According to the Public Relations Department of Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs, the symposium for planning and policy-making regarding the recruitment of international students for "skill-based" educational programs was held with the participation of Dr. Habiba, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Science and the Head of Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs; Dr. Ghanbari Baghestan, the Deputy for Scholarships and International Student Affairs; Dr. Zamanian, the President of the National Skills University; Dr. Ali-Akbari, the President of the University of Applied Science and Technology; and a group of international affairs directors.
National Division of Labor for Recruiting 320,000 Foreign Students
Dr. Ghanbari Baghestan, the Deputy for Scholarships and International Student Affairs, emphasized the importance and necessity of the joint session, stating: "According to Iran’s Seventh Development Plan, the country’s higher education sector, led by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, is mandated to recruit 320,000 foreign students. In this regard, Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs has conducted detailed planning based on a national division of labor with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and the Islamic Azad University."
Pointing to the shift in the organization’s approach to attracting foreign students, he noted: "Previously, most planning regarding international student recruitment was focused on large, public universities that have traditionally been active in this field. However, assessments indicate that there are unparalleled capacities within the UAST and the National Skills University that are expected to be activated through greater effort."
President of the University of Applied Science and Technology: Societal Preferences Have Shifted Toward Skill-Based Training
Continuing the session, Dr. Ali-Akbari, the President of the University of Applied Science and Technology (UAST), discussed educational demand trends in the country, stating: "Fortunately, despite the general decline observed in the country's higher education system, the reception of UAST courses has significantly increased. This indicates that societal preferences have shifted toward practical and applied training."
Expressing satisfaction with the professional management of both of the country's skill-oriented universities, he added: "The excellent synergy and cooperation existing today between the UAST and the National Skills University have elevated the capacity of the Iran's higher education in the field of skill-based training."
The President of the UAST further addressed certain challenges in the international domain, stating: "Unfortunately, these two major skill-oriented universities are not appropriately represented in the Ministry’s high-level international interactions. For instance, within the framework of the BRICS international alliance, the UAST and the National Skills University should hold a much better and more active position in specialized working groups."
It is worth noting that during this session, it was decided that to ensure a cohesive follow-up on recruiting international students for skill-based programs, a joint working group titled "Steering Committee for International Student Recruitment in Skill-Oriented Universities" shall be formed, consisting of plenipotentiary representatives from both university presidents, coordinated by the Deputy for Scholarships and International Student Affairs of Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs."