Everyone is welcome to join us for the next Starting the Conversation! These talks are informal gatherings where a speaker shares some aspect of their community engaged research, as a way to engage with others interested in learning from their experience.
We’re delighted to welcome Nassim Zand Disari as the next speaker!
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025
12:00 to 1:00 pm
In person: Arts 368
Zoom – Please email icer.ok@ubc.ca
Abstract:
Public spaces have long been sites of negotiation and struggle for Iranian women living under the gender apartheid of the Islamic regime since 1979. For many, these everyday constraints and systematic injustice have led to an irreversible journey away from home. But what happens when they arrive somewhere new – when they begin to search for belonging in an unfamiliar place? This question sits at the heart of my doctoral research, which explores the politics of sound and listening among Iranian women in exile in Metro Vancouver. I draw on decolonial critical listening and relational sonic ethnography to understand how experiences of belonging, alienation, inclusion, and exclusion take shape through sound and sonic encounters in public spaces. In this conversation, I will share some preliminary insights from this ongoing work.
Bio:
Nassim Zand is a PhD candidate, Public Scholar, and social advocate from Iran. After completing her master’s degree in Belgium, she returned home (Iran) and became involved in cultural heritage practices through various roles: from founding a youth NGO in Iran, to interning in UNESCO Uzbekistan, as well as working as a policy consultant for UNESCO in Afghanistan. Nassim is currently in her fourth year of PhD program in Community Engagement, Social Change, and Equity. Nassim is a recipient of the 2025 ICER Student CER Award.
