**Charity registration number 231161 (England and Wales) Company registration number 00740813** ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** # **ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **CONTENTS** ||**Page**| |---|---| |Trustees' report|1 - 3| |Independent examiner's report|4| |Statement of financial activities|5| |Balance sheet|6| |Notes to the financial statements|7 - 17| ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025. ## **Reference and administrative details** **Trustees** Professor Ali Ansari - President Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis - Vice President Hossein Hamedani - Hon Treasurer Dr Sarah Stewart - Hon Secretary Dr Cameron Petrie Dr Arezou Azad Professor Andrew Newman Dr Lindsay Allen (Resigned 21 November 2024) Dr Shabnam Holliday Dr Roham Alvandi Dr Saeedreza Talajooy David Gye Dr Evaleila Pesaran (Appointed 21 November 2024) Dr Mariano Errichiello (Appointed 21 November 2024) Dr W Ball (Appointed 27 February 2025 and resigned 14 October 2025) **Charity number** 231161 **Company number** 00740813 **Registered office** 10 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AH **Independent examiner** J A Griggs FCA 61 London Road Maidstone Kent ME16 8TX The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)". ## **Objectives and activities** The objectives of the charity are to promote and encourage the study of Iran and the wider Persianate world, the history, civilisation and culture in all periods, including the archaeology of Persian artefacts worldwide. - 1 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **Achievements and performance** The year 2024-25 has seen us pursue the various pillars of our strategic plan which will see us through to 2030. We are in the process of rethinking the structure of our grant awards with greater focus on early career researchers providing necessary seed money to allow them initiate projects which can in time secure further grant money. With our flagship programmes – which ran over three years – coming to an end, we are in the process of replacing our flagship research projects with a single BIPS Fellow which will allow us to support researchers from abroad who wish to come to the UK for a brief period to conduct research. Last year we inaugurated our BIPS Outreach project Grants to support projects that promote the knowledge of the Persianate world to a non-academic audience, with four excellent applications from leading institutions including Kew Gardens and Sissinghurst. Our India networking and digitisation pillars continue to develop at pace with major collaborations due to take place with two institutional Indian partners in 2026 on the topics of Zoroastrianism and Mughal India in relation to the Persianate world. We continue to grow our digital offering with partnerships with Persian Language Online and the Golha platform both of which provide resources to the public for free. The digitisation platform has been configured and we have made significant progress in review and digitisation of Stronach and other archives. This has been achieved in collaborative work with the other Research Institutes (BIRIs) funded by the British Academy and the Archaeological Data Service in York. The objectives are developing in-house expertise and guidelines and good practices which constitute the standards for modern digital archives, including compilation of a comprehensive user guide to BIPS digital platform. The next phase is data completion, cleansing and the migration of the archives onto the platform. BIPS also collaborated with the BIRIs, in production of two digital stories, one on the contributions of women to the work of the institutes in their early days and the other on the early history of the institutes, which identified the wealth of information preserved by the archives, the links between the BIRIs, and the opportunities provided by the digitisation of the archives for wider public access to the information and research of the archives. The Stronach Fellow has made remarkable progress, and the records of the Yarim Tepe excavations have been digitised and a volume prepared for publication. It is currently being peer reviewed. Great progress has also been made with the record of the Nush-i Jan (Malayr-Jowkar Plain) Survey. They have been digitised and a full publication, with catalogue, which includes the sites, is now in the course of preparation. This report has been eagerly awaited by the scholarly community, and will make a substantial contribution to knowledge. ## **Financial review** Unrestricted funds decreased by £5,151 (2024: £3,734) to £235,137 (2024: £240,288). A restricted fund was created in the financial year ended 31 March 2012 in respect of a donation of £4,000 towards funding book publication grants. This fund had a balance of £2,000 (2024: £2,000) as at 31 March 2025. A restricted fund was created in 2013 for advanced language training. There was a balance of £13,260 on this fund as at 31 March 2025 (2024: £13,260). The Digitisation fund was created in 2022 from a donation for the cost of digitisation of BIPS archive of historical archaeological and research records. The balance on the fund is £9,900 as at 31 March 2025 (2024: £6,250). The designated funds set aside by the trustees for a new motor vehicle and to facilitate travel grants for research students continued to be carried forward. A new fund was created in March 2024 from a grant provided by the British Academy to contribute towards the cost of running and development of Persian Language Online. This fund started its activity in the year and had a balance of £21,283 at 31 March 2025 (2024: £10,000). ## **Structure, governance and management** The charity is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, and governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. - 2 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **Recruitment and appointment of trustees** All trustees – except for office holders – serve a three-year term renewable once, for a total of six years. When vacancies arise director/trustee candidates are nominated by two members and submitted for election by the membership. Successful candidates are announced at the AGM, subject to the maximum total number of trustees allowed by the Articles of Association. The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees. Professor Ali Ansari - President **Trustee** Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis - Vice President **Trustee** 22 October 2025 - 3 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT** ## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The British Institute Of Persian Studies (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011. ## **Independent examiner's statement** Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: - 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006. - 2 the financial statements do not accord with those records; or - 3 the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or - 4 the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached. ## **J A Griggs FCA** ## **Levicks** 61 London Road Maidstone Kent ME16 8TX 23 October 2025 - 4 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT** ## _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ |**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**funds**
**2025**
**2025**
**Notes**
**£**
**£**
**Income and endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
**2**
260
277,313
Charitable activities
**3**
17,255
-
Investment income
**4**
6,497
-
**Total income**
24,012
277,313
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
**5**
26,153
262,380
**Total expenditure**
26,153
262,380
Net gains/(losses) on
investments
**9**
(1,449)
-
**Net income/(expenditure)**
(3,590)
14,933
**Other recognised**
**gains and losses:**
Other gains/(losses)
**11**
(1,561)
-
**Net movement in**
**funds**
**6**
(5,151)
14,933
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Fund balances at 1 April 2024
240,288
32,825
**Fund balances at 31 March**
**2025**
235,137
47,758|**Total**
**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**funds**
**2025**
**2024**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
277,573
199
223,058
17,255
22,432
-
6,497
6,443
-
301,325
29,074
223,058
288,533
39,098
238,701
288,533
39,098
238,701
(1,449)
3,531
-
11,343
(6,493)
(15,643)
(1,561)
2,759
-
9,782
(3,734)
(15,643)
273,113
244,022
48,468
282,895
240,288
32,825|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
223,257
22,432
6,443
252,132
277,799
277,799
3,531
(22,136)
2,759
(19,377)
292,490
273,113| |---|---|---| The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities. - 5 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **BALANCE SHEET** ## _**AS AT 31 MARCH 2025**_ |**2025**
