Educational Diplomacy in Iran…

When I traveled to Iran several years ago as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard to speak about my research at Sharif University and the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran, I had the opportunity to meet with prominent Iranian academics, politicians, intellectuals, and students–all of whom expressed interest in future academic collaborations with universities in the United States. In the wake of the Iranian nuclear deal, academics on both sides are wondering if more opportunities for academic bridge-building will soon emerge. A few weeks ago, a delegation of U.S. universities traveled to Iran under the auspices of the Institute of International Education. Before the Islamic revolution in 1979, the highest number of foreign students in the United States came from Iran, and today the Iranian cabinet has more politicians with PhDs from U.S. universities than any other government in the world–including the United States. It is my sincere hope that these ongoing endeavors in educational diplomacy will create more study, research, and exchange opportunities for students and professors alike…