Mahmood Sariolghalam

Mahmoud Sariolghalam, born 1959 in Tehran, is a researcher in development, political science, international relations, and contemporary Iranian history. He is a full professor in the Department of Political Science at Shahid Beheshti University and the vice president of the Center for Scientific Research and Middle East Strategic Studies. He completed his university education in the United States: a BA in Political Science/Management from California State University, Northridge, an MA and PhD in International Relations from the University of Southern California, and a postdoctoral fellowship in International Relations at Ohio State University.

The central focus of Sariolghalam's thought is the issue of Iran's development. He does not view development as merely an economic or technological issue, but sees it as dependent on political culture, rationality, institution-building, social order, a foreign policy aligned with economic growth, and the dominance of structure over individualism.

In his view, one of Iran's historical problems is the dominance of personalities over systems. For this reason, he has repeatedly emphasized the necessity of moving from individual-centered management to structural management, cultivating responsible citizens, institutional order, competitiveness, meritocracy, and constructive engagement with the world.