**Notes**
**£**
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
**12**
COIF investments
**13**
**Current assets**
Debtors
**14**
8,200
Investments
**15**
-
Cash at bank and in hand
327,874
336,074
**Creditors: amounts falling due within**
**one year**
**16**
(147,677)
**Net current assets**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
**The funds of the charity**
Restricted income funds
**18**
Unrestricted funds
**19**|**£**
47,533
46,965
94,498
188,397
282,895
47,758
235,137
282,895|**2024**
**£**
2,040
48,414
223,400
273,854
(48,274)|**£**
47,533
-| |---|---|---|---| ||||47,533
225,580| ||||273,113| ||||32,825
240,288| ||||273,113| The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 March 2025. The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the trustees on 22 October 2025 ## **Professor Ali Ansari - President** Company registration number 00740813 (England and Wales) - 6 - **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **1 Accounting policies** ## **Charity information** The British Institute Of Persian Studies is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 10 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH. ## **1.1 Accounting convention** The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102. The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a statement of cash flows. The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified by the revaluation of investments. Investments are included at market value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below. ## **1.2 Going concern** At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements. ## **1.3 Charitable funds** Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives. Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements. Endowment funds are subject to specific conditions by donors that the capital must be maintained by the charity. ## **1.4 Income** All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income: - Income received by way of grants, donations and gifts is included in full in the statement of financial activities when receivable. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the Institute, are recognised when the Institute becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant. - Investment income is included as it accrues. - Income from charitable trading activities is accounted for when earned. - 7 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **1 Accounting policies** **(Continued)** ## **1.5 Expenditure** Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates. Other costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the Institute and include the independent examiners’ fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the Institute. All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories of the statement of financial activities on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resource. All costs are allocated directly to a particular activity. ## **1.6 Tangible fixed assets** Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses. Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases: Leasehold land and buildings 2.5% straight line Fixtures and fittings 15% reducing balance Library books not depreciated The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities. Since 1995, assets purchased by the charity have been expensed through the statement of financial activities. However, if a significant capital expenditure is being proposed, the trustees consider whether this treatment is appropriate in relation to the specific transaction concerned. ## **1.7 Fixed asset investments** Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred. The trustees have reviewed the current asset investments held by the charity. It is intended that these are held for the foreseeable future and therefore they have been reclassified as fixed asset investments. ## **1.8 Cash and cash equivalents** Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities. ## **1.9 Financial instruments** The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments. Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. - 8 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **1 Accounting policies** ## **(Continued)** ## _**Basic financial assets**_ Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised. ## _**Basic financial liabilities**_ Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised. Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. ## **2 Income from donations and legacies** |**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**funds**
**2025**
**2025**
**£**
**£**
Donations and gifts
260
5
Grants
-
277,308
260
277,313|**Total**
**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**funds**
**2025**
**2024**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
265
199
50
277,308
-
223,008
277,573
199
223,058|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
249
223,008| |---|---|---| |||223,257| ## **3 Income from charitable activities** ||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**| |---|---|---| ||**funds**|**funds**| ||**2025**|**2024**| ||**£**|**£**| |**Hostel income**||| |Ancillary trading income|1,800|6,000| |**Publication sales**||| |Ancillary trading income|7,089|7,643| |**Subscriptions**||| |Memberships|8,366|8,789| ||17,255|22,432| - 9 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **4 Investment income** ||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**| |---|---|---| ||**funds**|**funds**| ||**2025**|**2024**| ||**£**|**£**| |Bank interest|1,379|1,356| |Income from investments|5,118|5,087| ||6,497|6,443| ## **5 Expenditure on charitable activities** |**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Total**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**2025**
**2025**
**2025**
**2024**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**Direct costs**
Grants & scholarships
9,875
165,189
175,064
5,360
116,504
Workshops & lectures
-
2,974
2,974
-
27,534
Book publication costs
-
3,898
3,898
-
6,000
Office costs
4,535
11,623
16,158
8,040
27,652
Financial costs
146
-
146
136
-
Journal expenses
-
6,638
6,638
-
5,540
Outreach
-
32,905
32,905
-
41,519
Establishment &
maintenance
2,311
13,214
15,525
8,642
13,952
Examination &
accountancy
3,000
-
3,000
3,310
-
Management
6,205
-
6,205
6,258
-
Legal expenses
81
-
81
7,352
-
Research costs
-
18,927
18,927
-
-
PLOL costs
-
7,012
7,012
-
-
26,153
262,380
288,533
39,098
238,701
**Analysis by fund**
Unrestricted funds
26,153
-
26,153
39,098
-
Restricted funds
-
262,380
262,380
-
238,701
26,153
262,380
288,533
39,098
238,701
**6**
**Net movement in funds**
**2025**
**£**
The net movement in funds is stated after charging/(crediting):
Fees payable for the independent examination of the charity's financial
statements
3,000|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
121,864
27,534
6,000
35,692
136
5,540
41,519
22,594
3,310
6,258
7,352
-
-| |---|---| ||277,799| ||39,098
238,701| ||277,799| ||**2024**
**£**
3,310| - 10 - **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **7 Trustees** 7 members of the Council received travel and other expenses totalling £3,847 (2024: £2,131). An honorarium of £1,000 was paid to Cameron Petrie, one of the trustees, for editing the Iran Journal for the year. ## **8 Employees** The average monthly number of employees during the year was: ||**2025**|**2024**| |---|---|---| ||**Number**|**Number**| |General staff|2|2| |**Employment costs**|**2025**|**2024**| ||**£**|**£**| |Wages and salaries|55,656|44,909| |Social security costs|140|-| |Other pension costs|5,600|4,491| ||61,396|49,400| The charity operates a defined benefit pension scheme for its employees. The charity has no liability beyond the payment of these contributions. There were no employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000. ## **9 Gains and losses on investments** ||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**| |---|---|---| ||**funds**|**funds**| ||**2025**|**2024**| |Gains/(losses) arising on:|**£**|**£**| |Revaluation of investments|(1,449)|3,531| ## **10 Taxation** The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes. ## **11 Other gains and losses** ||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**| |---|---|---| ||**funds**|**funds**| ||**2025**|**2024**| |Gains/(losses) upon:|**£**|**£**| |Foreign exchange|(1,561)|2,759| - 11 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ |**12**|**Tangible fixed assets**||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||**Leasehold**|**Fixtures and**|**Library books**|**Total**| |||**land and**|**fittings**||| |||**buildings**|||| |||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| ||**Cost**||||| ||At 1 April 2024|260,656|27,419|47,533|335,608| ||At 31 March 2025|260,656|27,419|47,533|335,608| ||**Depreciation and impairment**||||| ||At 1 April 2024|260,656|27,419|-|288,075| ||At 31 March 2025|260,656|27,419|-|288,075| ||**Carrying amount**||||| ||At 31 March 2025|-|-|47,533|47,533| ||At 31 March 2024|-|-|47,533|47,533| |**13**|**Fixed asset investments**||||| ||||||**COIF**| ||||||**investment**| ||||||**£**| ||**Cost or valuation**||||| ||At 1 April 2024||||48,414| ||Valuation changes||||(1,449)| ||At 31 March 2025||||46,965| ||**Carrying amount**||||| ||At 31 March 2025||||46,965| ||At 31 March 2024||||-| |**14**|**Debtors**||||| |||||**2025**|**2024**| ||**Amounts falling due within one year:**|||**£**|**£**| ||Trade debtors|||6,643|446| ||Other debtors|||5|42| ||Prepayments and accrued income|||1,552|1,552| |||||8,200|2,040| - 12 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ |**15**
