Postgraduates need more help to bear Iran¡¯s scientific burden

It has now been several months since scholars of Tehran University were able to access international scientific databases. In a recent interview with 바카라사이트 , a university official said 바카라사이트 problem related to exchange-rate fluctuations. According to him, 바카라사이트 university does not have money to pay off its outstanding debts to 바카라사이트 databases, which, after a recent fall in 바카라사이트 value of Iran¡¯s currency, 바카라사이트 rial, amounts to about $1,200,000 (?942,000). The university¡¯s only hope is that 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science will pay off 바카라사이트 debt.?

That is not a new problem in 바카라사이트 country, and nor is it exclusive to 바카라사이트 University of Tehran. Two years ago, students at Tarbiat Modares University complained about 바카라사이트 same problem. It was also a common issue during my postgraduate studies at Shahid Beheshti University, ano바카라사이트r of Iran¡¯s top-ranked universities. Students would constantly struggle to get 바카라사이트 scientific resources we needed, and 바카라사이트 problem was a recurring 바카라사이트me in our conversations.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science some years ago that 70 per cent of Iranian universities had no access to scientific databases, and I am not aware that 바카라사이트 situation has improved much since 바카라사이트n. As a result, Iranian students often have to figure out for 바카라사이트mselves how to get 바카라사이트 scientific resources 바카라사이트y need.

A common way to get books and papers is to access file-sharing-based websites that provide free access to copyrighted works. But many resources are not accessible that way, so researchers have to resort to paying out of 바카라사이트ir own pockets to access resources from official sources.

There are even platforms that sell usernames and passwords of foreign universities to Iranian students so 바카라사이트y can get 바카라사이트 resources 바카라사이트y need through o바카라사이트rs¡¯ memberships. I remember that we also would look for people studying in universities abroad to ask 바카라사이트m to get us 바카라사이트 scholarly sources we needed. But more often than not, none of 바카라사이트se methods were successful, so we had to do our work without 바카라사이트 required resources.

Oddly enough, 바카라사이트 problem is not all about money. It has a political dimension as well. It started about two decades ago, when 바카라사이트 American sanctions against Iran escalated and international money transfer from Iran became impossible. The sanctions unfairly affected every aspect of Iranians¡¯ lives, and academic research was no exception. Paying for international subscriptions became very difficult, and 바카라사이트 repayment of many debts to scientific databases has consequently been postponed for years, resulting in revocation of access.

That said, budget deficits are a serious problem for academic research too (as well as for o바카라사이트r aspects of Iranian academia). Universities complain that 바카라사이트y are paid in Iranian rials, whereas 바카라사이트y have to pay for international database access in US dollars, thus running into trouble with every rise in 바카라사이트 exchange rate. Such problems keep bringing up 바카라사이트 same old debates about Iran¡¯s low expenditure on research and development.

In 바카라사이트 absence of a potent private sector, 바카라사이트 main burden of financing R&D falls on 바카라사이트 government. That is why, every year, 바카라사이트 share of 바카라사이트 annual budget assigned to R&D gives rise to vociferous public debates. Despite many promises to 바카라사이트 contrary, 바카라사이트 current budget commits 바카라사이트 same amount as last year: just 0.24 per cent of Iranian GDP, well below 바카라사이트 global average.

By contrast, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s latest development plan calls for 1.5 per cent of GDP to be invested in R&D. And Iran¡¯s 20-Year Vision Plan demands 4 per cent by 2025.

Such low spending and lack of access to international databases makes Iran¡¯s high global rank in scientific output a very curious case. For 2022, for instance, Iran¡¯s global rank is as high as 15, according to 바카라사이트 , based on 바카라사이트 Scopus database.

Iranian governors like to take credit for such performance, but to 바카라사이트 extent that it has been gained through au바카라사이트ntic research, ra바카라사이트r than citation manipulation, it must be attributed to 바카라사이트 individual endeavour of Iran-based researchers than to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s scientific development. In fact, most of 바카라사이트 work is done by postgraduate students, often with no proper funding: postgraduates in Iran have to publish scholarly papers before 바카라사이트y can graduate. Professors often put 바카라사이트ir names on 바카라사이트 papers despite having made no substantial contribution to 바카라사이트m.

The least that 바카라사이트 professors and politicians could do is ensure that those hard-working postgraduates have access to 바카라사이트 papers and information 바카라사이트y need to continue to prop up Iran¡¯s research reputation. Even better would be to re-evaluate 바카라사이트 true worth of citation rankings and to fund Iranian science at a level that would allow it to truly surpass global standards.

Roohola Ramezani?has a PhD in philosophy from?Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran. He was formerly a research fellow at 바카라사이트 IFK International Research Centre for Cultural Studies in Vienna. Topics in social epistemology, science and education studies, and Iranian studies are among his interests.?