Behnaz Mirzai

Behnaz Mirzai is a Professor in the Department of History at Brock University, Faculty of Humanities, where she teaches courses on Middle Eastern history, gender, minorities, and slavery. She holds a Ph.D. from York University and is a leading scholar on the history of slavery and African-descended communities in Iran and the Indian Ocean region.

• Ph.D., York University
• The Stevenson Scholar in African Studies, York University (1999-2000)

Her research focuses on the social, cultural, and religious dimensions of slavery and emancipation in modern Iran, with particular attention to Afro-Iranian communities, Baluchi identity, and spirit-possession cults. She employs interdisciplinary methods combining historical and anthropological fieldwork, including documentary filmmaking and photography exhibitions.

Her publications reveal a strong trend in uncovering marginalized histories, especially the African diaspora in Asia and the Persian Gulf. Her work bridges Middle Eastern studies, African diaspora studies, and global slavery studies, emphasizing identity reconstruction, cultural resilience, and historical recognition.

• Finalist, 2018 Canadian Historical Association Wallace K. Ferguson Prize
• Special Mention, Zanzibar International Film Festival (2007)
• SSHRC Connection Grants (2014, 2012)
• SSHRC Standard Research Grant (2010–2013)
• Brock University Advancement Fund (2008)
• Brock SSHRC Institutional Grants (2011, 2007)
• Brock Humanities Research Institute Grants (2011, 2007)

She has supervised academic projects and received multiple grants supporting research on Iranian borderlands, Baluchi identity, and people of African descent. Her work is closely tied to the UNESCO Slave Route project, where she serves as a coordinator and committee member. She has also led workshops and conferences promoting recognition and equity for marginalized communities.

Behnaz Mirzai has produced two documentary films—Afro-Iranian Lives and The African-Baluchi Trance Dance—and curated a photography exhibition titled Eyes in the Desert, contributing to public engagement and interdisciplinary scholarship.