By Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Kellie Arakawa

Since 2001, Naval Postgraduate School Professor Emeritus Ahmad Ghoreishi has spent more than 300 days at sea and visited almost every aircraft carrier in the fleet.

As an instructor for the NPS Regional Security Education Program (RSEP), Ghoreishi serves with teams of regional and security experts, providing graduate-level briefings for deployed carrier and expeditionary strike groups. 

Ghoreishi first served as an RSEP instructor for its pilot program aboard the USS Constellation (CV 64) and has since embarked on more than 30 RSEP missions. 

Despite retiring from NPS in 2003, he continues to participate in RSEP and educates naval officers in Middle East politics, history and religion. 

Born and raised in Iran, Ghoreishi first moved to the United States to attend college at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He received his master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley then back for his doctorate degree from the UC Boulder, where he also taught for two years. 

In 1966 Ghoreishi returned to Iran to teach American Government and Political Philosophy at the National University of Iran, and later served as Dean of the law school and Chancellor of the university. 

Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Ghoreishi moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to teach at various colleges. In 1984, he taught an introduction to Middle East Government and Politics course at NPS, with the intention of teaching at the school for just one academic quarter. Now 25 years later, Ghoreishi says he never imagined he would still be so involved in military education.

 “I believe RSEP is a very important contribution the Naval Postgraduate School directly makes to the Navy,” Ghoreishi stated. “When we go on these trips, we’re often told by officers that this is the first time they have received a briefing about the history and culture of the area they’re deploying to … people often stop us in the passageways and wardrooms and tell us how much they appreciate these briefings.” 

Although Ghoreishi has been on more RSEP trips than any other NPS professor, he finds value in each experience and always learns something new. “I really enjoy getting to know the young officers and talking with them,” he said. “I enjoy every trip. It’s never boring.” Ghoreishi described RSEP missions as important opportunities for professors to get “up-close and personal” with the Navy’s operations and culture. Each time he embarks on a ship, Ghoreishi said he develops an even greater level of appreciation for service members and the contributions they make to international security and stability.