substantive programs, the World Affairs Council presents all sides of current global issues, promotes better understanding of international relations and contributes to national and international policy debates.
An associate professor of international affairs and coordinator of general education at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Noorbaksh is an internationally known expert on Middle East politics. His work in this area focuses on Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Arab-Israeli conflict, Islam, nationalism, and democratic movements and processes in the Middle East. He has published extensively on Middle East politics in academic journals and authored chapters in various books.
Additionally, Noorbaksh has contributed opinion editorials to newspapers, such as the Daily Star in Lebanon, on a regular basis. These editorials include a series of opinion pieces in July 2003 titled “The Veracity of the Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.” He is currently working on a number of articles on the Middle East and Iran, as well as a book on the interaction of Islam, nationalism and democratic change in Iran . His 1993 article “The Middle East, Islam and the United States: The Special Case of Iran,” written for Middle East Policy, has been used extensively by various universities and war colleges for courses on Middle East politics.
Noorbaksh has presented research and policy papers at national and international organization gatherings including the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, and the Emirate Center for International Studies in Abu Dhabi . He has traveled extensively in the Middle East as both a lecturer and researcher, and has participated in forums for briefing and consultation.
Prior to joining the faculty of Harrisburg University, Noorbaksh served as an assistant professor in the Center for International Studies at the University of St. Thomas, where he still serves as a fellow. In addition, he served as a research scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, and was the director and founder of the Houston-based non-profit organization The Institute for Research and Islamic Studies.
Harrisburg University provides an applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused education dedicated to careers at undergraduate and graduate levels. For more information on the University and its degree programs, call 717.901.5101 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.net