Bahman Baktiari is the Executive Director of the International Foundation for Civil Society. The organization is focused on the political, social, and economic changes taking place within the region. Mr. Bakhtiari provides executive leadership to the organization and outlines its strategic direction. He relies on his significant in-depth knowledge with the sociopolitical realities of the region in his role. Bahman Baktiari also has experience and knowledge with the promotion of values inherent to civil society and making connections across cultural lines.
Bahman Baktiari specializes in the study of politics and society within Iran. His research has not only resulted in a broad acumen in the subject but also a multitude of published works. His scholarly work has included the book “Parliamentary Politics in Revolutionary Iran: Institutionalization of Factional Politics”; Sharia Politics and the Transformation of Islamic Law in Iran; ( edited by Robert Hefner); Iran’s Conservative Moment; Sustainable Development: A Strategy of Dialogue and Communication; Voices within Islam: Four Perspectives on Tolerance and Diversity; and Doubting Reforms in Iran. Dr. Baktiari has also penned works about the Iranian foreign policy reaction after the attacks of September 11th and Iran’s relationships throughout the region.
Bahman Baktiari has received numerous invitations from media sources to discuss these topics. He has been a guest on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation. Mr. Bakhtiari has also appeared on The Todd Feinburg Radio, PBS’s Jim Lehrer News Hour, and CNN. He has been an interviewee for the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Orlando Sentinel, and Congressional Quarterly Research.
Bahman Baktiari earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Denver. He also holds a Master of Arts in Foreign Affairs and a Ph.D. in Government from the University of Virginia.
Video Presentation(1): Islamic Law and U.S. Foreign Policy (Panel 1: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey)
Bahman Baktiari@BahmanBaktiari
Bahman Bakhtiari 