Nacim Pak Shiraz

Professor Nacim Pak-Shiraz holds a Personal Chair in Cinema and Iran at the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh. She focuses on Middle Eastern and Iranian visual culture, particularly intersections of film, religion, gender, and Persian literature.

• Education: B.A. (Tehran), Graduate Program (Institute of Ismaili Studies), M.A. Anthropology of Media (University of London), PhD in Film and Media (SOAS)

Research Interests: Her work spans Middle Eastern cinema, film’s engagement with spirituality, gender construction in visual media, Iranian performing arts, contemporary Islamic art, and Persian literary adaptations. Current projects analyze masculinities in Iranian cinema and Qur’anic religious epics.

Teaching & Supervision: She supervises PhD students and teaches courses on Cinema and Society in the Middle East, Classical Persian Literature, and Research Methods. Past supervisees include scholars on topics like Syrian female novelists, Turkish veiled women’s spatial practices, and Iranian cinema’s gender dynamics.

Leadership & Outreach: Professor Pak-Shiraz serves on boards including the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Institute of Ismaili Studies, and Iran Heritage Foundation. She curates Edinburgh film festivals and participates in international film juries.