Quality assessment report for Persian language teaching centers (Azfa) released / Azfa centers classified into five quality tiers
According to the public relations office of the Organization for Student Affairs, Dr. Ghanbari Baghestan, the Deputy for Scholarships and International Students Affairs, said that the results of this supervisory scheme are now final. To raise the quality of education for international students, a professional team carried out a “quality assessment” of Azfa centers based at universities and higher education institutions nationwide, using rigorous, precise academic standards.
He added that these specialized evaluations were conducted by a team of distinguished, experienced Persian language professors, using 13 qualitative “status assessment” indicators: (1) hardware infrastructure; (2) the place of Azfa centers in the university’s detailed structure; (3) human resources—“management and staff”; (4) Azfa instructors; (5) teaching resources and textbooks; (6) curriculum; (7) educational assessment and examinations; (8) online instruction; (9) international cooperation; (10) documented business and revenue-generation plans; (11) the role of Azfa centers in spreading Persian language and literature; (12) cooperation with the Organization for Student Affairs; and (13) cultural, Iranology, and extracurricular programs. Detailed, disaggregated results have been compiled and issued as Azfa centers’ “quality assessment report.”
The deputy emphasized the importance of the assessment outcomes, noting that the final results, together with other performance reports from these centers, will be the Organization for Student Affairs’ main basis for deciding whether Azfa centers at universities across the country should continue operating or cease activities.
Regarding the final classification of Azfa centers in 2026 (Persian year 1405), Dr. Ghanbari Baghestan said that, based on the quality assessment, university centers nationwide were placed in five tiers: (1) reference and exemplary centers (excellent): 13 centers; (2) leading centers (very good): 10 centers; (3) active and expandable centers (good): 15 centers; (4) centers in consolidation (average): 10 centers; (5) centers requiring restructuring (weak): 5 centers.
According to this official, the quality assessment reports have been sent to university presidents, and a consultation session with Azfa center directors will soon be held to review the results and explain the Organization for Student Affairs’ new policies for organizing Azfa centers.
In closing, he noted that the ultimate aim of all these measures is quality oversight of Azfa centers and assurance of educational standards, so that international students learn Persian in a high-quality environment aligned with national standards and become cultural ambassadors for Iran in their home countries.