**Current asset investments**
COIF investments
**16**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income|**2025**
**£**
-
**2025**
**£**
4,542
3,648
139,487
147,677|**2024**
**£**
48,414| |---|---|---| |||**2024**
**£**
372
3,552
44,350| |||48,274| - 13 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **17 Fund Purposes** ## _**Restricted Funds**_ **:** **Bahari Foundation fund -** This fund represents money given to the Institute towards its special series publications. **Advanced language training fund -** This fund represents money given to the Institute by the British Academy for the provision of advanced language training for research students. **Conference fund -** This fund represents money given to the Institute by the British Academy for promoting and encouraging study of Iran and the wider Persianate world. **Basic fund** - This fund represents the basic grant from the British Academy used for the core charitable purposes of research, communications and outreach, library and collections and establishment costs. **Iran Society** - This fund represents monies passed through the Institute from the Iran Society in respect of an arrangement to aid the provision of grants to scholars in the final year of their PhD. **Bruce Wannell fund** - This fund has been set up in memory of the Iranian Scholar Bruce Wannell, to fund an annual public lecture in his honour at the University of York. The balance of funds was transferred to the University of York in 2024. Going forward events will continue with The British Institute of Persian Studies as a named sponsor and participant. **Digitisation fund** - This fund has been set up to contribute towards the cost of digitising BIPS archive research and archaeological material. The costs were committed by the year end and will be paid in 2025/26. **Persian Language Online** - This fund was initially provided by The British Academy to contribute towards the cost of running and the development of Persian Language Online. **Fellowship fund** - This is a multi-year fellowship grant included within the Basic fund. BIPS is responsible for the payment of salary each month. **Strategic fund** - This is a long-term project in association with Indian institutions. The costs were committed by the year end and will be expensed by November 2026. ## _**Unrestricted Funds**_ **:** **General fund -** This represents funds available to be spent or applied at the discretion of the trustees to further any of the charity’s purposes. ## _**Designated Funds**_ **:** **BIPS UG/PG travel fund** - This fund represents monies to be used to facilitate travel by research students to Iran. **Motor vehicles** - This fund represents money set aside to facilitate the purchase of a new vehicle. - 14 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **18 Restricted funds** The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. ||**At 1 April**|**Incoming**|**Resources**|**Transfers**|**At 31 March**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**2024**|**resources**|**expended**||**2025**| ||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| |Bruce Wannell|50|-|-|-|50| |Digitisation fund|6,250|3,650|-|-|9,900| |Bahari Foundation UG/PG|||||| |travel|2,000|-|-|-|2,000| |Advanced language training|13,260|-|-|-|13,260| |Conference fund|1,265|-|-|-|1,265| |Persian Language Online|10,000|20,005|(8,722)|-|21,283| |Basic fund|-|211,008|(211,008)|-|-| |Strategic fund|-|42,650|(42,650)|-|-| ||32,825|277,313|(262,380)|-|47,758| |**Previous year:**|**At 1 April**|**Incoming**|**Resources**|**Transfers**|**At 31 March**| ||**2023**|**resources**|**expended**||**2024**| ||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| |Bruce Wannell|25,693|50|(25,693)|-|50| |Iran Society|-|2,000|(2,000)|-|-| |Digitisation fund|6,250|-|-|-|6,250| |Bahari Foundation UG/PG|||||| |travel|2,000|-|-|-|2,000| |Advanced language training|13,260|-|-|-|13,260| |Conference fund|1,265|-|-|-|1,265| |Persian online learning|-|-|-|10,000|10,000| |Basic fund|-|221,008|(211,008)|(10,000)|-| ||48,468|223,058|(238,701)|-|32,825| - 15 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ ## **19 Unrestricted funds** The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes. ||**At 1**|**At 1**|**April**|**Incoming**|**Incoming**|**Resources**|**Transfers**|**Gains and**|**At 31 March**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||**2024**|**resources**||**expended**||**losses**|**2025**| ||||**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| |General fund||214,858|||24,012|(16,277)|-|(3,010)|219,583| |Motor vehicles||10,791|||-|-|-|-|10,791| |BIPS UG/PG|||||||||| |travel||14,639|||-|(9,876)|-|-|4,763| |||240,288|||24,012|(26,153)|-|(3,010)|235,137| |**Previous year:**|**At 1**||**April**|**Incoming**||**Resources**|**Transfers**|**Gains and**|**At 31 March**| ||||**2023**|**resources**||**expended**||**losses**|**2024**| ||||**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| |General fund||213,231|||29,074|(33,737)|-|6,290|214,858| |Motor vehicles||10,791|||-|-|-|-|10,791| |BIPS UG/PG|||||||||| |travel||20,000|||-|(5,361)|-|-|14,639| |||244,022|||29,074|(39,098)|-|6,290|240,288| |**Analysis of net assets**||**between**||**funds**|||||| ||||||||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**| ||||||||**funds**|**funds**|| ||||||||**2025**|**2025**|**2025**| ||||||||**£**|**£**|**£**| |**At 31 March 2025:**|||||||||| |Tangible assets|||||||47,533|-|47,533| |Fixed asset investment|||||||46,965|-|46,965| |Current assets/(liabilities)|||||||140,639|47,758|188,397| ||||||||235,137|47,758|282,895| ## **20 Analysis of net assets between funds** - 16 - ## **THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**_ |**20**|**Analysis of net assets between funds**|||**(Continued)**| |---|---|---|---|---| |||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**| |||**funds**|**funds**|| |||**2024**|**2024**|**2024**| |||**£**|**£**|**£**| ||**At 31 March 2024:**|||| ||Tangible assets|47,533|-|47,533| ||Current assets/(liabilities)|192,755|32,825|225,580| |||240,288|32,825|273,113| ## **21 Related party transactions** There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none). - 17 - # ~~2~~ ## Table of contents |About the British Institute of Persian Studies|4| |---|---| |Governing Council and Offce Holders at 31 March 2025|6| |Letter from the President, Professor Ali Ansari|8| |Research|11| |Research, Research Assistant and Travel Grants Programme|11| |About the BIPS Grant Programme|11| |2024-2025 BIPS Grant Awards|13| |Grant Holders’ Workshops|16| |BIPS Flagship Research Projects|18| |The David Stronach Archives and the Malayer-Jowkar Survey of 1977-78|20| |Outreach|24| |2024-2025 Events|26| |2024-2025 Outreach Grants|28| |Tehran Institute|29| |Annual Report 2024-2025|29| |Publications|30| |_IRAN_LXII.I and LXII.II (2024)|30| |Studies in the History and Culture of the Persianate World Series|32| |Archaeological Monograph Series|32| |Financial Report|34| ~~3~~ ## About the British Institute of Persian Studies The British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS) continues to be the UK’s foremost learned society dedicated to increasing public knowledge and supporting scholarship on Iran and the wider Persianate world, including South and Central Asia. The Persianate world includes territories historically associated with Persian and Iranian culture and language, these areas are, but not limited to, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, Iraq, the Persian Gulf littoral and South Asia. BIPS is invested in supporting a range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, and subjects include Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Classics, Cultural Studies, History, Language, Linguistics, Politics, Religious Studies and Sociology. BIPS is a UK charity and company