Providing the opportunity to learn Persian to international students while they study in Iran

According to the Science and Education group of IRNA, from the Media and Public Relations Center of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, in a letter to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, Islamic Azad University, Al-Mustafa International University, Saadi Foundation, the National Organization for Educational Testing and Evaluation, and the Steering Headquarters for the Implementation of the Comprehensive Scientific Map of the Country, issued the resolution on providing the opportunity to learn Persian to international students while they study in Iran, which was approved in the 896th meeting of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution on February 13, 2024, for implementation.

The notification is as follows:

Ministry of Science, Research and Technology
Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education
Islamic Azad University
Al-Mustafa International University
Saadi Foundation
National Organization for Educational Testing and Evaluation
Steering Headquarters for the Implementation of the Comprehensive Scientific Map of the Country

The resolution “Providing the opportunity to learn Persian to international students while they study in Iran,” which was approved in the 896th meeting of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution on February 13, 2024, and based on the resolutions of the 427th and 461st meetings dated August 15, 2023, and February 6, 2024, of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution (proposed by the Steering Headquarters for the Implementation of the Comprehensive Scientific Map of the Country), is hereby issued for implementation:

“Article 1 – Universities and higher education and research institutions with permission to admit international (non-Iranian) students can offer part of their in-person classes, workshops, or educational or research courses in a second language (non-Persian) under the following conditions for those non-Iranian students who have not reached the desired proficiency level in Persian.”

a) The mentioned classes, workshops, or educational and research courses must be held exclusively for international students.

b) Universities and higher education and research institutions are required to take necessary actions to hold a special Persian language course for international students, with authorization from the relevant authority in the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, and Islamic Azad University, concurrently with learning the main courses in the second language.

c) The condition for graduation and issuance of degrees at all levels of education for all international students is obtaining a certificate of proficiency in Persian that is recognized.

Note 1 – The Saadi Foundation will be responsible for overseeing the proper implementation of the provisions of paragraph (b).

Article 2 – PhD students must present a recognized certificate of proficiency in Persian before participating in the comprehensive exam, and students in medical and dental fields must present the certificate before taking the basic sciences exam.

Note 2 – The provisions of this single article apply only to non-scholarship students who enroll in universities and higher education and research institutions in the country after the date of this resolution’s notification.

Article 3 – All universities and higher education and research institutions authorized to admit international students are required to prepare and sign a translation of the transcripts and degrees of their international graduates into a second language, and provide it along with the original Persian degree to the graduate.

Article 4 – The National Organization for Educational Testing and Evaluation is required, in collaboration with the Ministries of Science, Research and Technology, and Health, Treatment and Medical Education, Islamic Azad University, Al-Mustafa International University, and the Saadi Foundation, to develop regulations for conducting Persian language proficiency tests within a maximum of 3 months from the date of this resolution’s notification and submit them for approval to the Steering Headquarters for the Implementation of the Comprehensive Scientific Map of the Country.

Article 5 – The Ministries of Science, Research and Technology, and Health, Treatment and Medical Education, Islamic Azad University, and Al-Mustafa International University are required to annually submit a report on the implementation of this resolution to the Steering Headquarters for the Implementation of the Comprehensive Scientific Map of the Country.

Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi
President, and Head of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution