The Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs now at the Weatherhead Center

We are  excited to launch a new—and highly timely—initiative at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (WCFIA): the Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs. This Project will engage in a multidisciplinary study of Shi’ism, the second largest denomination in Islam, at a crucial historical moment in which Shi’a majority states, actors, and social movements are gaining increasing prominence and relevance in world affairs. Our research focuses on the intersection of Shi’ism and geopolitics and also moves beyond to incorporate traditionally disjointed subjects relating to the study of Shiism. These topics range from the Shi’a global diaspora to inter-faith dialogue and sectarian de-escalation to Shi’a thought, history, and identity and the rich diversity of confessional groups within Shi’ism itself (including Twelver, Ismaili, Zaydi, Alevi, Alawite, and other groups).

This project is a welcome addition to the robust academic and interdisciplinary atmosphere at WCFIA where our team members will collaborate with colleagues on shared scholastic interests situated on the intersection of religion, politics, identity, and world affairs. Funded in part through a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, the Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs conducts a rich content-based study of transnational Shi’a thought and societies across national, ethnic, denominational, and other diverse contexts. This is crucial given the interlinked institutional nature of Shi’a cultural, social, and political networks that span well beyond the modern boundaries of the Middle East. 

Our work—based on past experience at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and our focus on Middle East geopolitics and “sectarian de-escalation” at the Iran Project—engages political scientists, historians, policy makers, religious leaders, and other specializations at the WCFIA. With these diverse constituents, this project provides valuable comparative reference for larger debates in international affairs, sectarianism, political identity, Shi’ism, and religion and politics. Our new publication outlet, Visions, will bring together and feature various strands of emerging research on the understanding of Shi’ism today. While our focus is mainly on Shi’ism, the project’s general theoretical questions are relevant to scholars working on religion, sectarian identity, and politics across the globe.