The Star Students Of The Islamic Republic

As an Iranina grad, having lived both inside and outside of Iran, I do not fully support the idea that factors such as poor economy, tough selection processes, etc... can solely explain what's happening in today's top US schools and firms in terms of enrolling Iranian undergrads, as many countries around the world today suffer from similar illnesses many of which have higher population, and even a much more dignified and easier visa processings to the states. From where I see it, The key lies in the uniqueness in iranian communities compared to those of other countries; not necessarily in their academic curricula but the social environment where the real school of thoughts are formed. Now, surely there are many down-sides to living in an unsecure, unstandarized, unstable, irregular, unsafe, , not "cliche", disorganized, not in order, and to an extend fundamental environment. But certainly being "different" is not a down-side, atleast not on a global level.The kind of difference we rarely encounter traveling around the world. This uniqeness in the way people think, interact, live, and the consequential freedom from stereotyped livng it brings with it greatly contributes to the world variety. A variety which the world needs to survive on, with all the wrong it carries with it. And I think we should put more time in looking into what goes on on that side of the world, for the better which this article is a documented example of. Because "difference" is beyond and not about good or evil, it's about beauty!

One of the "so-called" lucky iranian leaving for states for grad studies.

I am shocked by all the negative comments. yes, Iranian universities may have some shortages but that does not mean the students do not have the knowledge and they are just memorizing. Lets not forget that our education is free, may be if universities had expensive tuition (like U.S ) then they could provide better for their students. So instead of leaving negative comments let's do our share as Iranians, think of the school that you have attended in Iran, make some donation, creat a found for research program for iranian students or a lab for a school so every body can contribute, donate a computer, calculator, if you are a professor have a workshop or a seminar for those in Iran, doante newest edition of books to a university liberary,.... . From my understanding most of Iranian abroad are very successful, we owe to that land wether we live there or not. Lets do our share and provide what we did not have for the next generation. I do not think criticism and negativity would solve any problem.

an iranian

As a Chinese who has studied about Iranian universities, I know that their undergrad programs are really prestigious and difficult specially at the University of Tehran and Sharif University as I understood. I can say it without agrandisman which undergrad programs at these two universities is more heavy and more difficult than anyone else in the world. In particular in the engineering and science programs. Iranian students in these two universities are very active, hard-working and genius. I mention to this fact that they are excellent in the international olympiads and innovative competitions.

Study a little before writing in an international magazine. Government doubled university professors' salary in early 2005 and they are among the best paid employees. Actually a large number of them earn quite a lot, especially those leading research or providing expert advice. For anyone who knows the life condition of university professors in Iran, it's like a tasteless joke to say that they barely make ends meet or that they take second jobs as taxi drivers, as the writer of this article claims.

I'd like to tell the writer of this article, study a little before writing in an international magazine. It's more than three years now that the university professors in Iran are among the highest paid employees. The government adopted a resolution a in early 2005, almost doubling university teachers' salaries. I teach in Iran, and I'm telling you it's sheer lie that the university professors are taxi drivers, as the writer of this article claims.

We have read the article. Very surprised. If the universities are so great, why has your country not invented, discovered or contributed in any way? India excels in math and science, The great Ramunajan was a great mathematician and won the Nobel Prize. Iran has no record of any any Nobel Prize in the field of math, science and technolog;y.

I am delighted to read this article and made me proud to have Iranian roots. History has shown how Iranians have proven to be major contributors to advances in science and technlogy . The tradition continues despite all the difficulties and young men and women of Iran are over coming the odds to become successful members/students of elite colleges and companies around the world. Need to find ways to keep encouraging them. It's a small world after all and their contributions benefits all of us.
Shahriar

I would like to praise and appreciate efforts of some hardworking and honest people in Iran???s universities who do their best despite all problems in the country. Indeed, I wish Sharif was the world???s best undergraduate college but this is not true regardless of how many times they repeat it here and there. There are many people in Iran (actually in middle east) who believe they are the best in the world and it does not surprise me if they have a similar belief about one of their schools. I served as a faculty in this university and I was shocked how poor the quality of education is out there and how much politics you see everywhere. They still use outdated textbooks related to 1990 and before and many faculty members are there for non-academic reasons (merchants who want to buy reputation or making more money by Sharif???s name, or to have a nice retirement and feeling as if they are great scientists,..., some are really good people and they struggle for having a decent life) and do not care about quality of education or have responsibilities that is not matched with their expertise and work there because they have a connection somewhere in the governments. This is unfortunate that Sharif does not have an academic environment.
On the student side, many students are there to get higher marks and not to understand better. Many of these students are admitted to good US schools, in particular Stanford, but we only hear from a few of them who do really something. Of course, maybe 5 to 10 very good students go to Sharif each year and they will be successful later on in their career, but their success does not come from what they learned there and it does not have anything to do with that small and poorly equipped school. If Sharif admits good students, it does not guarantee that it will be a good school. The only good thing about Sharif, in my opinion, is in helping students to leave Iran. In a word, In terms of equipments and resources you cannot even compare Sharif with small western colleges. Come and see for yourself!

