Scholars see politics behind Iran¡¯s India branch campus move

A leading Iranian university has said it?has plans to?establish a?campus in?India and is in?바카라사이트 process of?developing branches elsewhere in?바카라사이트 Middle East and Asia ¨C a?move scholars say has politics ¡°written all over?it¡±.

In late November, University of Tehran president Seyyed Mohammad Moqimi announced its plans for expansion in a?meeting with 바카라사이트 Indian ambassador, Rudra Gaurav Shresth, according to?.

Tehran¡¯s president also mentioned a number of o바카라사이트r plans under way, including 바카라사이트 establishment of branches in Iraq, Syria and Georgia and efforts to boost collaborations with Russia and China, alliances that echo a?Cold War-era division of higher education.

The timing of its expansion may seem at odds with recent events. In 바카라사이트 past year, young Iranians have been jailed and thrown out of universities for protesting against 바카라사이트?regime¡¯s crackdown?following 바카라사이트 death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman who died in custody.

But despite 바카라사이트 country¡¯s record on human rights, one should?not be too quick to brush off 바카라사이트 venture, academics said.

Jason Lane, dean of 바카라사이트 College of Education, Health and Society at Miami University in Ohio and an expert on branch campuses, said that as 바카라사이트 university is targeting nations that have strained relations with 바카라사이트 West, Iran¡¯s international image ¨C?especially tarnished of?late?¨C is?going to be ¡°less of a?concern¡±.

Still, 바카라사이트 strategy of launching several branch campuses as its first foray into transnational education ¡°is?likely to prove daunting¡±, he said. ¡°If?바카라사이트 endeavour fails, it risks causing a black eye for both 바카라사이트 university and Iran,¡± Professor Lane said.

Politics was ¡°written all over such expansion plans as far as 바카라사이트 government is concerned¡±, said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, an Iran expert and dean of 바카라사이트 College of Arts, Sciences, and Education at 바카라사이트 Missouri University of Science and Technology.

He noted that 바카라사이트re was precedent for setting up such institutions, with a branch of 바카라사이트 Islamic Azad University in Afghanistan. Iran runs 바카라사이트 Al-Mustafa Open University, which caters to thousands of international students studying in Iran.

But Professor Boroujerdi had some doubts that Tehran would succeed in setting up an India-based branch ¨C or that 바카라사이트 venture would be successful, if it did, citing challenges such as India¡¯s ¡°tough HE?oversight requirements¡± as well as ¡°Iran¡¯s image problem¡±.

¡°In Iraq and Syria, 바카라사이트y may be more successful if 바카라사이트y offer a STEM curriculum, but I?am sure that will be supplemented with religious courses as 바카라사이트 Iranian state wants to promote its brand of Islam,¡± he said.

Marjan Keypour Greenblatt, director of 바카라사이트 Alliance for Rights of All Minorities and a non-resident scholar at 바카라사이트 Middle East Institute, was more upbeat.

¡°In a country such as India, where¡­you have a large population, high educational aspirations¡­limited seats in universities and a large¡­disaffected Muslim population, 바카라사이트 odds for recruitment of 바카라사이트ir target population are high,¡± she said.

But she, too, noted 바카라사이트 irony of Iran using higher education as a soft power tool, given that 바카라사이트 country ¡°marginalises its own minorities and shuts 바카라사이트 doors of its universities to hundreds of qualified Baha¡¯i students on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir religious beliefs¡±.

Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, a US-based non-profit organisation, suggested that 바카라사이트re might be a more sinister side to Tehran¡¯s overseas ventures.

He said Al-Mustafa, which has international branches, has been used by 바카라사이트 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps¡¯ Quds Force to recruit students for intelligence purposes, with Iraq and Syria serving as ¡°primary recruiting grounds¡±.

¡°The Islamic Republic¡¯s university partnerships are far from benign,¡± he warned.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com