limited by guarantee. It is also a self-governing membership organisation, whose members are elected on a three-yearly basis to serve on BIPS Governing Council as trustees of the charity and directors of the company. Most Governing Council members are academics in the field of Persianate studies, but some offer expertise in other areas, as do our co-opted members. BIPS is one of the British International Research Institutes (BIRI) – a group of research institutes with overseas centres in Europe, Southwest Asia, North and East Africa. The BIRI are financially supported by and headquartered in the British Academy. BIPS was founded in the UK in 1961 and in Iran in 1963; however the Institute in Tehran remains closed to the public. In the UK, BIPS plays a key role in sustaining the academic vitality and increasing the visibility of the field, by campaigning for greater provision for its study in higher education. BIPS’s activities include the biannual awarding of research, travel and outreach grants and prizes and an extensive programme of workshops, events, lectures, as well as recitals in the UK. BIPS has published its journal, IRAN, every year since 1963. It also publishes the Studies in the History and Culture of the Persianate World Series in conjunction with Bloomsbury/I.B. Tauris and the Archaeological Monograph Series with Oxbow Books. BIPS has approximately 270 members from around the world. Our membership year runs January to December, but we welcome new member applications at ~~4~~ any time. Member benefits include receipt of our journal, IRAN, twice yearly and discounts on other publications and exclusive access to events, (both BIPS and other institutions). BIPS publishes its Annual Review in the Autumn of each year. This is the 2025 Annual Review (covering the financial year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025). Following its commitment to save energy and go green, from this issue the Annual Review will only be available in digital format. The Annual Review can be downloaded from the BIPS website. ~~5~~ ## Governing Council and Office Holders at 31 March 2025 Professor Ali Ansari (President) Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis (Vice President) Dr Roham Alvandi Dr Arezou Azad Dr Warwick Ball (co-opted, February 2025) Dr Mariano Errichiello (Appointed November 2024) Mr David Gye Mr Hossein Hamedani (Honorary Treasurer) Dr Shabnam Holliday (Research Director) Professor Andrew J. Newman (Outreach and Development Director) Dr Evaleila Pesaran (Appointed November 2024) Professor Cameron Petrie (Editor _IRAN_ and _BIPS Archaeological Monograph Series_ ) Dr Sarah Stewart (Honorary Secretary) Dr Saeedreza Talajooy (Editor _Studies in the History and Culture of the Persianate World Series_ ) Professor Robert Hillenbrand (Honorary Vice President) Professor Paul Luft (Honorary Vice President) Members of Governing Council who left office through the year: Dr Lindsay Allen (until November 2024) Dr Florian Schwartz (co-opted, until November 2024) ~~6~~ ## Staff ## London Ms Silvia Ferreri (Executive Manager) Dr Brenden Benjamin (Outreach Assistant) ## Tehran Ms Sima Mohannak (Acting Manager) ## British Institute of Persian Studies UK Registered Charity No: 231161 | UK Registered Company No: 00740813 10-11 Carlton House Terrace 1623 Dr Shariati Avenue London, SW1Y 5AH Tehran, 19396-13661 +44(0)20 7969 5203 +98 (21) 2260 1045 bips@thebritishacademy.ac.uk bips@pol.ir Ahmad Shah Qajar and his Cabinet. Assad-Allah al-Husayni Naqqashi-bashi. c. 19011915. Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. ~~77~~ ## Letter from the President, Professor Ali Ansari This year has seen BIPS build on the progress we witnessed last year to restructure our internal processes and management and pursue the strategic goals that we outlined in our review. Internally we have created a Fundraising & Finance Committee, chaired by our Honorary Treasurer, Hossein Hamedani, and including Mariano Errichiello and David Gye. The new committee will provide much needed assistance to our stoic Treasurer and help formulate and systematise a fundraising plan to raise money via both grants and donors. The Five Year Strategy drawn up last year was approved by both Council and the British Academy and we have sought to turn these ideas into practical realities with the extension of our networks in India and two significant workshops and one conference planned for 2026 dealing with the topics of Zoroastrianism and Mughal India in relation to the Persianate world. Our plans to expand our digital offering continue and we are especially excited to be partnering with Golha (https://www.golha.co.uk) and the extraordinary work that Dr Jane Lewisohn has done to digitise this invaluable archive and make it readily available to the wider public. We are very pleased that the Golha Archive will be hosted by BIPS and that we will be working with Jane to further develop the platform. In addition, this year we began the cataloguing and labelling of our administrative archive – dating back to the foundation of BIPS in 1961 – with the intention of making this available to scholars in due course. We inaugurated our BIPS Outreach Project Grants to support projects that promote the knowledge of the Persianate world to a non-academic audience, with four excellent applications from leading institutions including Kew Gardens and Sissinghurst. BIPS continues to be the leading charitable organisation supporting research in the Persianate world and our Research Committee continues to review and update the grants that it has available. Please do keep a close eye on the ~~8~~ ## website for any new schemes and deadlines. Last and by no means least, we continue with the refurbishment of the Institute in Tehran, maintaining the site as well as proceeding with the digitisation of the Library catalogue. Needless to say, what we thought had been a difficult year in 2024, became much worse in the summer of 2025 and we are particularly grateful to Sima Mohannak and Daneh Kordmahini for keeping the Institute going in what have been exceptionally difficult circumstances. Professor Ali Ansari BIPS President August 2025 ~~9~~ ~~**10**~~ ## Research The Research programme at BIPS is managed by the Research Committee chaired by Dr Shabnam Holliday, Associate Professor in International Relations, University of Plymouth. ## Research, Research Assistant and Travel Grants Programme About the BIPS Grant Programme BIPS supports UK-based post-doctoral researchers and UK-based students to carry out humanities and social science research into Iran and the Persianate world, and invites grant applications two times a year, usually in May and September. BIPS supports a broad range of research projects and funds travel for research and conference attendance. This year we have added a new category of grants, the Early Career Researcher (ECR) Conference Grant. The Research Grants and Research Assistant Grants, generally up to a maximum of £5,000, can be awarded to applicants who have completed a PhD and hold a research-active position at a UK Higher Educational Institution (HEI). HEIs are usually universities but may also be museums or similar organisations. Research Grants are given for a range of purposes, including fieldwork, archival research and the organisation of conferences, with academic publications as the primary output. The Research Assistant Grants are designed to allow academics to hire assistants to help develop a research project, allow for the research of an established academic to be supported, with an income to be provided to an ECR or postgraduate student who will conduct the majority of the research. To qualify for a Travel Grant, applicants must be currently enrolled as a student (undergraduate or postgraduate, including doctoral candidates) at a UK HEI. The awards are limited to £1,200 and are normally awarded to assist with the costs of travel to the Persianate world, in its widest sense. We may make awards for travel ~~1111~~ to conferences or to other regions if a strong rationale is made in the application. All grant applications are assessed by the BIPS Research and Publications Committee, and their recommendations are then reviewed and ratified by the BIPS Council. At the time of taking their grant, successful applicants must be members of BIPS. Award holders must provide a financial report, for internal use, and a short narrative report that will be uploaded to the BIPS website. A requirement for all grant holders is to present their research at a BIPS workshop. For more information on our current grant rounds see the BIPS website (bips.ac.uk). ~~**12**~~ 2024-2025 BIPS Grant Awards During the financial year 2024-2025 BIPS has awarded a total of nineteen Research, Research Assistant, and Student Travel grants, which have supported important research projects. These cover a broad chronological span and a variety of disciplines. In the financial year 2024-2025 the following grants were awarded: |Type of
