Mohamad Machine-Chian

Mohamad Machine-Chian is a senior researcher at the Center for Governance and Markets, supported by the Pittsburgh Network for Threatened Scholars (PiNTS), at the University of Pittsburgh. A leading scholar of public policy, Machine-Chian is one of the main architects of the liberal reforms in Iran. His prolific writings advocate market-oriented alternatives, challenging the centrally planned economy that post-revolution Iran adopted. Over the years, he has advised, presented, and defended policy reforms in the Iranian Parliament Research Center, Presidential Think Tank, Iran National Privatization Organization, and various Ministries. A well-established journalist, he has written hundreds of columns, editorials, and op-eds in some of the most circulated publications in Iran, including reformist newspapers such as Donya Eqtesad and Sazandegi, and journals and magazines including Siasatnameh, Mehrnameh, and Tejarat Farda where he has penned, edited, and served as the senior editor of political economy and public policy, and TV networks such as EcoIran TV where he served as editor in chief. A frequent face on Persian-speaking TV networks such as BBC Persian, VOA, and Iran International TV, Machine-Chian is a popular public intellectual and public policy expert in Iran. 

Notably, his research-driven assertions on the compatibility between Islam and modern economics serve as a counter-narrative to the prevailing concept of Islamic Sciences propounded by the current Supreme Leader in Iran (which differentiates between Western and Islamic sciences,) and has found resonance with some traditional Shi’a leaders as well as contemporary economists. An accomplished author, Machine-Chian's bibliography encompasses works on the history and institutions of capitalism in the Middle East, policy reforms, and economic transitions. He has translated seminal classical and contemporary works in the liberal tradition on subjects spanning from toleration to the rule of law, as well as significant treatises on economic theory and public policy.