Dr. Soran Tarkhani

Dr. Soran Tarkhani is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and History at Hampton University. He teaches a range of courses across the discipline, including POLS 408 Public Policy, POLS 201 Introduction to Politics, POLS 203 American National Government, POLS 204 State and Local Government, and POLS 499 Ethnic Politics. His teaching is grounded in a commitment to clarity, mentorship, and supporting students as they develop strong analytical and civic skills.
His research focuses on ethnic politics, conflict resolution, and the institutional foundations of political competition in the Middle East, particularly within Kurdish politics in Iraq. His recent publications include:
• “Beyond Ethnic Outbidding: Electoral Design and Strategic Adaptations in Iraqi Kurdistan,” Journal of Comparative Politics (2025).
• “Forging Alliances with Adversaries: Kurdish Strategies, External Sponsorship, and the Politics of Nationalist Legitimacy,” Nationalism and Ethnic Politics (2025).
• “Societal Cleavages and Party Politics: Deciphering Socioeconomic Influences on Kurdish Ethnic Parties in Iraq,” Kurdish Studies Journal (2025).
• “Beyond Consolidating Power: The Logic and Adaptability of Political Purges in Stalin’s Soviet Union, Saddam’s Iraq, and Assad’s Syria,” Humanities Journal of University of Zakho (2025).
• Book Chapter: “Strategic Interests vs. Ethical Imperatives: U.S. Foreign Policy During the Anfal Genocide,” in The Palgrave Handbook of Kurdish Genocides (2025).
His forthcoming book, Divided Loyalties, Electoral Rules, and Intra-Party Competition: Kurdish Politics in Iraq (Routledge, 2026), develops a new framework for understanding intraethnic party competition and the shifting political dynamics of the Kurdistan Region.
Dr. Tarkhani has presented his work at the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), the American Political Science Association (APSA), and the Kentucky Political Science Association (KPSA). His scholarly perspective is shaped by his background as a Kurdish scholar and immigrant, which informs both his research and his approach to teaching.
He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, an M.A. in Sociology from Tula State University (Russia), and a B.Sc. in Political Science from Salahaddin University-Erbil.