Aida Gholami is an external PhD candidate at the Centre for the Arts in Society.

More information about Aida Gholami

My research focuses on the Middle Eastern migrant communities in Nordic visual media, particularly Finnish and Swedish television and film. I examine how visual narratives portray Middle Eastern and Muslim identities against a backdrop of rising far-right ideologies and evolving immigration policies in Europe. An innovative aspect of my research is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to simulate and analyze affective responses. My approach incorporates AI as a dual tool: firstly, to analyze existing media content and identify these affective patterns, and secondly, to simulate alternative narratives using generative models.

Grants and awards

Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)

Curriculum Vitae

I completed my Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature at Tabriz University, then moved to Leiden University for a Research Master’s in Arts, Literature, and Media, where I have continued my studies into a PhD program.
My research work is diverse: I completed a research traineeship on Narrative and Fiction in the Politics of Social Media, curated data for the Learning French in Medieval England project, and received a fellowship at the Leuven Institute for Advanced Study, where I collaborated with global experts on interdisciplinary migration topics.
In addition to my research, I am an editor for both the Leiden Arts in Society Blog and the LUCAS Graduate Journal, where I contribute to bridging academic discourse with the arts and humanities.

Teaching Experience:
Teacher and Teaching Assistant in the minor "Questions of Justice in Law, Literature, and the Arts," Leiden University, The Hague
Instructor in the MA "North American Studies" and the minor in "American Studies," Leiden University
Conferences and Conference Papers:
LUCAS Conference Narratives 2024