Center for Persian studies gets $87,000 donation

The Payravi family has made an $87,000 donation in memory of Ali-Asghar Payravi to the Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture. The gift will fund five conferences and publications on ancient Iranian history and civilization. “I am incredibly grateful to the Payravi family, steadfast supporters of UC Irvine and the promotion of Iranian studies,” said Touraj Daryaee, director of the Jordan Center and Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies & Culture. “The late Ali-Asghar was in love with ancient Iran, and with his legacy and support, the Jordan Center is able to continue its role as a hub for the international study of ancient Iran.” The first Payravi symposium, “The Iranian Plateau & Its Histories From the Fifth to the First Millennium B.C.,” will be on March 23, 2018, with subsequent conferences and related publications occurring every other year. This is the Payravi family’s third gift. Two Ali-Asghar Payravi Graduate Fellowships of $75,000 each were awarded in 2010 and 2012.