KAMRAN RASTEGAR DIRECTOR OF ARABIC PROGRAM AND INTERIM DIRECTOR OF CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES AT TUFTS Don’t let Professor Kamran Rastegar’s calm presence distract you from seeing him as he truly is—an impassioned leader in the study of the humanities. As the interim director of the Center for the Humanities at Tufts (CHAT) and a professor of Arabic and comparative literature, it makes sense that Professor Rastegar has a wealth of academic insight to offer. But it is through learning about his personal experiences growing up in Iran that I come to understand clearly why he is such a successful scholar, professor, and artist today. Many of the research interests Professor Rastegar currently has were sparked by his early life, when he lived through the effects of the IranIraq War. “When I was a kid growing up in Iran, I was there for part of the war, and I remember the impact of the war on my family,” he recounts. “I noticed the war became a sort of crucible for a difference of experience.” It was through Rastegar’s lifelong curiosity about different cultural experiences that he came to study the role of cinema and other visual mediums in the formation of what he calls “cultural 34
memory.” His eyes light up as we discuss his work on Iranian cinema, which he says is a rich body of work from which to look at culture and identity. Years after living in Iran, Rastegar’s fascination with the cultural imprints of war remain as a deeply personal field of academic interest. Although trained as a comparative literature scholar, Rastegar’s research encompasses a wide range of topics, and he says his favorite courses to teach do the same thing. “My favorite teaching is when I get to do thematic, comparative courses across historical contexts,” he says. He stresses the importance of interdisciplinary learning, noting that his students have been especially willing to engage ideas that others would normally push back against. Challenging preconceptions about foreign cultures while allowing students to draw their own conclusions is a central part of Rastegar’s teaching style at Tufts. Nearly a decade ago, Professor Rastegar started out as the sole professor of Arabic literature at Tufts. He has since then proudly expanded the
Arabic Program and was instrumental in making an Arabic major available to students. Today on campus, you can find him teaching a variety of classes like Visualizing Colonialism and Cultural History of the Modern Middle East. Rastegar’s faith in both the mission of the liberal arts and the value of studying other perspectives is especially inspiring in today’s world, where problems will have to be solved by well-rounded, adaptable minds. Towards the end of our conversation, I ask Rastegar for his view on the power of art. He sits pensively for a minute, then replies, “I think art can inspire. It can also reflect realities that are often otherwise hidden in the world. Art is most valuable as a record of possibilities.” As Rastegar continues to impart his vast knowledge of the arts and humanities to students, he himself acts as a reflection of new possibilities for the Tufts community. —JOHN MATTSON ’22