I would like to praise and appreciate efforts of some hardworking and honest people in Iran???s universities who do their best despite all problems in the country. Indeed, I wish Sharif was the world???s best undergraduate college but this is not true regardless of how many times they repeat it here and there. There are many people in Iran (actually in middle east) who believe they are the best in the world and it does not surprise me if they have a similar belief about one of their schools. I served as a faculty in this university and I was shocked how poor the quality of education is out there and how much politics you see everywhere. They still use outdated textbooks related to 1990 and before and many faculty members are there for non-academic reasons (merchants who want to buy reputation or making more money by Sharif???s name, or to have a nice retirement and feeling as if they are great scientists,..., some are really good people and they struggle for having a decent life) and do not care about quality of education or have responsibilities that is not matched with their expertise and work there because they have a connection somewhere in the governments. This is unfortunate that Sharif does not have an academic environment.
On the student side, many students are there to get higher marks and not to understand better. Many of these students are admitted to good US schools, in particular Stanford, but we only hear from a few of them who do really something. Of course, maybe 5 to 10 very good students go to Sharif each year and they will be successful later on in their career, but their success does not come from what they learned there and it does not have anything to do with that small and poorly equipped school. If Sharif admits good students, it does not guarantee that it will be a good school. The only good thing about Sharif, in my opinion, is in helping students to leave Iran. In a word, In terms of equipments and resources you cannot even compare Sharif with small western colleges. Come and see for yourself!

best regards,
Saied

Iranian people are being suppressed by both internal totalitarianism and external sanctions. If the students find the opportunity they are brilliant. Do not forget that Iranians are the forth educated minority in US after the dutch, chinese and indians. And also the second rich minority after jews.

Urs,
Ebi

Thank you for this interesting article.
The first part is fine and as I am working with Iranian students for more than 20 years all around IRAN and overseas I can tell you that they are all smart and genius as our 5000 years documented history shows. And the other point that its not just those few university and colleges with high quality degrees on master and PhD, and high quality research and education, you can find more than 100s of university, research institutes, research centers and ells in variety of basic and applied sciences in engendering and Medical areas with that quality, but your last paragraph is a serious mistake and it seems effected by wrong information from western media, I can propose you two approaches to get the truth :
1- Ask from Iranian professors directly that you can easily find their address in the university websites and
2- Send a neural reporter to IRAN to get the truth inside but please don???t send politically biased reporter that even when he or she collects the reports but when it is published in western media we can see that its censored and wrong as your last paragraph.
Finally I can tell you that our professor are earning enough salary but the main point is they are respected and they are working hard to show to the world that we Iranians will be soon in the top of science and technology.

Thank you for this interesting article. I just wanted to reenforce XStudent's comment on the top notch professors and their wages in Iran. As XStudent mentioned they are well paid and they dont need second job especially as a taxi driver...
When you write an article and publish it you should be very careful and educated about what you are reporting, I found a "BIG" flaw in the part that I have knowledge about, then how I can trust the other statistical numbers that were given in your article????

Thank you for this interesting article. I just wanted to reenforce XStudent's comment on the top notch professors and their wages in Iran. As XStudent mentioned they are well paid and they dont need second job especially as a taxi driver...
When you write an article and publish it you should be very careful and educated about what you are reporting, I found a "BIG" flaw in the part that I have knowledge about, then how I can trust the other statistical numbers that were given in your article????

No university professors take second jobs as taxi drivers or petty traders, They are well off specially those teaching and doing research for top universities such as Sharif or Isfahan University of Technology.

Thank you for your thought provoking article entitled ???The Star Students Of The Islamic Republic???. I found this article to be very interesting and in keeping with my understanding of the strong desire and achievement of academic excellence by all Iranian students. It is, however, sad that an entire population of smart, intelligent Iranians are deprived of the opportunity to be outstanding scientists and to contribute to solving Iran???s and the world???s problems, solely because they are Baha'is. It is ironic and sad that Iran is the birthplace of what is the second most widespread religion in the world, and yet, instead of being proud of this achievement, its government so disdains this religion that it has not permitted Baha'i young people to enter and obtain university degrees since 1980.
Kathleen Holmlund, media relations officer for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha???is of the U.S.