Award|Awardee|UK HEI|Topic|Value| |---|---|---|---|---| |Research|Ferenc Csirkes|University of
Birmingham|The Politics of Turkic in Early
Modern Iran(PoTiEMI)|£2,200| |Research|Mariano
Errichiello|SOAS|The Making of Modern
Zoroastrianism
between
Aryanism and Esotericism
(ZARYA)|£4,950| |Research|Maryam
Heydarkhani|University of
Oxford|Architecture and Social Role
of Qajar Madrasas: An
Expanded Perspective|£2,000| |Research|Gwendoline
Maurer|Cardiff
Universtiy|ICAANE 14th Conference in
Lyon June 2025, Caucasus
Through Time Network Team|£1,000| |Research|Yousef Moradi|SOAS|Towards
an
Absolute
Dating of the Formation and
Abandonment of the City of
Jundishapur Using Optically
Stimulated
Luminescence
(OSL)|£5,000| |Research|Amy
Richardson|Universtiy of
Reading|Tracing
Transitions
and
Connecting Communities in
the Archaeology of Western
Asia(TracT)|£1,800| |Research|Eberhard Sauer|University of
Edinburgh|The Great Caucasus Wall:
a little-known long wall
(Caucasus Wall)|£3,804| ~~13~~ |Type of
Award|Awardee|UK HEI|Topic|Value| |---|---|---|---|---| |Research
Assistant|Sara Bamdad|De Monfort
University|Perceptions
of
Trans
reproductive bodies in social
media in Iran|£4,327.50| |Research
Assistant|Roger
Matthews|University of
Reading|Animal exploitation in early
Neolithic Fars: the evidence
from Tol-e Sangi|£3,800| |Student
Travel|Kamila
Akhmedjanova|University of
Oxford|A study of Ahmad Danish’s
place
among
the
19th-
century
Persian-speaking
intellectual trends|£900| |Student
Travel|Stefano
Cecatiello|UCL|A Typology of Sogdian
Cultic Spacrs from the 5th
to the 8th Century: Material
Culture, Cultic Practices, and
Sociopolitical Signifcance|£900| |Student
Travel|Brady Hill|University of
Cambridge|The
Kani
Shaie
Archaeological
Project
(KSAP)|£954| |Student
Travel|Megan Hinks|University of
Cambridge|Bitumen
before
Babylon:
Analysing
bitumen
from
ancient Iraq and Iran in the
Louvre Museum Collections|£913.97| |Student
Travel|Sara Makari-
Aghdam|University of
St Andrews|The Critical Molla - over a
hundred years ago|£1,000| |Student
Travel|Edoardo
Marcarini|SOAS|I Want to Remain Persian:
Music, Memory and Identity
Among Iranian Jews in Israel|£900| |Student
Travel|Clare Parry|Cardiff
Universtiy|Displaying Empire: Imperial
Approachs to Power and
Identity in Persia and the
Near East|£374| ~~**14**~~ |Type of
Award|Awardee|UK HEI|Topic|Value| |---|---|---|---|---| |Student
Travel|Lorane Prevost|University of
Oxford|The
Transmission
of
the
Classical
Radif
Outside
Iran: Social and Musical
Hierarchies|£750| |Student
Travel|Iqan
Shahidghamsari|University of
Cambridge|Participation to the ASPS
Conference, August 2025|£1,200| |Student
Travel|Sean Strong|Cardiff
Universtiy|Particiption to IMC Leeds;
Celtic Conference Cardiff;
ERAN Research Forum Lille|£777.97| ~~15~~ ## Grant Holders’ Workshops In addition to showcasing the excellent research that BIPS has funded, workshops are an important and integral aspect of BIPS’ strategy to support and develop Iranian and Persianate Studies in the UK. Furthermore, the Research and Publications Committee endeavours to take the workshops around the UK. We have had two Grant Holders’ workshops since the last Annual Review was published. Reports from all grants can be found on BIPS’ website. On 9-10 July 2024, grant holders met at the University of Cambridge. This workshop was an excellent demonstration of the diverse disciplinary areas of Iranian and Persianate studies in the UK supported by BIPS, with MA students, doctoral candidates and Early Career Researchers presenting alongside established scholars. In addition to supporting researchers at the beginning of their academic journeys, the workshop demonstrated the impact of BIPS funding on larger established projects. For instance, Dr Francesca Leoni, Curator of Islamic art at the Ashmolean Museum, shared how BIPS funding facilitated the exhibition _Images of Authority: Portraiture between Iran and Europe_ (https://www.ashmolean.org/exhibition/images-ofauthority-portraits-between-iran-and-europe). Dr Jane Lewisohn showed how a BIPS Research Grant has contributed, along with other stakeholders, to the Persian and English indexing of the Persian journal _Tehran Musavar_ . As a result of this funding, the indexed journals are freely accessible on the Golistan website (https://www.golistan.org/collection/?keyword=&fc4t=&type=Read&sub_ type=Journals&fc1=79472&fc2=&fc3=&fc4=). On 21 November 2024, BIPS grant holders met at the British Academy in London. Once again, the aim was to provide an informal environment for the Iranian and Persianate Studies community, at all stages of the academic careers, to share their research, network and exchange ideas. Among the presentations, Professor Edmund Herzig, University of Oxford, reported on the BIPS funding that contributed to an international conference to mark the 400th anniversary of the capture of Hormuz by the joint forces of Safavid Persia and the British East India Company. Professor Sussan Babaie, Courtauld Institute, presented the research project _Mongol Connections: Re-considering the arts of the Ilkhanate_ . This has contributed ~~**16**~~ to developing Arts of _The Mongol World_ exhibition that will be held at the Royal Academy of Arts. The next three Grant Holders’ workshops will be held at the Universtity of Edinburgh on 22-23 May 2025, at the British Academy in London on 20 November 2025 before the BIPS AGM, and at the University of Exeter on 21-22 May 2026. Full details will become available online and in BIPS’ newsletters. Dr Shabnam Holliday BIPS Research Director BIPS Grant Holders’ Workshop, Novemeber 2024 in London. ~~17~~ BIPS Flagship Research Projects Agricultural Sustainability of the Otrar Oasis 2024-25 was the second year of the project to understand how the city of Otrar in southern Kazakhstan functioned agriculturally, the periods in which it thrived, and when and why it declined. This involved a 5-week excavation season between 18 September and 24 October 2024, which was followed by analysis. The excavation focused on various trenches within the abandoned city to provide information about urban occupation and particularly the agricultural basis of the city’s economy and survival. Two main trenches were excavated, with smaller investigations in 11 further trenches across the site. Trench OTR16 is a small mound of occupation located in the eastern suburb of the city. Initial excavations in 2023 indicated that it likely dates to the 12th century or earlier and so had potential to provide crucial preMongol conquest (1220) data from the city. OTR23 is located on a mound next to the main canal which flows through the city’s western suburbs. Geophysical survey undertaken in 2023 indicated that there was likely dense occupation in this area, with inhabitants taking advantage of the fresh water flowing into this part of the city. The other trenches primarily targeted canals and fortification systems across the city’s suburb, and a small excavation was undertaken in OTR6, a deep trench on Otrar’s shahristan. Dr Katie Campbell King’s College, University of Cambridge Persian Manuscripts Between East and West: Britain, India and the Circulation of the Persian Literary Heritage In the second year of the research project, the focus has been on the Delhi Collection of the British Library. Seized by the British after the munity of 1857, this collection contains remnants of the Mughal Imperial Library as well as several collections of prominent individuals in Delhi who had opposed the British. To date it has remained ~~18~~ Persian Manuscripts Between East and West: Britain, India and the Circulation of the Persian Literary Heritage very little researched, and large parts of the collection are not fully catalogued. The project’s research assistant, Mr Ali Shapouran, produced catalogue records for more than 100 manuscripts, making them accessible to a wider public for the first time; these will be published in the online catalogue (fhrist.org). The project’s research on the Delhi collection also aimed to ascertain the origins of the manuscripts, which has been a matter of scholarly debate. Hitherto unstudied manuscripts uncovered by the project give new insights into both the origins of the Delhi collection and the cultural life of Delhi, identifying for the first time important individuals whose books it contains, such as the Delhi poet and chief justice Sadr al-Din Azurda. The project’s aims also include studying the British contribution towards the formation of Indian manuscript collections. Particular attention was given to collections in Hyderabad and Kolkata, which both have strong connections to British rule. Research uncovered a number of previously unidentified texts produced for British patrons, most notably a verse history of the mutiny in Persian written by the German mercenary and Persian poet Farsu. Information about some of the project’s research findings is presented in various blogs on the project website (https://persianmanuscripts.