British Institute of Persian Studies

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 28 NOVEMBER

2006
Author(s): Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis and Robin Coningham
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Iran, Vol. 45 (2007), pp. iii-iv
Published by: British Institute of Persian Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25651407 .
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 REPORT OF THE COUNCIL

PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

28NOVEMBER 2006

Now in our forty-thirdyear, BIPS remains themain body for the promotion of research intoPersian studies in the
UK. With award holders drawn from a wide range of universities and museums, our sponsored research projects
stretch from the investigation of Late Neolithic craft specialisation in theTehran Plain to a study of the social and
political context of theZurkhaneh inmodern Iran. In addition to focusing British scholarship through its research
?
programmes, BIPS also facilitates research within Iran at its Tehran-based Institute and library attracting
researchers from theUK, the Commonwealth, Iran and other countries of the EU. We are also committed to a
growing programme of sponsored lectures, seminars and workshops held in theUK and Iran aimed at widening
the dissemination of our sponsored research, developing new research initiatives and attracting new members.
BIPS has successfully restructured its grant awards with the launching of three new major research
programmes: "Socio-Economic Transformations in the Later Prehistory of Iran", "Kingship in Persian Cultural
History" and "History,Myth and Literature inModern Iran". Not only have these themes refocused our research
sponsorship but theyhave also widened the inter-disciplinary nature of BIPS, illustrated by successful applications
from geologists, ethnoarchaeologists and modern historians. Already, projects supported by BIPS in their early
stages have attracted substantial funding from other funding bodies, as illustrated by theAHRC's funding of the
study of Sasanian imperial frontiersby theUniversities of Edinburgh and Durham.
This tripartite research scheme notwithstanding, we are investigating the possibilities of expansion and
participating in research initiativeswith other British Academy-funded Schools and Institutes, such as theCouncil
for British Research in the Levant, the British Institute at Ankara and the British Institute in East Africa.
Representatives fromBIPS will attend a one-day workshop on refugees and other forcedmigrants in early 2007 in
order to develop this collaborative research network. Paralleling these programmes, we remain committed to
encouraging the participation of younger scholars through the awarding of travel and language training grants.
Finally, we are continuing to support thepreparation of a number of older BIPS-sponsored projects forpublication,
such as Haftavan Tepe, Siraf and theWilliamson Collection, and are pleased to announce thatNush-i Jan I: The
Major Buildings of theMedian Period by David Stronach and Michael Roaf has gone to press.
At itsmeeting on 29th June, theGoverning Council of BIPS appointed Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis as President
of the Institute, on the resignation of Professor James Allen, and Professor Robin Coningham as Honorary
Secretary, on the resignation of Dr Luke Treadwell. Members of Council would like to express their gratitude to
Professor Allan for his hard work during his six years as President of BIPS. During this time, he visited Iran
frequently and always promoted BIPS's interests to the full.He was supportive to the staffand cared passionately
about keeping Iranian studies alive worldwide. Council members are also grateful toDr Luke Treadwell for his
support and time as Honorary Secretary.
IRAN, the official journal of BIPS, still functions as our major vehicle for international research dissemination.
The journal continues to follow a multi-disciplinary traditionwith the forty-fourthvolume's fifteen papers
ranging
fromAchaemenid seals with hieroglyphs to themodern use of the Shahnameh by theBakhtiari, with contributors
drawn from theUK, other countries of theEU, Iran and theUS. Our monograph series has
recently been transferred
to IB Tauris with forthcoming volumes on Hafiz and his Contemporaries and A Sunni
Prayer Manual of the
Ilkhanid Period. These published outcomes are accompanied by a programme of lectures, seminars and
workshops
held in theUK and in Iran.Again, these presentations mirror thewide range of our research interests and range
from the summer lecture in June by Lloyd Ridgeon entitled "The Zurkhaneh between Tradition and
Change" to an
on GIS and methods and at
archaeological workshop sampling, geophysical survey techniques held theUniversity
of Tehran inApril. Our annual workshops for award holders continue to be a success and remain an
extremely
valuable opportunity for senior award holders and younger travel and
language award holders to present research
papers and to interact as a subject group.
The Institute inTehran iswithout a permanent Director, but officers of BIPS have
regularly visited the Institute
in order to provide a continued academic presence inTehran.
Accordingly, Professor Gleave (Hon. Librarian) was
inTehran in February, Professor Coningham (Hon. Secretary) in
February and April, Dr Luft (Vice-President) in

iii
 June and July, and Dr Sarkhosh Curtis (President) inAugust and October/November. The day-to-day running of
theTehran Institutewas conducted by local staffand we are extremely grateful toMr Houman Kordmahini; Mrs
Fariba Reyhanpour, the Librarian; and Mrs Sima Kordmahini, theAssistant Librarian, for their continued efforts.
We are continuing to expand the Institute's libraryholdings and are fast establishing a reputation amongst Iranian
scholars and students as a source of specialist literatureotherwise unavailable within Iran. Demand has resulted in
libraryopening days being extended and new computer terminalswill soon be installed allowing unique access to
JSTOR in Iran.We are also grateful to theBritish Embassy inTehran, particularly Sir Richard Dalton, the former
Ambassador; Geoffrey Adams, the present Ambassador; and Ms Kate Smith, Deputy Head ofMission.
The hostel has also proved an asset of continuing value, providing secure accommodation for visiting
academics and students from the UK, other countries of the EU, Commonwealth and theUS on theirway to
fieldwork and conferences, as well as for non-residential language courses and workshops.
BIPS continues to be well served bymembers of itsAdvisory Committee and Governing Council butwe should
note the retirement of Professor Edmund Bosworth, Emeritus Professor ofArabic at theUniversity Manchester,
from the post of JointEditor of Iran after an uninterrupted stretch of 41 years1. The Governing Council of BIPS is
extremely grateful to Professor Bosworth for his contributions and for assuring the academic quality of IRAN. We
would also like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of BIPS' London-based staff:Peter Knapton, Honorary
Treasurer; Peter Davies, Honorary Publications Secretary; Elahe Yazdi, Secretary and Mariam Emamy,
Membership Secretary. Finally, grateful acknowledgement ismade to theBritish Academy for itsfinancial support.

Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis Professor Robin Coningham

President Honorary Secretary

1 like to announce thathe has

Although Professor Bosworth considered retiringat the end of 2006, theCouncil would
since decided to continue in thepost of JointEditor of Iran.

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