SIPA STORIES: Geopolitics from the Soviet Union to Iran: Q&A with Professor Albert Bininachvili
Professor Albert Bininachvili (right) shakes hands with Mohammad Javad Zarif (left), Iran’s former Foreign Minister, during JCPOA consultations in January 2015 in Tehran, Iran.
By Allegra Reister (MS ’23)
Geopolitics is a tricky subject to teach.
For calculus or Greek mythology, content may be virtually unchanged semester to semester. That is not the case in the study of international relations and political strategy.
I experienced this firsthand last semester with Albert Bininachvili, a professor in the Political Science department at Columbia who teaches Global Energy and Climate Change: Security and Geopolitics.
In January 2022, Russia was the world’s largest natural gas exporter and the second largest oil exporter, most notably supplying the European Union with 30% of its energy needs. By the end of the semester in June, Russia had invaded Ukraine and European countries were publishing their plans to be fully off Russian energy as soon as possible.
Though many would find the volatility overwhelming to grasp, the mercurial nature of energy geopolitics is a source of joy for Professor Bininachvili.
He deftly navigated the ever-changing landscape of geopolitics, peppering in stories from his past with discussions about current events. Professor Bininachvili grew up in oil-rich Baku, when Azerbaijan was still a member of the Soviet Union.
He studied international relations with concentrations in Middle Eastern and Asian studies at Moscow University, and his first job out of college landed him in the Russian Embassy in Iran in 1978. After witnessing the Iranian hostage crisis and subsequent revolution, he served as a Linguist Officer during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
He left the Soviet Union in 1986 and entered the corporate world, running Middle Eastern markets for luxury fashion house, Gucci, and contributing to the formation of the BBC Central Asian Service, among other endeavors.
Never one to slow down, he accepted a teaching position at Columbia University in 1990, developing his academic career alongside the practical applications of his regional knowledge. He is frequently called upon for his expertise in Iranian and Gulf politics, and he has advised the European Union on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
This summer, Professor Bininachvili taught a course on Strategic Intelligence and Political Decision Making. I sat down with him after a lecture in his classroom to hear about the experiences that shaped him, the dynamic world of geopolitics, and why he continues to teach at Columbia 30 years later.
How did you become interested in geopolitics?
I was studying at Moscow University in the School of Asian and African Studies, specializing in Iran and the Persian Gulf. The training was very intense. As part of the program, there were trips abroad to study diplomacy and the language. It was a privilege because it was during the Iron Curtain, when foreign travel was not allowed. And so I went to Iran in 1977 as a student.
Can you tell me about your time in Iran?
It was a hot place in every sense of the word. Frequently over 110 degrees in the oil-rich Southern Province of Khuzestan where I was stationed, and there was so much activity around.
Early on, I had a chance for a promotion. The Shah [Mohammad Reza Pahlavi] was visiting and I was translating for the Soviet delegation. It was during a period of deteriorating Iran-Soviet relations and the Shah mistook me for a Persian. He was confused why a Persian was working for the Russians. He said, “Where did you study Russian?” and it was the biggest compliment. I told him, “I studied Persian, not Russian, your Majesty” and he was surprised and said I had learned it very well. I was promoted after that, and the following year the American hostages were taken.
Professor Albert Bininachvili (center-right with a gray suit and black tie) with the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (center), in March 1978 in Ahwaz, Iran.
What was it like being in Tehran during the hostage crisis?
Well, to be honest, I wasn’t surprised. Taking hostages is part of Persia’s diplomatic history. 150 years before the taking of the American Embassy, the Iranians had taken the Russian Embassy in Tehran and killed everyone, including the Russian ambassador and famous writer, Alexander Griboyedov. But for the Americans, it was a very painful experience.
I met some of the hostages later in the United States including Michael Metrinko, the U.S. consul in Tabriz and one of the most brilliant American experts on Iran and deep connoisseurs of the Persian language and culture. Even after many years, it was still hard for many of them to speak about the 444-days long ordeal they went through.
I have to say that the Russians were also not safe. The initial period of the Iranian Revolution was characterized by attacks against both superpowers. The following year, Russia invaded Afghanistan, and in 1980, Iranians supported the local Afghans on the attack of the Russian Embassy, which is not very publicized.
You later worked for Gucci leading Middle Eastern markets. How were you able to use your political experience for a luxury fashion house?
For Gucci, I was working on expansion to the Middle East, and my background was particularly useful in Kuwait. I had a feeling that the Iraq invasion [in 1990] was becoming imminent. I don’t want to say I was the only one, but I had some preparation. I was much stronger on local analysis than the other business executives and had spent time on the ground in Kuwait in the ‘80s understanding relations between Iraq and Kuwait.
Bottom line is I made a decision that was supported by my CEO to sell out the property at Le Meridien Hotel in Kuwait City, which was against the view of the board. I was very proud that Mr. [Maurizio] Gucci supported me, who we all referred to as Dr. Gucci. Later it turned out to be a very good decision because others lost everything in Kuwait. It shows that concentrating in business management can only take you so far.
How did you end up at Columbia?
It was quite casual. I was working for Gucci at the time, this is 1989, and was visiting New York City. I was familiar with scholars at the university and wanted to meet the esteemed authors of the papers and books I was reading. I told my driver, “Get me to Columbia University”.
I was looking for the Middle East Institute – this was before the period of globalization, and area studies were still flourishing. Luckily [Professor] Richard Bulliet and [Dean] Lisa Anderson were there, and they were very nice to be able to receive me directly. We had a conversation, and the result was they offered me a summer class.
What was your first class?
The class was called Security Dilemmas in the Persian Gulf. And then in 1991, I started teaching a second class called Soviet Central Asia. By the time my students had started taking exams, the coup d’état in Moscow had happened. And so the following year I had to make some important changes. Given the sensitivities, the courses became Security Dilemmas in the Persian / Arabian Gulf and Ex-Soviet Central Asia. There was enormous interest on the part of the students.
What methods do you use for teaching such a dynamic subject?
I’m quite traditional in my methods. I do have notes for the parts I don’t want to forget to share with the students. Many fundamental issues resist the change of time, but we are working with a world in transition. On one hand, it is depriving me of the false sense of comfort and convenience that might be associated with presenting similar lectures every year.
To tell you the truth, I am happy about that because the comfort would not be gratifying. I relish the complexity of my classes. Look at the changing geopolitical role of any player. Is the role of Russia today different from the role of the Soviet Union? Or Russia five years ago? Or Russia four months ago? The same can be applied to the role of practically any other actor – regional and global.
It’s been 30 years since you first started teaching at Columbia. What has kept you around?
The biggest satisfaction is the continuing interest in the eyes of my students. It is the greatest gratification. Since 1990, I have never missed one year at Columbia.
Any parting words?
It’s a complex world. Enjoy the intricacies.
Allegra Reister (MS ’23) is studying Sustainability Science at Columbia’s Climate School, and she currently works on Google’s Energy and Climate Solutions team.