British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS)

The British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS) is the UK’s foremost learned society dedicated to promoting and supporting scholarship and research excellence on all aspects of Iran and the wider Persianate world, and to increasing public understanding and knowledge of this region. The Persianate world includes territories historically associated with Persian and Iranian culture and language: Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, Iraq, the Persian Gulf littoral, and South Asia. BIPS supports humanities and social sciences research into this region, including but not limited to Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Classics, Cultural Studies, History, Language, Linguistics, Politics, Religious Studies, and Sociology.

BIPS is a UK charity and company limited by guarantee. It is one of the British International Research Institutes – a group of research institutes with overseas centers, financially supported by and headquartered at the British Academy. Together, the BIRI cover much of the Middle East, as well as parts of Europe and East Africa.

In the UK, BIPS plays a key role in sustaining the academic vitality and increasing the visibility of the field, promoting it to the public and campaigning for greater provision for its study in higher education. BIPS’s activities include the biannual awarding of research and travel grants and an extensive program of seminars, lectures and symposia, as well as recitals and celebrations in the UK. BIPS has published its journal, IRAN, every year since 1963. It also publishes the BIPS Studies in the History and Culture of the Persianate World in conjunction with Bloomsbury/I.B. Tauris and the BIPS Archaeological Monograph Series with Oxbow Books.

BIPS has approximately 340 members from around the world.

BIPS does not currently have an institutional membership category, but we encourage individual membership and participation in this organization.

Individual membership benefits include:

• Invitations to attend talks, conferences, and workshops throughout the year in the UK and overseas.
• Receipt of our journal, IRAN, twice yearly and discounts on other publications .
• Priority booking for lectures and other events and discounts on ticketed events (both BIPS and other institutions).
• Members will also receive regular updates about our activities and the Annual Report.