Hassan Moslemi Naeini (r) and Iran Daily's Ehsan Bakhshandeh (Photo by: Saeed Khamesipour)

Non-Iranian students from 80 countries including the United States, Canada and Spain, constitute a small proportion of university students in Iran; yet the present government extends much support to attract them in order to promote cultural, scientific and foreign relations.
More than 90 percent of the 3,000-strong foreign student population have been admitted to universities mostly in Tehran, Qazvin, Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad, among whom 500 studying in the Islamic Azad University, have been awarded scholarships by the Iranian government.
In an exclusive interview with Iran Daily, Hassan Moslemi Naeini, Ph.D., in charge of Science, Research and Technology Ministry’s department for domestic students, said the incumbent government attaches special attention to transfer Islamic and Iranian culture to other nations.
Naeini, who hails from the historical city of Isfahan, referred to the famous hospitality of Iranians and called on foreign students who are keen to continue their higher education in Iran not to delay applying at Iranian universities. Excerpts of the interview follow:

What program does the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology offer to facilitate foreign students’ study in Iran?
In the name of God , the Compassionate, the Merciful. Given the importance attached to non-Iranian students by the government to broaden scientific and cultural ties and given the potentials of Iranian universities, we feel responsible to make greater efforts to attract foreign students. That’s why we have decided to expand our cultural and international relations through the development of Persian language and literature, which have a large following worldwide.
There were some deficiencies pertaining to the admission of non-Iranian students. The financial support by the Iranian government, for example, was insufficient and there were less cultural programs. We tried to set this right in cooperation with related organizations such as the University Jihad Organization, the Leader’s Representative Office at Universities, Islamic Azad University and the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Organization. A new bylaw was ratified in this respect.
We are also planning to facilitate easy visas for foreign students.

What does the new bylaw state?
It deals with increasing allowances paid by the Science Ministry to foreign students. We had three kinds of scholarships A, B and C, which were classified based on the allowance amount. All the three were changed into full scholarships. Under the new bylaw, the scholarship paid to foreign students has been quadrupled.

How much is the present allowance?
The Science Ministry currently pays between 800,000-1,000,000 rials to each scholarship student. It also encourages extending financial aid to universities which admit foreign students introduced by the ministry.
Under the new bylaw, universities that admit more than 50 foreign students should assign a separate department for them. The ministry has also been obliged to welcome the students upon their arrival at the airport. A preliminary allowance is paid to new non-Iranian scholarship students.
Foreign students are also eligible for help to attend camps and undertake various cultural programs such as sightseeing tours and participating in different festivals.

What is the process of awarding scholarships to non-Iranian students?
Students who are eager to continue their studies at Iranian higher education institutes can visit our website in four languages at http://www.iso-msrt.gov.ir and fill the related application forms online. They can also refer to state-run and non-governmental universities for admission according to their own preferences.
The cases of the applicants will then be examined in a council comprising of representatives from the ministries of science, health, foreign affairs Islamic Azad University, University Jihad Organization and other organizations. The council recommends and finally determines the course of study and target-university according to the interest and qualifications of applicants.
We also have bilateral cooperation with some countries such as Syria and Yemen to transfer students.

What qualifications should foreign students have for admission?
Firstly their degrees should comply with the standards of the Science Ministry. A special committee examines this aspect. And secondly, they should have qualifications in Persian language.

Do you offer preparatory courses for those who are not familiar with the language?
We offer a six-month free educational course for applicants with language difficulties. After passing this course, nearly all foreign students can speak Persian.

What courses are generally offered to non-Iranian students at universities?
We receive applications for nearly all disciplines such as medicine, agriculture, language, art, engineering and humanities. Annually 600 applications are received. Last year there were 450 applicants, more than 300 of which were assessed. Thirty-five percent of students apply for BA/BS courses, 40 percent for MA/MS and 25 percent for Ph.D.

Is there any ceiling for non-Iranian students to study at higher levels?
The average marks of the applicants are important for their continuation of study. They are not eligible to take part in the nationwide university entrance examinations and are offered scholarships. There is also an age limit, which is 22 for BA/BS, 28 for MA/MS and 33 for Ph.D.

How many foreign students are currently studying at Iranian universities and from which countries?
There are currently some 3,000 non-Iranian students in the country. They mostly come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Tajikistan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, India, Sudan, Vietnam, Somalia, Romania, Yemen, Canada, Spain, the United States, Japan, China and Denmark.

The Ministry of Science recently held a festival “Culture and Nation Festival“ concurrent with the fourth Commencement Ceremony of Foreign Graduates.
The three-day festival aimed to establish constructive interaction among non-Iranian students to become acquainted with the religions, cultures, traditions and foods of each other’s country.
The other objective was to strengthen communications between Iranian and non-Iranian students as well as among foreign students themselves. We wanted to gather these students together for further interaction.

Do you also render extracurricular services to foreign students?
We sent some 400 foreign students to Qeshm, Shiraz and the cultural capital of Islam, Isfahan, in the last Iranian year. However, they can’t participate in sports and scientific competitions and festivals. As they reside in Iran all through the year, it would be a good idea to provide them with more extracurricular activities.

What plans do you have for foreign students after graduation?
We are encouraging foreign students to form scientific and friendship associations after graduation. At the same time, we are trying to engage them in domestic scientific circles and associations.
For non-Iranian Ph.D. students, we will provide them with three-month sabbaticals after graduation to come back to Iran and resume their study again.

What facilities have been provided for them?
Apart from monthly allowances, foreign students are provided with dorm facilities and meals. We are planning to establish international dorms in some provinces which host a great number of foreign students. They will also receive support for part of their medical expenses. We are also planning to set up Iranology centers and organize tours around Iran. In general we should try to attract more foreign students because competition is tight. There are, for example, about 300,000 foreign students in America and 70,000 in Japan.
The ministry also provides admission to girl students, who have been dismissed from foreign universities for observing the Islamic dress code, with scholarship opportunities in domestic universities.

Foreign students at the closing ceremoney of the 48th and 49th Persian langauage and literature refresher courses at the Instructors Training University (Photo by: Saeed Khamesipour)

The most important consideration for freshman-year non-Iranian students, who have decided to pursue higher education in Iran, is perhaps learning Persian language and literature because nearly all courses in Iranian universities are taught in Persian.
Apart from the preparatory Persian language courses offered by the Science Ministry for foreign students free of charge, the Center for Promotion of Persian Language and Literature affiliated to the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization also conducts refresher courses not only for foreign students but also for non-Iranian professors of Persian language and literature.
The center has undertaken 49 Persian language and literature 15-30 day refresher courses for some 1,400 foreign students and professors of Persian language and literature since the 1990s. Another one is currently being held for 15 Tajik students while Russian students will attend the next one in late September.
Twenty-one such courses have been held at the Instructor Training University. The recently organized 48th and 49th refresher courses were respectively held at the Instructor Training University and the Teacher Training University. The two courses were simultaneously held in summer as students and professors are on a three-month vacation.

Improving Skills
Nearly 60 non-Iranian students participated in the one-month courses aimed at improving language skills such as Persian writing, speaking, reading and materials on grammar, calligraphy, Iranology, contemporary and classical Persian literature, bibliography, Iranian culture and Persian-language websites and poetry.
“They (the participants) were given preliminary tests and admitted to the courses based on the results of the examination in three introductory, elementary and advanced levels,“ Ebrahim Khodayar, head of the Persian Language and Literature Research Center affiliated to the Instructor Training University and superintendent of the 49th course said at its closing ceremony.
“We implemented three types of programs in this course including educational programs (100 credits in three levels), sightseeing and extracurricular activities (such as poetry and traditional music)“ he added, saying that the development of Persian language and literature is tied to the revival of its scientific and spiritual roles as well as its bright historical and cultural aspects.
Apart from such courses within the country, special courses are held abroad as well. The Science Ministry also offers Masters’ and Ph.D. scholarships to top non-Iranian students and graduates of Persian language and literature courses upon their introduction by Iranian embassies.
“Annual four-month sabbaticals (late September-January) are granted to top students of each refresher course,“ Hamid Reza Moradi, deputy chairman of the Persian Language Promotion Council told Iran Daily in a telephone conversation.
Moradi said that refresher courses are aimed to create Persian language departments in other universities, adding that 26 such courses have already been established in countries such as China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, Lebanon and Syria.
On the tuition fees of refresher courses, the official said top students are offered scholarship while other participants should only pay for the traveler’s ticket. Other expenses are paid for by the Center for Promotion of Persian Language and Literature.
“However, Iranian embassies can afford the whole expenses of these courses,“ he maintained. Applicants can refer to the Persian Language and Literature Department of their universities or Cultural Department of Iranain embassies for further information, he added.