Toronto professorship

Two significant milestones will be marked by the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) in its 35th year of operations next year. Besides hosting the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress from July 1 to 4, 2022, the same month will witness the actualization of the FEZANA Professorship of Zoroastrian Languages and Literature at the University of Toronto (UoT).
Having successfully raised USD 1.1 million (Rs 8.15 crore) by the extended target date of April 30, 2021 for the academic chair, "this has been the single largest capital project (FEZANA has) initiated, and its completion is deeply gratifying to the entire community,” commented Arzan Wadia, president of FEZANA that currently coordinates 27 Zoroastrian associations and 14 corresponding groups in Canada and the United States. "What is truly unique is the collective participation of individuals and institutions from around the world. FEZANA will forever remain grateful to every donor who helped realize this dream,” added Wadia. More than 250 generous donors supported the cause, including Zoroastrian individuals, associations, institutions and foundations in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia, India, Europe and North America. The original target was USD 1.5 million (Rs 11.25 crore) by April 30, 2020 when the first wave of the pandemic was at its peak (see "Toronto professorship,” Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, August 7-20, 2020) compelling FEZANA to seek a revised deadline.
"The academic milestone” was made possible with a matching contribution of USD 1.1 million from the UoT. "This generous gift from the FEZANA community propels our Zoroastrian studies program as a leader on the global stage, greatly elevating its significance and contribution to the study of Zoroastrianism,” said Tim Harrison, chair of UoT’s Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations (NMC) in which the professorship will be based. He further noted, "This professorship will help us greatly increase the number of students able to read and understand the ancient languages of Avestan and Pahlavi, and advance research and publications on the translated texts and their context in history. Ultimately, it will help raise awareness of Zoroastrianism around the world.”
According to the University website artsci.utoronto.ca "The FEZANA Professorship…cements the University’s position as the premier institution for scholarship in this field and will help prepare a new generation of rigorously trained scholars dedicated to original research in primary Zoroastrian texts. With its exceptional strengths in scholarship of Middle East and Islamic civilizations, UoT is the ideal home for this professorship. It already offers the largest class on Zoroastrianism in the world, and NMC’s scholars and students have access to unique Persian collections at UoT’s Robarts Library, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Aga Khan Museum. Since 2008, NMC has been the headquarters of the Association for Iranian Studies, an association of more than 1,000 scholars worldwide.”

Photos: Jasmine D. Driver

While news of this Professorship was announced at FEZANA’s 34th annual general meeting (AGM) on May 8, it was further publicized through a press release in June. A global search will now be initiated to find a suitable candidate to fill the position. The concept of an endowed professorship was first presented in 2017 at FEZANA’s 30th AGM by Ervad (Dr) Jehan Bagli after which he worked jointly with then FEZANA president Homi Gandhi to pursue the milestone project that was initiated in 2019. "It is important for faith-based organizations like FEZANA to invest in scholarship and educational opportunities for their communities and the world at large,” believed Gandhi.
Among those who helped further the academic cause, FEZANA recognized the contributions of Ervad Arda-E-Viraf Minocherhomjee, president, North American Mobeds Council; Behram Irani, FEZANA fundraising lead; Sean Elavia, FEZANA general counsel; and Prof Yuhan Vevaina, Bahari Associate Professor of Sasanian Studies at The University of Oxford.
"The inestimable and multi-generational value of investing in religious and historical education is not simply a utilitarian concern but a fundamental tenet of Zoroastrianism to be found in every stage of Zoroastrian literature, from the Avestan sacred texts to those written today in the global diaspora,” commented Vevaina congratulating FEZANA for its "profoundly forward-thinking commitment to the highest levels of academic scholarship on Zoroastrianism. I genuinely hope this is just the beginning of many more endowed positions to come which will reflect the geographic and demographic diversity of Zoroastrians living and thriving across the breadth and depth of North America and beyond.” Chair of the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at the University of Indiana — Bloomington, Prof Jamsheed Choksy remarked, "The FEZANA Professorship ensures a foundational religion and its heritage will be studied in perpetuity…This is a much-needed undertaking of enduring value.”