Samad Josef Alavi

Academic interests

I primarily teach Persian language courses in IKOS. My philosophy towards language teaching is that it takes multiple approaches to develop linguistic and cultural competency. I try to teach my Persian classes in ways that address the students’ diverse backgrounds and learning styles while ensuring that everyone gets to participate in authentic communication, meaningful collaboration, and critical thinking in the classroom. Our program here at the University of Oslo offers many great opportunities to engage with Persian in various intellectual, professional, social, and cultural capacities and the kinds of communicative and literacy skills that students develop in Persian classes make all manners of engagement possible. In addition to language classes, I also offer courses related to Persian literature and Iranian Studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

My research focuses on modern Persian literary cultures, especially political and aesthetic debates among the generations of poets who participated in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Some of my other research interests include modernist poetry, prison memoirs, and translation studies.

Courses taught

• PER 1010
• PER 1020
• PER 1110
• PER 1120
• PER 2110
• PER 2120
• MES 4110
• MES 4230

Background

• Assistant Professor (2013-2018), Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization and Adjunct Professor in Comparative Literature, Cinema, and Media, University of Washington 
• Visiting Lecturer (2011-2013), Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, San Francisco State University
• PhD (2013), Near Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley
• MA (2006), Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago
• BA (2001), Spanish, University of Georgia