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/). The project also held a major international conference at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, in November 2024, on _Persian Manuscripts: Their Significance to Past, Present and Future_ . Bringing together scholars from India, Britain, the US and other countries, the conference attracted significant coverage in the Indian press, with articles on it in The Hindu and The Deccan Chronicle. Professor Andrew Peacock University of St Andrews ~~19~~ The David Stronach Archives and the MalayerJowkar Surve of 1977-78 y David Stronach OBE FSA (b.1931–d.2020) was a leading figure in the field of Iranian archaeology and founding director of the British Institute of Persian Studies. David left behind an extensive archive accumulated throughout his long and varied career, including a wealth of unpublished material relating to his pioneering excavations in Iran as director of the BIPS Tehran Institute. The Stronach archives are currently held at UCLA in California where they undergo digitisation. The digitised files are then sent to the UK to be reviewed and catalogued, with the eventual aim of making the digitised archive freely available online via a BIPS hosted website. A key part of the process is to identify material for publication. Following the last update, a final report on David’s early excavations at Yarim Tepe on the Gorgan Plain (1960-62) is now complete and awaiting publication. Attention is now focused on publishing the results of an archaeological survey of the Malayer-Jowkar Plain in the Central Zagros range in Western Iran, conducted between 1977 and 1978. Having completed the Institute’s flagship excavations at Pasargadae with David as director, the BIPS Governing Council proposed a new fieldwork project at the early Islamic port city of Siraf, located in the province of Bushehr. David Stronach expressed his reluctance to direct the Siraf excavations being that Islamic period archaeology did not align with his research interests or expertise. He desired instead to investigate archaeological sites in the region of Hamadan with his colleague T. Cuyler Young, a proposal that was not particularly well received by Council Chair Sir Max Mallowan. Nevertheless, in March 1965 David and T. Cyler Young set off in a Landrover to identify archaeological mounds in the Malayer plain, taking a route north from Malayer ~~20~~ to Hamadan. Their attention was soon drawn to a prominent mound located in the plain, the size of which suggested a natural feature. Looking through binoculars, they could just make out what appeared to be a substantial deposit of soft earth on the summit of this rocky outcrop, which brought to mind the hilltop citadel of Ziwiye recently excavated by Robert H. Dyson. Their suspicions were confirmed as they reached the summit of the mound, which was covered by crumbled mudbrick deposits and a quantity of fine buff ware pottery that could be dated to the seventh century BCE. Excavations at the site, which was called Tappeh Nush-i Jan, commenced in 1967 following approval from the BIPS Governing Council and the Iranian Archaeological Service. The site proved to be an important Median and Parthian period settlement, which was excavated by David and his team between 1967 and 1977. Rising to a height of thirtysix meters above the surrounding plain, the mound comprises a natural shale outcrop, with various ancient structures having been built atop its summit. Five excavation seasons revealed several substantial buildings and a perimeter wall dating to the Median period. The surviving Median structures were remarkably well-preserved, having been carefully infilled with stone and mudbrick before being abandoned. Following the closure of the Median settlement, the site was briefly occupied by a Parthian village. Several notable Median period structures The mound of Baba Kamal on the Malayer-Jowkar plain. From the David Stronach Archive. ~~21~~ were excavated, including the standing remains of a temple complete with a wellpreserved fire altar, a fort featuring massive buttressed and recessed walls, and an elaborately decorated columned hall. During the 1977 and 1978 seasons at Nush-i Jan, David initiated an archaeological survey of the surrounding region, covering the Malayer-Jowkar plain, which was to be directed by Rosalind Howell. The survey had two general objectives. The first was to provide a contemporary local context for the Median occupation of Nush-i Jan and its monumental building complex. The second was to broadly document and interpret settlement patterns on the MalayerJowkar Plain from the earliest periods up to the present day. The survey area was approximately 2000km[2] in extent, which was divided into a 5km[2] grid. Over 8 weeks during the 1977 and 1978 seasons at Nush-i Jan, the project team covered an area of 450km[2] through intensive vehicle survey. Some 250km[2] of the valley floor and 400km[2] of the upland valley was not surveyed being that the project was cut short by the Iranian Revolution. Nevertheless, 270 archaeological sites were recorded, ranging from the Late Neolithic up the 20th Century CE. A geomorphological survey of the plain was also commissioned to help interpret patterns of settlement over time. Recording an archaeological site on the Malayer-Jowkar Plain. From the David Stronach Archive. ~~22~~ Due to the upheaval caused by the revolution, the results of the Malayer-Jowkar survey remain unpublished. In the years that followed some of the data has unfortunately been lost. Nevertheless, enough material survives today to justify its publication, which would be of great benefit to archaeologists working in the region. Drawing on the available site catalogues, pottery drawings, survey maps and geomorphological data, it is anticipated that a final report on the MalayerJowkar survey will soon be made available as part of Nush-i Jan publication series. Dr Gareth Brereton David Stronach Research Fellow Damage caused by quarrying at the mound of Baba Kamal.From the David Stronach Archive. ~~**23**~~ ## Outreach The accompanying data shows that BIPS increased its social media footprint over last year. This included a doubling of our Facebook views and growth in our YouTube presence of some 7000. Our Instagram reach averaged 425 per post. Our monthly webinars included talks on such diverse topics as music making in Iran from the 15th through the early 20th century, the notion of empire in the early Qajar period, controversies surrounding the rise of the Achaemenid empire, the Takkiyya Mu’avin al-Mulk in Kermanshah, the use of early plant remains to understand transmission of farming eastwards through Iran into Asia, and James Baillie Fraser’s _The Kuzzilbash._ With the assistance of Dr Brenden Benjamin, our Outreach Assistant, the BIPS Student Newsletter, now three years old, published 48 issues over the year. The Newsletter contains news of events, publications, job postings and other academic announcements. Past issues can be viewed in the Newsletter Archive page on the BIPS website (https://www.bips.ac.uk/newsletter-archive/). In February of 2025, at the British Academy, Susan Stronge delivered a lecture to highlight the exhibition _The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture, and Opulence_ , which ran from November 2024 through May 2025 at the V&A, London. Susan Stronge recently retired as a Senior Curator in the Asian Department of the V&A and is now an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the museum’s Research Department. In November 2024, we also hosted Dr Robert Steele who delivered the BIPS 2024 AGM Lecture, titled _Examining the origins of Iran’s political and cultural ties with Africa under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi_ . The lecture was delivered in person at the BA to an audience of over 60 BIPS members and was also streamed online via Zoom. BIPS’ partnership with the University of York continued with the organization of the annual Bruce Wannell Memorial Lecture that took place in June 2024, as part of the York Festival of Ideas. BIPS hosted two Grant Holders’ Workshops: in July in Cambridge and in November in London. The workshops were an excellent opportunity to appreciate