The UCLA Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World's podcast series emphasizing how the many legacies of Ancient Persia are relevant to global patrimony while also highlighting how scholars and institutions can contribute to and perpetuate these legacies.
The UCLA Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World developed and launched its podcast, “Legacies of Ancient Persia,” in October 2023. The show releases an episode every three weeks throughout the academic year. As of Spring 2026, they have released 40 episodes which have received over 25,000 downloads.
This podcast emphasizes how the many legacies of Ancient Persia are relevant to global patrimony while also highlighting how scholars and institutions can contribute to and perpetuate these legacies. The podcasts engage in questions that focus on how Persia interacted with the wider ancient worlds and how this entangled history is received in the modern era. While the Pourdavoud Institute has continued to engage its academic audience, the purpose of this podcast is primarily to engage the general public. The show focuses on educating the public with accessible topics by inviting guests who are subject matter experts willing to share their knowledge with wider audiences. Through “Legacies,” they have been able to foster a younger audience and focus on students. To that end, the goals of the podcast have been to:
- to introduce the wider audience to the many facets of the Pourdavoud Institute's work;
- to create content that is valuable to students and can be used in the classroom;
- to provide visibility for cutting edge research;
- to promote the work of early career scholars;
- to provide an opportunity to our graduate students to be involved as guest hosts.
Access the Pourdavoud Podcast here.
Published: Friday, November 6, 2026
