About the Center

Meet the Director

MOHSEN MILANI

An internationally recognized scholar and public intellectual, Dr. Mohsen Milani is the Founding Executive Director of the Center for Strategic & Diplomatic Studies and Professor of Politics at the University of South Florida. He served as Chair of the Department of Government and International Affairs at USF for thirteen years. During his tenure as chair, the department began a new Ph.D. program in Governance. He also was a research fellow at Harvard University, Oxford University, and the Foscari University in Venice, Italy.

Dr. Milani has authored more than 80 publications in top peer-reviewed academic and respected popular journals. His works have been translated into Persian, French, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese. His book, The Making of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, has been used as required reading in major universities in the US, Europe and Iran. His most recent publications include Iran in a Reconnecting Eurasia (Center for Strategic and International Studies), “The Effects of US Sanctions on Iran's Domestic Security" (World Politics Review), "Iran's Strategy in the Syrian Civil War (The Washington Quarterly), and the following articles in Foreign Affairs: "How Iran's Moderates Triumphed;" "Saudi Arabia's Desperate Measures;" Iran's Politics After the Nuclear Deal;" "Why Tehran Isn't to Blame for the Civil War in Yemen;" "Rouhani's Foreign Policy;" "Meet Me in Baghdad;" and "Iran's US Policy."

Since 2000, he has been invited to 200 conferences in 27 countries. His advice is solicited by private and governmental entities. He has testified before US Congress as a subject matter expert.

As a regular commentator on current international affairs, Dr. Milani has reached tens of millions of readers and viewers across the globe. Among others, he has been interviewed or quoted by over 200 national and international media outlets, including The New York Times, Le Monde (France), The Economist (UK), Der Spiegel (Germany), BBC World News, CNN, Russian TV (RT), AlJazeera America, Correio Braziliense (Brazil). CGTV (China), TO VIMA (Greece), Radio Israel, Chuo-Koron (Japan), Toronto Star (Canada), The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Avvenenire (Italy), Publico (Portugal), ABC Radio (Sydney, Australia), B1 TV (Romania), Chunichi Newspaper (Japan), RIA Novosti (Russia), EuroNews, The Hindu (India), Il  Reformista (Italy), Nepszabadsag (Hungry), Globo News (Brazil), and ABC Nightline Live, Radio Free Europe, and Voice of America.

The Center for Strategic & Diplomatic Studies has substantially increased USF’s national and global visibility through its major conferences, conversations and other activities. The Center is proud for taking USF to the world and bringing the world to USF.