Dr. Hassan Aghnami, Los Angeles businessman and real estate developer, has made a gift of $10,000 to the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies (CNES) in support of its Bilingual Lecture Series, a series that aims to promote Middle Eastern languages not only as subjects of study but also as vehicles for intellectual communication.
Hassan, though born in Iran, has over the years developed strong ties to Los Angeles and UCLA. As founder of the Marmara Development Company, he is intimately involved with ongoing development projects throughout the greater LA area. His connection to UCLA is even more personal. His youngest daughter, Eileen, graduated with honors from UCLA’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and, like her elder sister, Ayda, is currently practicing law in California.
Long-time attendees of the Center’s Bilingual Lecture Series, Dr. Aghnami and Sedi Aghnami, his wife of many years, have appreciated the frequent lectures delivered in both Persian and English. In an effort to support the Center and this lecture series, which brings scholars, poets, artists, and intellectuals from around the world to discuss issues of interest to students and community members alike, Hassan has generously donated $10,000. This gift will support the Center in financing these important lectures over the next academic year.
One of its most successful series, these bilingual events have attracted hundreds of attendees from all over Southern California and remain an indispensable and unparalleled forum for the discussion of significant issues pertaining to Iran, the Iranian diaspora, the Middle East, and Persianate culture. To reach a broader audience, lectures are recorded and podcasted from the Center’s website. Gifts such as Hassan’s will allow the Center to continue its essential role as a conduit for the advancement and transmission of learning and knowledge about the Middle East. We extend our gratitude to Dr. Aghnami and his family for this crucial support of our programming and welcome such gifts from all our concerned community members.
The Center would also like to acknowledge the contributions of other prominent community members for their essential support for the series.