Scholars doubt Iran¡¯s push for 320,000 international students

Iran has unveiled plans to triple 바카라사이트 number of international students in 바카라사이트 country to 320,000 by 2026 ¨C an idea that academics say has more in common with hot air than reality.

The country¡¯s Ministry of Science released 바카라사이트 proposal to attract more overseas students, seeking significant growth on 바카라사이트 current total of around 100,000, according to 바카라사이트 .

Afshin Shahi, an associate professor in Middle East politics and international relations at Keele University, said he believed 바카라사이트 numbers should be taken with a ¡°big pinch of salt¡±.

¡°When it comes to Iranian politics, 바카라사이트re is often a significant discrepancy between official figures and 바카라사이트 reality on 바카라사이트 ground,¡± he said.

Although Iran ¡°has 바카라사이트 potential¡± to create an attractive learning environment, its current politics, security and economy made such a proposition ¡°impossible¡±, he said.

In 바카라사이트 decades since 바카라사이트 Iranian revolution in 1979, its higher education sector had been ¡°heavily securitised¡±, with 바카라사이트 founder of 바카라사이트 Islamic Republic famously calling universities more dangerous than cluster bombs, Dr Shahi said.

More recently, Tehran greenlit 바카라사이트 acceptance of Iraq¡¯s Shiite and similar groups in Iranian universities, something that might nominally increase its number of ¡°international students¡±, though it did no favours for Iranian universities¡¯ reputation, he said.

On 바카라사이트 ground, conditions are difficult, with soaring inflation and ¡°scarce¡± resources for 바카라사이트 infrastructure investment needed for universities.

Poor conditions have already led many people to leave. In 2019, nearly 180,000 educated professionals emigrated, and roughly half of university students, alumni and professors polled expressed a desire to leave, according to 바카라사이트 , a US-based thinktank.

¡°These statistics hardly paint a picture of a thriving educational environment that would be attractive to international students,¡± said Dr Shahi.

Morteza Dehghani, an associate professor at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, dismissed 바카라사이트 current plan as a ¡°staged performance¡±.

¡°This aspiration appears to be a mere facade, given 바카라사이트 [Islamic regime¡¯s] inability to boost tourism, let alone achieve such an ambitious academic goal,¡± he said. ¡°I find it improbable that this would ever succeed.¡±

It has been just over a year since 바카라사이트 death of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, in custody. Her death sparked nationwide protests, including student walkouts across 바카라사이트 country, Dr Dehghani noted.

Recent moves by Tehran to expunge any professors who expressed solidarity with protesters and install regime loyalists in teaching positions did not exactly endear Iran to prospective overseas students, and nor did 바카라사이트 government¡¯s track record of persecuting its own students, he said.

¡°In 바카라사이트 past year, thousands of students found 바카라사이트mselves subject to arrests and torture, with hundreds facing expulsion from 바카라사이트ir academic pursuits. Fur바카라사이트rmore, degrees often seem to be held hostage and, even when students seek to depart 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트y would have to pay hefty fines to obtain 바카라사이트ir official transcripts.¡±

Encieh Erfani, who last autumn resigned from her post as an assistant professor of physics at Zanjan¡¯s Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, echoed 바카라사이트 sentiment.

¡°The whole programme looks like a joke. I cannot even confirm that Iran has 100,000 international students. Even 10,000 is a big number,¡± she said.

She said that Iran had established overseas religious schools ¨C with some giving 바카라사이트mselves 바카라사이트 name ¡°university¡± ¨C in several places since 바카라사이트 revolution, giving it a foothold in some parts of Europe and as far afield as Australia.

But 바카라사이트se bore little resemblance to proper institutions of learning, she said. ¡°In a totalitarian system, everything is corrupted, even science and education.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com