On Tuesday October 19, 2021, a ceremony was held in the Senate Room of the Rectorate, University of Rome “La Sapienza,” to confer a doctorate degree honoris causa in the field of Civilizations of Asia and Africa on Mohsen Ashtiany of the Ehsan Yarshater Center for Iranian Studies at Columbia University (New York). The honorary degree recognizes the service Mohsen Ashtiany has rendered to Iranian studies throughout his life’s work, as well as for the wide recognition of his contribution in the scholarly community and among the Iranian intellectual diaspora. Speakers at the ceremony included Antonella Polimeni (Rector of Sapienza University of Rome), Federica Casalin (Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Civilizations of Asia and Africa, Sapienza University), Carlo Cereti (Professor at Sapienza University), and Elton L. Daniel (Yarshater Center and Encyclopaedia Iranica). All were united in their praise of his record of scholarship and his willingness to share his vast knowledge to assist others in their own work. The ceremony can be viewed in full at the institutional link: https://youtu.be/otfY-fGfjsk.
All of Mohsen Ashtiany's colleagues at the Yarshater Center join in congratulating him on this well-deserved honor and in expressing their appreciation to Sapienza University for its recognition of his achievements.
