Opened by Hubert Bazin, president of the Inalco Foundation, and Maître Ardavan Amir-Aslani, founder of the Minou Amir-Aslani Foundation, this ceremony marks a key step in the partnership established between the two foundations on October 23, 2025. This five-year collaboration aims to support Persian studies, research on Iranian worlds, and foster knowledge transmission.
Inalco, where Persian has been taught since its founding in 1795, is a key location for this partnership. The academic tradition, carried by figures like Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy, Georges Dumézil, and Henry Corbin, continues today through research at the CeRMI and CERMOM. The program supports linguistic training and research through immersion scholarships, research grants, a doctoral prize, and an annual scientific conference.
The Minou Amir-Aslani Foundation, created in memory of his mother, continues her passion for culture through its commitment to education and artistic creation. The partnership with the Inalco Foundation aims to inspire future generations by supporting students and researchers.
Five individuals were honored: Zoé Zadegan and Liam Gentric received linguistic immersion scholarships, studying at the Tajik National University in Dushanbe since September 2026. Alessia Zubani, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLouvain, was awarded the research grant for her work on the history of techniques in the medieval Islamic world.
The Minou Amir-Aslani Prize for Research on Iranian Worlds recognized two doctoral researchers. Guillaume Beaud (Université libre de Bruxelles / CERI de Sciences Po) was awarded for his thesis on state transformations in Iran and Pakistan. Werner Gaboreau (École française de Rome) was honored for his research on the circulation of knowledge between Safavid Iran and Europe in the 17th century.
The evening also featured an inaugural lecture by Professor Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, titled 'The Quran and Prophet Muhammad: New Scientific Approaches.' A prominent figure in contemporary Islamology, he is an emeritus professor at the EPHE and president of the scientific council of the French Institute of Islamology. His work received the 2026 Avicenna Prize from the Royal Academy of Belgium.
This program, supported by the Inalco Foundation and the Minou Amir-Aslani Foundation, aims to assist students and researchers and enhance opportunities for future generations.