the breadth of the research supported by the Institute and a chance to create new connections ~~24~~ and avenues for further collaboration. A full list of all BIPS’ events over the period is included in the table on page 2627 of this report and full information about the events can be found on the BIPS website. Some 1100 attendees from 50 countries attended all these events _._ This year BIPS introduced the Outreach Project Grant, which supports outreach projects that promote the knowledge of the Persianate world among a nonacademic audience. Projects can range from exhibitions to workshops, lecture series and events for the general public, must have a clear outreach goal and be geared towards audiences which do not normally have access to scholarship on the Persianate world. Applicants must be affiliated to (not necessarily employed by) a UK-based university, institute of higher education, a UK museum or a registered charity. BIPS will usually be inviting applications for this scheme once a year in November. Awards are limited to £2,000. The next call will open in November 2025 and notice will be given through the website, mailing list and usual social media channels. Further information on the Grant, and the application form, may be found at: https://www.bips.ac.uk/outreach-project-grants/. Professor Andrew Newman BIPS Outreach and Development Director ~~25~~ BIPS Events in 2024-2025 During the financial year 2024-2025 BIPS hosted and co-hosted a total of fourteen events, including a members only event at the British Academy and a funding workshop co-organised with fellow BIRIs. In the financial year 2024-2025 the following events took place: |26 March 2025|Book Launch:_Karbala in_
_the Ta’ziyeh Episode, Shi’i_
_Devotional Drama in Iran_|On-line (via Zoom) talk by Lucy
Deacon; chaired by Andrew
Newman| |---|---|---| |27 February 2025|_The_
_Great_
_Mughals:_
_Art_
_Architecture, and Opulence_at
the Victoria & Albert Museum,
London|In person event at the British
Academy, London. Lecture by
Susan Stronge; chaired by Ali
Ansari| |26 February 2025|Book Launch:_The I.B. Tauris_
_Handbok of Iranian Cinema_|On-line (via Zoom) talk by
Maryam
Ghorbankarimi,
Michelle
Langford,
Zahra
Khosroshahi, Laudan Nooshin,
Lindsey
Moore,
Kaveh
Abbasian, Max Bledstein, and
Mattias Wittmann; chaired by
Andrew Newman| |29 January 2024|Using early plant remains to
understand transmission of
farming eastwards through
Iran into Asia|On-line (via Zoom) talk by
Hannah Caroe; chaired by
Andrew Newman| |4 December 2024|Making Music in Iran from the
15th to the Early 20th Century|On-line (via Zoom) talk by Amir
Hosein Poourjavady; chaired by
Andrew Newman| |21 November 2024|Examining
the
origins
of
Iran’s political and cultural
ties with Africa under Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|BIPS AGM Lecture
Hybrid event at the British
Academy, London and online
(via Zoom). Lecture by Robert
Steele;chaired byAli Ansari| ~~26~~ |16 October 2024|A
Persian
Paradise:
Vita
Sackville-West and Harold
Nicholson in Iran 1925-1927|On-line (via Zoom) talk by Nicci
Obholzer; chaired by Andrew
Newman| |---|---|---| |3 October 2024|Funding
Opportunities
for Researchers in Middle
Eastern Studies at the British
International
Research
Institutes (BIRI): BIAA, BIPS,
BISI,and CBRL|On-line (via Zoom) information
session led by Shabnam Holliday
(BIPS), Peter Cherry (BIAA),
Martyn Weeds (BIAA), Kamal
Badreshany (CBRL), Rosalind
Wade(BISI),and Robert Steele| |25 September 2024|Making and Remaking Empire
in Qajar Iran|On-line (via Zoom) talk by Assef
Ashraf; chaired by Andrew
Newman| |17 July 2024|The Persian Romance in a
Global Middle Ages|On-line (via Zoom) talk by
Cameron Cross; chaired by
Andrew Newman| |19 June 2024|Historical
Controversies
Involving the Rise of the
Achaemenid Empire|On-line (via Zoom) talk by Reza
Zarghamee; chaired by Andrew
Newman| |3 June 2024|The
Cultural
Heritage
of
Afghanistan|[Co-organised by BIPS and the
University of York]
In person event at the York
Festival of Ideas. Lecture by
MossadeqKhalili| |22 May 2024|Fifty Shades of Collecting:
Jean Pozzi and his Islamic
Collection|On-line (via Zoom) talk by
Negar
Habibi;
chaired
by
Andrew Newman| |3 April 2024|Staging Piety: The Takkiya
Mu’avin
al-Mulk
in
Kermanshah|On-line (via Zoom) talk by
Nahid
Massoumeh
Assemi;
chaired byAndrew Newman| ~~27~~ 2024-2025 BIPS Outreach Grants In the financial year 2024-2025 the BIPS Outreach Committee awarded funding to support the following projects: |Awardee|Instiution|Topic|Amount| |---|---|---|---| |Kiri Ross-Jones|Kew Gardens|Growing Connections; Bringing
Kew Gardens’ Persian archives
to new communities|£1,000| |Karl Singporewala|SOAS|Stars,Scale,and the Sace|£1,000| |Nicci Obholzer|Sissinghurst Castle
(National Trust)|Sissinghurst Nowruz Celebrations|£643.80| |Katherine Ives|Lauderdale House|Nowruz
Cultural
Festival|£500| ~~28~~ ## Tehran Institute: Annual Report 2024-25 Much necessary building work and repairs have been undertaken in Tehran. This is not surprising when we take into account that the Institute’s building and the Director’s house were built in 1976, almost fifty years ago. In Iran there is generally a reluctance to repair any building which is more than thirty years old unless it’s an antique. It is usually knocked down and rebuilt, but the splendid BIPS buildings are still standing and being looked after by our dedicated team of Mrs Sima Mohannak and Ms Daneh Kordmahini. Repair works have focused on the maintenance of the buildings, including the gardener’s house, dealing with water leaks and roof repairs, and in addition, the boundary walls and fences have been secured. At the same time, we have been looking into improving the Institute library and providing online access to the important collection of books. The first step is to acquire a software that is compatible both in Iran and outside and can help us create an online catalogue. We have regularly acquired new journals and recently published books, so that the library is reasonably up-to-date, and an important resource. Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis BIPS Vice President and Honorary Director ~~**29**~~ ## Publications BIPS has continued to be busy with five new volumes that will be published in the _Studies in the History and Culture of the Persianate World_ Series and the _Archaeological Monograph_ series. Each year, a new volume of its journal _IRAN_ is published (in two issues, one in the Spring and one in the Autumn). BIPS members receive a hard copy by post as a benefit of membership. An online version is available to members through the BIPS website. ## _IRAN_ LXII.I and LXII.II (2024) In 2024-25, _IRAN_ was edited by Professor Cameron Petrie who is a Trustee of BIPS..The journal is peer reviewed with an international editorial board. It also receives assistance from BIPS Trustees and Honorary Vice Presidents in reviewing submitted articles. For 63 years _IRAN_ has maintained an international reputation for publishing significant academic articles on all aspects of Persianate studies (except for modern politics). This year, paper topics spanned from the archaeology of the fifth millennium BC, through the Achaemenid period, and on up to the early 12th century. Submissions are made online through the publisher’s website. ## LXII.I |LXII.I|| |---|---| |Ali Bahadori and Negin Miri,_The So-called Achaemenid Capitals and_
_the Problem of Royal Court Residence_|p.1-31| |E. Hemati Azandaryani, L. Gregoratti, Y. Mohammadifar, and Hamid
Didari,_Myad Mishan: A Newly Found Parthian Bas-Relief in the_
_Alvand Range, Hamadan, Western Iran_|p.32-41| |Leila Khosravi,_New Archaeological Excavations of the Jahangir and_
_Gowriyeh Manor Houses in the West of the Sassanid Empire_|p.42-61| |Yuhan Sohrab-Dinshaw Vevaina,_Purity and Polemics: Zoroastrian_
_Women’s Bodies as Sites of Difference and Contestation in Early_
_Islamic Iran_|p.62-78| |Edoardo Paolo Ferrari,_From Soil to Domes: Vernacular Architecture_
_and Construction Techniques in Esfahak, South Khurasan_|p.79-102| |Moslem Mishmastnehi,_Technological Heritage of Persian Windmills_|p.103-119| ~~30~~ |András Barati,_Change and Continuity: Safavid Administration in_
_Eighteenth-century Iran_|p.120-129| |---|---| |Mehdi Mousavi,_‘Abbas Mirza: A Counternarrative_|p.130-145| ## LXII.II |LXII.II|| |---|---| |Abbas Moghaddam and Elnaz Rashidian,_Visiting Tol-e Tahmachi, a_
_Fifth Millennium BCE Settlement in the Persian Gulf Littoral, Southwest_
_Iran_|p.147-167| |Sheler Amelirad and Behroz Khanmohamadi,_Typological Study of_
_Metal Pins in Northwest Iran based on the Bayazid Abad (Bayazi_
_Awa) Archaeological Assemblage_|p.168-193| |Mostafa Dehpahlavan and Zahra Alinezhad,_The Cylinder Seals of_
