Iran’s Azad university says it is in talks for branches in Kurdistan Region

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran’s Islamic Azad University (IAU), one of the world’s most comprehensive networks of universities and community colleges across Iran, is in talks to open branches in the Kurdistan Region, its director said.

Hossein Ebrahimi said that the IAU is in talks with the universities of Sulaimani and Erbil.

The Mehr news agency quoted him as saying those talks with Kurdistan officials were aimed at laying the grounds to sign a cooperation agreement and evaluate the status of higher education in Kurdistan.

He revealed that, although the IAU had some foreign branches, the issue of opening more was in discussion. He expressed hope that differences would be resolved so that the IAU “will get inaugurated in Islamic countries.”

Ebrahimi said that one of the IAU’s priorities is to open international scientific offices, especially in European countries.

“The issue of launching international scientific offices in other countries has been approved by the relevant council at the university and will soon become operational,” he underscored.

Ebrahimi added that “these offices pursue a variety of goals including holding joint courses, running international knowledge-based forms, promotion of Persian language and literature as well as expansion of history of Iranian-Islamic civilization.”

Iran has a highly developed system of higher education, with some of its top universities achieving international rankings.