Mohsen Godiny
Software Engineer, Researcher & Digital Humanist
Building software and knowledge tools at the intersection of engineering, language, and the humanities.
What I'm Currently Up To
A living snapshot of what I'm working on, learning, and exploring right now.
Working on
Tools for knowledge graphs and historical text analysis
Researching
Computational approaches to Persian and Old Iranian historical sources
Learning
Advanced NLP pipelines and local-first knowledge tools
Reading
Old Persian by Roland G.Kent
Based in
Alborz, Iran
Based in
Alborz, Iran
Who I Am
My journey into technology began with a simple curiosity about how things work. I started by taking things apart, experimenting with computers, and writing my first programs in BASIC. Over time, that curiosity grew into a deeper interest in software engineering and in the ways technology can be used to solve problems beyond traditional software development.
Today, I work across software engineering, research, and digital humanities. I am particularly interested in building tools for working with historical and linguistic knowledge, where modern technologies such as knowledge graphs, language technologies, and artificial intelligence can open new ways of studying the past. I enjoy turning difficult research problems into systems that are practical, understandable, and useful.
I believe good software begins with understanding the people who use it. Code is only part of the work. The real challenge is to understand a problem deeply, find the right way to represent it, and build something that makes the work clearer and more meaningful. This idea guides the projects I choose and the tools I build.
Outside of software and research, I am a lifelong learner. I find deep inspiration in the history and languages of ancient Iran, in modern Iranian art, in books, and in the many ways people create and preserve knowledge. I am especially drawn to projects where technology meets human curiosity and cultural memory.
Personal Interests
Selected Experience
A decade of building software across startups, research labs, and product teams.
Software Engineer & Digital Humanist
Independent Research & Development
Building software tools and conducting research at the intersection of computing, language technologies, and the humanities, with a focus on historical and linguistic knowledge.
- Designing and implementing knowledge-graph systems for historical and linguistic data
- Developing NLP pipelines for Persian and ancient Iranian languages
- Creating practical tools that help researchers explore and connect complex cultural corpora
Content Specialist
Darz.art
Produced structured content for a major Iranian visual-arts platform focused on modern and contemporary artists.
- Researched and built detailed timelines of Iranian artists’ lives, exhibitions, and works
- Documented artists ranging from Bahman Mohassess and Sohrab Sepehri to emerging talents
- Deepened understanding of modern Iranian art while stepping away from pure software development
Founder & Amateur Coach
Godin-Tapeh Football Team
Founded and coached a local amateur football team while continuing independent research in computational linguistics for ancient languages.
- Established the team from the ground up and managed training and organization
- Balanced community sports work with ongoing research on computational tools for ancient Iranian languages
M.A. Researcher – Culture and Ancient Iranian Languages
Research Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies
Completed and defended a master’s thesis in the field of Culture and Ancient Iranian Languages.
- Conducted research at the intersection of historical linguistics and digital methods
- Defended the thesis in 2024
Selected Work
A few projects I'm proud of — from real-time collaboration platforms to photography series.
Avestad
A research-oriented software project for working with ancient Iranian languages and historical texts, combining language research with modern computational tools.
TaakPIWP
A reusable Personal Identity Website Platform designed to turn structured personal information into a complete, customizable digital identity.
Čāčy
A web design and development brand focused on building modern websites and digital experiences for businesses and individuals.
Journey Highlights
Key moments across education, career, and personal milestones.
Developing TaakPIWP
Building a reusable Personal Identity Website Platform and using it to create my own digital identity website.
Developing Čāčy
Started shaping Čāčy as an independent web design and development brand.
Defended Master’s Thesis
Defended research on designing a computer program for searching and analyzing the Avestan relative pronoun “ya-”.
Started Avestad
Began developing a research software project for working with ancient Iranian languages, historical texts, linguistic data, and structured knowledge.
M.A. Research in Ancient Iranian Languages and Culture
Conducted graduate research at the intersection of historical linguistics and computational methods.
Began Independent Research & Development
Developed an independent practice combining software engineering, computational research, language technologies, and the humanities.
Coached Godin Tepe to Third Place
Coached Godin Tepe to third place in a multi-team county-level football tournament.
Joined the Championship Student Football Team
Member of the championship-winning student mini-football team at the Research Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies.
Completed B.Sc. in Software Technology
Graduated in Software Technology from Shomal University. Final project explored the feasibility of applying artificial intelligence to Hoffman kiln systems used in brick production.
Inter-Unit Football Championship
Member of the championship-winning team in an inter-unit football tournament during military service.
Selected as Military Training Representative
Selected to represent approximately two hundred trainees at the end of basic military training and receive the completion badge on behalf of the group.
Completed Associate Degree in Computer Software Engineering
Completed technical studies in Computer Software Engineering at Technical & Vocational Training Center No. 1 for Men in Kermanshah.
What I Work With
Organized by domain, grounded in real projects and experience — not arbitrary percentages.
Software Engineering
Data & Knowledge Systems
Research
Web & Product
Other Technical Work
Moments & Memories
A visual diary — travel, work, photography, and the things that catch my eye.
Modern Iranian visual art
Seven years of visual arts content
From the visual arts archive
A place for building and thinking
Building digital tools
Exploring ideas through visual work
Recent Articles
Thoughts on engineering, research, photography, and the craft of building things.
What Seven Years Around Visual Art Taught Me
Lessons from years of working with modern Iranian visual art, artists, images, and cultural content.
Read more
Why I Build Tools
A personal look at why software, research, and creative work have gradually become part of the same practice.
Read more
Building a Digital Home for My Work
Why a personal website can be more than a portfolio, CV, or collection of links.
Read moreLet's Build Something
I'm always open to interesting conversations, collaborations, and new opportunities. Whether you have a project in mind or just want to say hello, I'd love to hear from you.