I was born in Tehran in November 1994. During high school, my strong interest in Persian literature and social issues led me to choose the humanities as my field of study. Eventually, I achieved the sixth rank in the nationwide university entrance exam and began my studies as a sociology student in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Tehran.

My involvement in social activities and voluntary work as a teacher in a non-governmental organization in the marginalized areas of Tehran raised new questions that I may not have encountered through regular university courses. It was these questions that drove me to pursue a master’s degree in Development Studies. During this period, while working on my thesis, I had the opportunity to become more familiar with the literature on poverty, social assistance and protection, and supportive institutions at both local and national levels. My thesis research focused on the institutional analysis of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee and its role within Iran’s welfare system. This research initiated a broader investigation into the influential social assistance institutions in Iran, which still face challenges in addressing poverty despite having access to sufficient resources and fiscal support.

During this time, I realized the significant role of social policy, which sparked my interest in researching welfare policies and the role of intermediary actors in social policy processes. In fact, for me, social policy became more than just local development, which I had previously been engaged in, and also the charity perspective that governmental institutions have developed through their plans and activities, which I encountered during my thesis research. Indeed, I wanted to have this opportunity to explore deeply and critically in social policy, as it involves the interactions between various actors and understanding the challenging relationship between policy processes and their beneficiaries.

As I am highly interested in expanding my knowledge in social policy, I have noticed that the field of policy studies in Iran lacks many methodological and conceptual tools that are readily available in the international arena. Therefore, selecting the Social Policy programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science was my attempt to bridge this gap and benefit from the scholars’ expertise in the field and the ongoing global dialogues within the contemporary challenges of policymaking. I hope that joining LSE would enrich both my theoretical knowledge and research skills, allowing me to make valuable contributions to academic endeavors in social policy research in Iran.