Wali Ahmadi

Wali Ahmadi is an Associate Professor and former Department Chair (2021-24) at the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC) at the University of California, Berkeley. A native of Kabul, Afghanistan, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1982, earned a B.A. in Political and Social Sciences from California State University, East Bay (1987), and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UCLA (1997). He joined UC Berkeley in 2000 after teaching at the University of Virginia (1997-2000).

• Research focuses on classical and modern Persian literature
• Specializes in literary theory, cultural history, and Afghanistan studies
• Has taught courses like Classical Persian Poetry (PERSIAN 103A) and Contemporary Persian Literature (PERSIAN 104A)
• Served as departmental Undergraduate Adviser