Category: About me

Who is Hajar Ghorbani?

Ghorbani Hajar

Hajar Ghorbani is an Iranian scholar and pioneer in the field of death studies in Iran. She is an esteemed anthropologist and the founder of death studies in Iran. Hajar serves as the Iranian ambassador to the Association for the Study of Death and Society (ASDS). She has been recognized with prestigious awards in Canada, including the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship at the University of Alberta and the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, where she ranked first nationally. Hajar has published several influential papers and chapters on the study of death and dying in Iran and is the editor of Read more…

Calls For Book Chapters

Ghorbani Hajar

Title: Decolonising Death Studies Co-Editors: Dr Panagiotis Pentaris, Dr Stacey Pitsillides & Hajar Ghorbani Overview Social and cultural factors can strongly influence how we approach death and dying, including attitudes towards death, rituals and practices surrounding death, and end-of-life care. The World Health Organization notes that understanding these factors is important for improving the quality of life and care for individuals facing life-limiting illnesses (WHO, 2021). Hamilton et al. (2022) note that current knowledge in death studies tends to be influenced by Western views, conforming identities, specific disciplines, the English language, and a certain generation, which can limit its application Read more…

My Resume

Ghorbani Hajar

Personal InformationKillam Scholar 2023Vanier Scholar 2024 University of AlbertaDepartment of AnthropologyTory Marshal Building; 14-22Edmonton, Alberta. Educational Information: Ph.D. Student of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, CanadaThe Tentative Thesis Title: The Agency of Dead Bodies in Contemporary IranSupervisor: Marko ZivkovicGPA: 3.9 Research Funding History 2024/9 -2027/9 SSHRC Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Ranked 1 among 193 applicants) 2023-24 Bryan Gruhn Research Award 2023/9 – 2025/9 Killam Trusts, Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship Awards2023/9 – 2024/5 The University of Alberta, The Middle East and Islamic Studies, State of KuwaitDoctoral Award in Islamic Studies2023/9 – 2024/5 Killam Trusts, Killam Differential Fees Award— Total Funding 2023/11 – 2023/11 Read more…

About Hajar Ghorbani

Ghorbani Hajar

I was born in a large family in Shiraz, Iran. My high school education experience was quite unique. Even though my passion was for art, my father initially opposed me attending an art school. As a result, I decided to secretly drop out of school without their knowledge. Over the course of four years, I had complete flexibility to explore various interests, including painting and martial arts (specifically, Kung Fu). During this time, I was developing my skills in drawing and painting, particularly focusing on pastel painting. Additionally, I achieved success in various Kung Fu competitions. After four years, I Read more…