Affiliation : Columbia University    Date of establishment : 1968    Tel : 212-851-9161 / 9157    Fax : (+1) (212) 749 9524    Addres : 450 Riverside Drive, Suite 24, New York, New York 10027    Email : ey4@columbia.edu    Url : http://cfis.columbia.edu/    More : (Old Info): Editorial Undertakings The Encyclopaedia Iranica (iranica.com): The most important scholarly enterprise ever undertaken in the field of Iranian studies, the Encyclopaedia is envisaged to be completed in some 26 volumes. The tenth volume was published in the Spring of 2001. This project has been supported chiefly by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Tabari Translation Project: This concerns the translation and annotation of al-Tabari's 10th century universal History in 40 volumes. So far 39 volumes have been published and the remaining volume, a comprehensive index, is being prepared. This project is also supported by the National Endowment for the humanities and was chosen by the NEH as an example of a major project in which a number of scholars cooperate. Persian Text Series: Earlier, 48 volumes of critical texts were published under the general editorship of Ehsan Yarshater in a series by this name. A new series was started by him under this title several years ago as a continuation of the work done earlier. The first work in the new series is the definitive edition of the Shahnameh, the 10th century Persian national epic by Ferdowsi, in ten volumes (eight volumes of text, and two volumes of explanatory notes), edited by J. Khaleghi-Motlagh of the University of Hamburg. The first five volumes are out, the sixth is being prepared. Persian Heritage Series: Consisting of the translations of Persian classics in major Western languages and Japanese, most of these volumes are among the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works. Prior to recent Iranian upheavals, the series was supported by UNESCO and the Royal Institute for Translation and Publication of Persia. Now it is supported by private funds. So far, 40 volumes have been published in this series under the general editorship of Ehsan Yarshater. Modern Persian Literature Series: This series consists of translations of contemporary (20th century) Persian writing. So far, nine volumes have been published in this series. Persian Studies Series: This series is a vehicle for the publication of scholarly monographs in Iranian studies. Twenty-one volumes have been published in this series. Persian Art Series: This series consists of studies on Persian art and architecture. Two volumes have been published so far. Other Columbia Lectures in Iranian Studies: This lecture series was founded in 1980. The mostly annual lectures consist of three to five lectures given by an established scholar in the field of Iranian studies, later elaborated and published in book form. So far, eleven lecture series have been given and nine volumes have been published. Grants in Aid of Publication: Established through the efforts of Professor Yarshater in 1983, these grants are awarded annually by the Persian Heritage Foundation (administered jointly by the Center for Iranian Studies and the Society for Iranian Studies) for scholarly works in Iranian studies, or translations of works of merit from Persian into English, French or German. So far, some twenty-five grants have been awarded. Seminar in Iranian Studies: This was started in 1987 to replace the monthly lectures that used to be organized at the Center. The attendance has been between 15 and 45 participants. Currently, it is being chaired by Prof. Hamid Dabashi. Cultural Events: The Center sponsors or arranges art exhibitions, film screenings, musical performances, and occasional lectures for students, staff and community. Library: The Center's extensive and up-to-date library is a non-lending research library benefiting both the students and the staff. See also: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/center-for-iranian-studies/ And: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/mideast/cuvlm/Iran.html (New Info): The Center for Iranian Studies is the foremost academic research center in Iranian studies in the United States with an active publication program. Founded in 1968 by Professor Ehsan Yarshater, the Center sponsors or arranges art exhibitions, film screenings, musical performances, and occasional lectures for students, staff and the community, but the main focus of its activities is an extensive program of scholarly publications and several related projects. The Center is a research center and not an academic department. For inquiries regarding admissions and academic programs, please refer to the various academic departments listed in the A-Z directory on the Columbia website, some of which are also listed under our Resources page. The Center’s extensive and up-to-date library is a non-lending research library benefiting both the staff and researchers. And;... Professor Yarshater received his Ph.D. in Persian language and literature from the University of Tehran (1947) and then he studied with W. B. Henning at London University, from which he received an M.A. and a Ph.D. degree in Old and Middle Iranian (1960). He first came to Columbia in 1958 and was appointed to the Kevorkian Chair in 1961. He founded the Center for Iranian Studies in 1968. Prof. Yarshater has authored and served as the editor of numerous scholarly works. Among others he has authored Persian Poetry in the Second Half of the 15th Century (1953), Southern Tati Dialects (1970), and has edited the third volume of Cambridge History of Iran, in two parts, covering the Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian periods (1983,1986), and Highlights of Persian Literature (1988). Professor Yarshater founded the Encyclop?dia Iranica in 1974 and he continues to edit it. He is the General Editor of the 40-volume Tabari Translation Project, and the Founding Editor of the Persian Text Series, the Persian Heritage Series, the Columbia Lectures in Iranian Studies, and the Persian Studies Series. Lecture series in his name have been instituted at the University of London, and the University of California at Los Angeles, and at the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique in Paris. In addition to receiving the Georgio Levi Della Vida Medal for Achievement in Islamic Studies from UCLA in 1991, Professor Yarshater has been elected honorary member of the International Society for Iranian Studies, the Societas Europaeas Iranologica, and the Institute of Central and West Asian Studies in Pakistan.