Organized by the Iranians Wisdom House in Vienna, in collaboration with the Hafez and Hammer-Purgstall Cultural Association of Austria, the two-day hybrid (in-person and online) conference titled “Iranian-Islamic Civilization: Identity, Components, and Historical Splendor” will be held for the first time in Vienna, the cultural capital of Europe.
This academic event will take place in-person on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 (corresponding to 28 Bahman 1404) from 16:00 to 19:30, and online on Thursday, February 19, 2026 (29 Bahman 1404). It is designed with the aim of elucidating the identity-related, spiritual, and philosophical dimensions of Iranian-Islamic civilization, examining the role of the Persian language in transmitting cultural heritage, and analyzing the potential for achieving unity amid cultural and religious diversity.
At the opening ceremony of the conference, a number of prominent professors and researchers in Iranian Studies from Austria and Iran will deliver speeches. Additionally, the book “Austrian Iranologists”, compiled and published by the Iranians Wisdom House in Vienna, will be unveiled. A written commendation from the Federal Chancellor of Austria addressed to the Iranian Cultural Attaché for the publication of this book will be read. During the same ceremony, the first edition of the book award named after the late Professor Bert Fragner (founder of the Austrian Institute of Iranian Studies) will be presented to one of the best works in Iranian Studies published in Austria.
In the subsequent sessions, topics such as the identity and spirit of Iranian civilization, manifestations in art and architecture, the position of wisdom and philosophy, the theory of Iranshahr, and the mutual interaction between Twelver Shi’a Islam and Iran will be discussed with the participation of domestic and international researchers and professors. The selected papers, after scientific review, will be published in a scholarly collection.
Dr. Reza Gholami, President of the Iranians Wisdom House in Vienna and Scientific Secretary of the Conference—who is himself regarded as one of the prominent scholars of civilization studies—stated about the event: “This academic conference continues the efforts of the Iranian Cultural Attaché in Austria to develop Iranian Studies. It will examine various aspects of the glorious Iranian-Islamic civilization. Given Austria’s position in Europe as one of the centers of Iranian Studies, it is expected to become a turning point in cultural and scientific relations between the two countries.” He added: “Despite efforts made in Iran and abroad to expand and deepen Iranian Studies, significant gaps still remain. These must be addressed, especially through the leadership of Iranian professors and researchers in global academic circles and through interaction between Iranian and non-Iranian Iranologists. One of these gaps is the weak civilizational approach to Iranian Studies.”
Dr. Elham Malekzadeh, Associate Professor at the Research Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies and Deputy Scientific Secretary of the Conference—who is herself one of the distinguished Iranologists—explained: “From among the submitted papers, the scientific committee has finally selected fifteen top articles for presentation in two specialized panels of the conference. All articles are of high research quality, and some were directly submitted to the conference secretariat by first-rate professors in Iranian Studies.” She added: “After the conference, they will be published as a book following scientific editing.” Dr. Malekzadeh further noted: “Presentations on the second day of the conference will be held online in two languages, with the participation of invited researchers in this field, and the abstracts of the papers will be made available to interested parties before the conference.”