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Staff profile

Overview

Professor Paul Luft

Honorary Research Fellow

Dipl. Phil. Persian Studies; Dr. Phil. Islamic Studies, Modern History and Turcology

Affiliations
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Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Government and International Affairs  
Honorary Lecturer in the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies  

Biography

Born and educated in Germany, Dr Luft received his academic training in Iranian Studies, Medieval and Modern History and Islamic Studies at the Universities of Berlin and Göttingen.  After a three year Visiting Fellowship at St Antony's College Oxford between 1969 and 1972, and having a research/teaching post at Göttingen University, Dr Luft became a Fellow of the German Historical Institute, London.

Following his retirement, Dr Luft became an Honorary Fellow at the Institute of Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, Durham University, co-founding the Centre for Iranian Studies.

Employment history
  • 1958-61  Secretary of the German-Arab Society; Berlin        
  • 1965-69  Research Fellow; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
  • 1969-73  Visiting Fellow, St. Antony's College; Oxford
  • 1973-77  Assistant; University of Göttingen
  • 1977-80  Fellow, German Historical Institute; London
  • 1980-81  Temporary lecturer (part-time); University of Manchester
  • 1981-89  Lecturer, Oriental School; University of Durham
  • 1989-99  Lecturer/Senior lecturer; University of Manchester                      
Other academic activities
  • 1977-80  Editor of the 'Bulletin' for the German Historical Institute; London
  • 1983       Guest Professor, Tübingen University
  • 1988       Guest Professor, Free University; Berlin
  • 1988       Iranian Fellow, Oxford
  • 1993 -     Member of the editorial board of Journal of 'BRISMES'
  • 2006 -     Member of the editorial board of 'Iran'

Publications

Chapter in book

  • Luft, J.P. (2000). 'Die Islamische Revolution 1979'. In Grosse Revolution der Geschicte. Wende, Peter. Meunchen: 333-356.
  • Luft, J.P. (1994). 'Gottesstaat und hoefische Gesellschaft'. In Asien in der Neuzeit, 1500-1950. Dabringhaus, Sabine, Freitag, Ulrike & Air, Paul Frankfurt:
  • Luft, J.P. (1986). 'The Persian Railway Syndicate and British Railway Policy in Iran'. In The Gulf in the Early 20th Century. Lawless, R.I.

Edited book

  • Luft, J.P. & Turner, Colin. (2008). 'Shi'ism: Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies'. London: Routledge.

Journal Article

  • Luft, J.P. (1975). 'Strategische Interessen und Anleihenpolitik Russlands in Iran im 19.Jh'. Geschichte und Gesellschaft 1: 506-538.