Research Director Patrick Clawson Wins Iran Book Prize
Scholarly Work Focuses on Iranian Monetary History
WASHINGTON , D.C. – The Washington Institute for Near East Policy congratulates Research Director Dr. Patrick Clawson on receiving the Houshang Pourshariati Iranian Studies Book Award from the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) for the book, The Monetary History of Iran: From the Safavids to the Qajars, which he co-wrote with Dr. Rudi Matthee and Dr. Willem Floor. Named for Iranian journalist, public intellectual, and humanist Houshang Pourshariati (1934–2004), the award was established in 2005 to recognize outstanding publishing in Iranian studies.
“We applaud Dr. Clawson on earning this recognition,” says Institute Executive Director Dr. Robert Satloff. “Patrick’s award-winning historical research, above and beyond his responsibilities as director of research, contributes to a better understanding of contemporary Iran and enhances the Institute’s reputation among academia and the policy community.”
Dr. Clawson is a rare scholar-practitioner, recognized by his peers for expertise both in current strategic and political issues and in historical research. In addition to serving as director of research, overseeing the daily operations of the Institute’s multifaceted research staff, Dr. Clawson directs the Institute’s Iran Security Initiative, a flagship program focused on assessing the many points of challenge Iran poses to U.S. and Western interest across the Middle East. Widely consulted as an analyst and media commentator, he has authored more than 150 articles about the Middle East and international economics and is the author or editor of eighteen books or studies on Iran. Prior to joining The Washington Institute, he was a senior research professor at the National Defense University's Institute for National Strategic Studies, a senior economist at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and a research scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. A graduate of Oberlin College he has a Ph.D. in economics from the New School for Social Research.
Dr. Clawson’s award-winning book is the first detailed study of Iran's monetary history from the advent of the Safavid dynasty in 1501 to the end of Qajar rule in 1925. Using an array of previously unpublished sources in ten languages, the authors consider the specific monetary conditions in Iran's modern history, as well as the larger regional and global economic context. Co-authors Dr. Rudi Matthee is professor of history at University of Delaware and Dr. Willem Floor is an independent scholar specializing in the history of Iran in the Safavid and modern ages.
About the Institute: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy is an independent, nonpartisan research institution that advances a balanced and realistic understanding of U.S. interests in the broader Middle East. Drawing on the expertise of its fellows, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.
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