Scholar recognised for outstanding scholarship on the Iranian economy
SOAS University of London Professor of Economics Massoud Karshenas has been honoured by Stanford University for his meaningful contributions to understanding Iran’s economic development.
Professor Karshenas received the inaugural Dr G. Reza Moghadam Award. The award celebrates research that advances knowledge of the country’s economy and promotes sustainable development and economic prosperity in Iran.
The inaugural lecture was delivered by Professor Karshenas at Stanford on the 26th of October 2025, on the political economy of women's labor market engagement in Iran, specifically the puzzle of low female labour force participation in contemporary Iran despite high educational attainment, later marriage, declining fertility, and rising self-awareness.
Applying a comparative-historical perspective, the lecture assessed the political economy underpinnings of female labour market participation in Iran, with comparisons to other countries in the region and beyond.
Professor Karshenas said:
I am delighted to receive this award – an honour that I accept with deep gratitude. I sincerely thank the members of the selection committee. Their recognition means a great deal to me.
Dr G. Reza Moghadam was an Iranian economist who spent much of his life in service of development in Iran, as a scholar, a civil servant, and a banker. He received his PhD in economics from Stanford University in 1956 with a dissertation on Iran’s trade.
The selection committee was chaired by Stanford Professor of Economics John B. Taylor and included economists and scholars from inside and outside Iran. The award is supported by a generous gift from Hamid and Christina Moghadam in memory of Dr. G. Reza Moghadam.
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