A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PHOENIX PROJECT OF IRAN

Phoenix Project of Iran (PPI) is a nonprofit scientific organization registered in Washington DC in February 2019.

The organization has a prior history going back morethan a decade with several attempts aimed at organizing a global scientific, research-oriented think tank seeking to identify major socio-economic, industrial, environmental and other crucial problems facing Iranian society for the purpose of offering solid scientific solutions based on rigorous, peer-reviewed research methodology. 

First Step: The Iran Future Association 

This idea was first proposed by Prince Reza Pahlavi in 2007 and attracted a large number of Iranian scientists from across the globe to form the Iran Future Association (IFA) in 2008, which organized a scientific conference in Toronto, Canada. The first Director of the Association, Professor Nosrat Vahedi Faridi from Sharif Industrial University, Tehran declared in his opening remarks that “The establishment of such a society takes precedence to any political activity”. Unfortunately, the progress of IFA’s mission was hindered by various obstacles, from lack of funding to geographical locations of its members, and the implementation of the underlying approach remained unrealized for almost a decade. 

Second Institution: Iranian Scholars Group 

In March of 2018, a second attempt was launched by Professor Vahedi for organizing a scientific Iranian think tank. A new group of Iranian scientists and academics formed the Iranian Scholars Group and called for a second conference, the Strategies for the Growth and Development of Iran in Washington, DC. This attempt was however also hindered partially due to the same financial problems, in addition to logistical complications such as travel limitations imposed on Iranian born scientists, which prevented even Professor Vahedi from attending the conference.  

Prince Reza Pahlavi encouraged Dr. Alayar Kangarloo, a former member of Iranian Scholars Group, to establish a non-profit organization called “Qoqnoos” Phoenix Project, Inc. (QPPI) in Washington, DC and create a new international scientific forum for the research, documentation and discussion of the challenges facing Iranian society. The decade-long effort through the continuous efforts of the founding QPPI members, established a scientific think tank focused on Iranian issues, and blossomed into a solid organization that initiated its formal activities at a press conference at George Washington University on February 22^nd, 2019 in the presence and support of Prince Reza Pahlavi.

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   2. Third step – Final Institution: “Qoqnoos” Project  Phoenix Inc 
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   4. Prince Reza Pahlavi encouraged Dr. Alayar Kangarloo, a former member of Iranian Scholars Group, to establish a non-profit organization called “Qoqnoos” Phoenix Project, Inc. (QPPI) in Washington, DC and create a new international scientific forum for the research, documentation and discussion of the challenges facing Iranian society. The decade-long effort through the continuous efforts of the founding QPPI members, established a scientific think tank focused on Iranian issues, and blossomed into a solid organization that initiated its formal activities at a press conference at George Washington University on February 22^nd, 2019 in the presence and support of Prince Reza Pahlavi.
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The group’s motto echoed a verse from one of Ferdowsi’s most famous poems: “Knowledge is the basis for all power” and its main goal remained dedicated in its application of scientific analysis to the solution of all socio-economic, industrial, agriculture, environmental, natural resources, energy, educational and any other challenges facing Iranian society.

QPPI initiated its scientific research with a survey that analyzed the impact of the disastrous flood of 2019 in Iran, presented at a three day conference in Toronto, Canada in late June – early July of 2019. Also presented at the conference were the close examination of non-violent disobedience within Iran and Reditus, return of Iranian immigrants to their motherland.

Today: Phoenix 2.0

QPPI is the largest and most broadly supported research and educational institution of its kind. PPI members pursue this mission by performing timely, accurate research on key issues and effectively marketing these findings to our primary audiences.

In September 2019, the QPPI declared that it was undergoing a democratic reorganization of its internal structure to reflect a horizontal management model. This new structural management model was presented as Phoenix 2.0. Accordingly, QPPI presented this new structural amendment on its website in October 12, 2019. The novel structure refutes the old pyramid management model and embraces a modern horizontal management structure that allows more flexibility and dynamic interrelationships between the participants.

In accordance with the new management model, the By Laws were amended to increase the number of seats on the Board members to nine, and to appoint four Directors to serve on the Executive Board.

The Board of Coordination: 

Dr. Kevin Rod, President, Member of Executive Board 
Dr. Fardad Forouzan, Vice President, Member of Executive Board 
Dr. Siavosh Moshfegh Hamedani, Treasurer, Member of Executive Board 
Mr. Nader Sadighi, Secretary, Member of Executive Board 
Dr. Armand Ash-Rafzadeh, Speaker of Communications Group
Dr. Hooshang Lahooti, Speaker of the Experimental Research Group 
Dr. Farrokh Zandi, Co-speaker of the Scientific Consultants Committee
Dr. Namdar Baghayee-Yazdi, Co-speaker of the Scientific Consultants Committee 
Eng. Mehrdad Rahbar, Speaker of the Education Group