Ali Ansari

Who is Ali Ansari?

Ali Massoud Ansari is the Professor in Modern History with reference to the Middle East at St. Andrews University in Scotland, where he is also the founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies. He was educated at University College London, King's College London, and obtained his PhD from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

He is also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House and sits on the Governing Council of the British Institute of Persian Studies. He is a regular speaker at conferences and events regarding Iran, including "Iran's New Parliament" at the New America Foundation. His work appears in The Guardian, The Independent, and the New Statesman, among other publications.

Ansari is the son of Mohammad Ali Massoud Ansari, cousin of Farah Pahlavi and Mariam Dariabegi. He married Marjon Esfandiary in 2010, after which he had a celebration held at Chatham House.