_Qareh Tepe in Sagzabad, Iron Age II and III_|p.194-208| |Mohsen Javeri and Majid Montazer Zohouri,_Vigol and Harāskān_
_Fire Temple: Archaeological Evidence about the Veneration of Fire in_
_the Centre of the Iranian Plateau During the Sasanian Period_|p.209-219| |Shahram Jalilian and Touraj Daryaee,_The Image of the Sasanian_
_King in the Perso-Arabic Historical Tradition_|p.220-235| |Esmaeil Sangari, Zohreh Noori, Amirhossein Moghaddas, Aliakbar
Abbasi and Reza Dehghani,_The Iconogrpahy of Dancers and Their_
_Garments on Sasanid Silver Vessels (Case Study: Four Silver Vessels_
_with Four Different Features)_|p.236-245| |Michael Shenkar,_The So-Called “Fravašis” and the “Heaven and_
_Hell” Paintings, and the Cult of Nana in Panjikent_|p. 246-262| |Moujan Matin,_A Medieval Stonepast Ceramic Production Site in_
_Moshkin Tepe, Iran: Ceramics, Wasters, and Manufacturing Equipment_|p. 263-277| |Philip Henning Grobien,_The Origins and Intentions of the Anglo-_
_Persian Agreement 1919: A Reassessment_|p. 278-293| ~~31~~ Studies in the History and Culture of the Persianate World Series Reflecting the British Institute of Persian Studies’ role in stimulating and promoting research into all aspects of Persian and Iranian studies, the BIPS _Studies in the History and Culture of the Persianate World_ series exists to provide an outlet for the work conducted in this field and welcomes proposals for book length publications in the form of research monographs, conference proceedings or other edited volumes. This series is particularly ready to serve as a vehicle for publishing research undertaken with the support and sponsorship of BIPS and arising out of one of its research programmes. The series is edited by Dr Saeedreza Talajooy, University of St Andrews, and is produced in partnership with Bloomsbury/I.B. Tauris . The latest publication in the series is the anthology, edited by Professor Andrew Peacock, University of St Andrews, _Iran and Persianate Culture in the Indian Ocean World_ (February 2025). ## Archaeological Monograph Series The BIPS _Archaeological Monograph Series_ was established in 2009 as a joint publishing venture between BIPS and Oxbow Books to create a venue for the publication of archaeological research, particularly the results of large scale surveys and excavations. The series is edited by Professor Cameron Petrie, University of Cambridge. ~~32~~ Underglaze-painted bottle. Qajar Iran. Nineteenth centruy. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. ~~3333~~ ## Financial Report The year 2024-25 has seen us pursue the various pillars of our strategic plan which will see us through to 2030. We are in the process of rethinking the structure of our grant awards with greater focus on early career researchers providing necessary seed money to allow them to initiate projects which can in time secure further grant money. With our flagship programmes – which ran over three years – coming to an end, we are in the process of replacing our flagship research projects with a single BIPS Fellow which will allow us to support researchers from abroad who wish to come to the UK for a brief period to conduct research. Last year we inaugurated our BIPS Outreach Project Grants to support projects that promote the knowledge of the Persianate world to a non-academic audience, with four excellent applications from leading institutions including Kew Gardens and Sissinghurst. Our India networking and digitisation pillars continue to develop at pace with major collaborations due to take place with two institutional Indian partners in 2026 on the topics of Zoroastrianism and Mughal India in relation to the Persianate world. We continue to grow our digital offering with partnerships with Persian Language Online and the Golha platform both of which provide resources to the public for free. The digitisation platform has been configured and we have made significant progress in review and digitisation of Stronach and other archives. This has been achieved in collaborative work with the other Research Institutes (BIRIs) funded by the British Academy and the Archaeological Data Service in York. The objectives are developing in-house expertise and guidelines and good practices which constitute the standards for modern digital archives, including compilation of a comprehensive user guide to BIPS digital platform. The next phase is data completion, cleansing and the migration of the archives onto the platform. BIPS also collaborated with the BIRIs in production of two digital stories, one on the contributions of women to the work of the institutes in their early days and the other on the early history of the institutes, which identified the wealth of information preserved by the archives, the links between the BIRIs, and the opportunities provided by the digitisation of the archives for wider public access to the information and research of the archives. ~~34~~ The Stronach Fellow has made remarkable progress, and the records of the Yarim Tepe excavations have been digitised and a volume prepared for publication. It is currently being peer reviewed. Great progress has also been made with the record of the Nush-i Jan (Malayer-Jowkar Plain) Survey. They have been digitised and a full publication, with catalogue, which includes the sites, is now in the course of preparation. This report has been eagerly awaited by the scholarly community, and will make a substantial contribution to knowledge. ~~35~~ THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES ## STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 |Notes
INCOME FROM:
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable activties
3
Investment income
4
Total Income
EXPENDITURE ON:
Charitable activties
5
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
Net gains/(losses) on
investments
9
NET INCOME/
(EXPENDITURE)
OTHER RECOGNISED
GAINS AND LOSSES:
Other gains/(losses)
11
NET MOVEMENT IN
FUNDS
6
RECONCILIATION OF
FUNDS:
Fund balances at 1 April
2024
FUND BALANCES AT 31
MARCH 2025|Unrestricted
Restricted
2025
2024
Funds
Funds
Total
Total
£
£
£
£
260
277,313
277,573
223,257
17,255
-
17,255
22,432
6,497
-
6,497
6,443| |---|---| ||24,012
277,313
301,325
252,132
26,153
262,380
288,533
277,799| ||26,153
262,380
288,533
277,799| ||(1,449)
-
(1,449)
3,531| ||(3,590)
14,993
11,343
(22,136)
(1,561)
-
(1,561)
2,759| ||(5,151)
14,933
9,782
(19,377)
240,288
32,825
273,113
292,490| ||235,137
47,758
282,895
273,113| The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities. ~~36~~ ## THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PERSIAN STUDIES ## BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025 |Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible Assets:
12
COIF Investments
13
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
14
Investments
15
Cash at bank and in hand
CREDITORS(amounts due falling
within one year)
16
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES
The Funds of the chairty
Restricted Income Funds
18
Unrestricted Funds
19|2025
£
£
47,533
46,965
94,498
8,200
-
327,874
336,074
(147,677)
188,397
282,895
47,748
235,137
282,895|2025
£
£
47,533
46,965
94,498
8,200
-
327,874
336,074
(147,677)
188,397
282,895
47,748
235,137
282,895|2024
£
£
47,533
-
47,533
2,040
48,414
223,400
273,854
(48,274)
225,580
273,113
32,825
240,288
273,113|2024
£
£
47,533
-
47,533
2,040
48,414
223,400
273,854
(48,274)
225,580
273,113
32,825
240,288
273,113| |---|---|---|---|---| |||94,498
188,397||47,533
225,580| ||336,074
(147,677)||273,854
(48,274)|| |||||| |||282,895
47,748
235,137||273,113
32,825
240,288| |||282,895||273,113| The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 March 2025. The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the trustees on 22 October 2025. ~~37~~ ~~38~~ ## MEMBERSHIP Membership of BIPS is open to all, and we welcome new members. BIPS organises an extensive programme of talks, conferences and workshops throughout the year in the UK and overseas. It publishes its journal _IRAN_ twice a year and occasional books in its Persian Studies Series or Archaeological Monograph Series. Becoming a member is your chance to support our work and contribute to our efforts to broaden appreciation of the cultural heritage of the Persianate world. Membership runs from January to December, but new members can apply any time of the year. We offer four types of membership: Student (£20 a year); Corresponding (£40 a year - for non-UK members); Full (£50 a year) and Fellow (£60 a year for academics). Membership renewals or applications can be made via our website: www.bips.ac.uk/join-us/ ## CONTACT DETAILS 10 Carlton House Terrace London, SW1Y 5AH +44(0)20 7969 5203 bips@thebritishacademy.ac.uk 1623 Dr Shariati Avenue Tehran, 19396-13661 +98 (21) 2260 1045 bips@pol.ir