Hooman Zalpour

Born in Urmia, Iran, Hooman Zalpour holds a BA and an MA in English Language and Literature from Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch. He wrote his MA thesis on Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, with the title “Divergent Voices in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale: A New Historical Reading.”

After graduating, Hooman began his career as a freelance researcher and translator in the field of history, which had been his initial interest since childhood. In his works, he has mostly focused on a variety of subjects, mainly related to the military history of Persia/Iran during the Qajar and early Pahlavi eras. Up to now, he has co-authored a book, has published the translation of some books and has written a variety of essays for Iranian scholarly journals and public newspapers. He has also presented the results of his research and works at different conferences and seminars in the Iranian archives, museums and cultural organisations. In addition, he has cooperated in holding some historical and cultural projects and events, including the Tehran-Negari Project by Tehran Municipality and the 31^st International Book Fair of Tehran.

Hooman’s research at the LSE, supported by the Moghtader-Mojdehi PhD scholarship, is concerned with the European military advisors who were employed by the Persian/Iranian government during the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. By making use of the archives in Iran and across Europe, he aims to explore their impact on the modernisation programme and state-building project of the Persian/Iranian government, which was initiated with the foundation of the Qajar dynasty and continued up to the Pahlavi era.

Expertise Details: Iranian History, Qajar History, Early Pahlavi History, Military History of Persia/Iran, European Delegations and Advisors in Persia/Iran, Persian Historical Manuscripts and Lithographs, Historical Photography, Persian Officers and Statesmen

Expertise Details: During his career as a freelance researcher, he has mostly focused on the military history of Persia/Iran, during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras. He has accomplished this mostly by making use of Iranian public and private archives and some foreign archives.

Topic of Research: European Military Advisors and Their Role in the Making of Modern Iran

Supervisor: Dr Roham Alvandi

He has received a number of certificates and awards for participating in different historical and cultural projects and events, including receiving the Certificate of Appreciation from the Mayor of Tehran, for cooperating in Tehran-Negari Project