TEHRAN – The vaccination of foreign nationals who are studying at Iranian universities will start in the next Iranian calendar month (August 23-September 22) along with Iranian students, according to the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control.

“Some 57,675 foreign nationals from 133 countries are studying in Iranian universities, many of whom have returned to their country with the outbreak of the pandemic,” Afshin Akhoundzadeh, an official at the Organization of Student Affairs has said.

During the pandemic, the admission of foreign students increased by 20 percent, most of whom were admitted from neighboring countries, especially Iraq, and most of whom are paying tuition, he noted.

However, 4,000 non-Iranian students have been applied with a scholarship, he further added. 

With the online university education system, more than 15,000 international students returned to their country and communicate with their professors in Iran through virtual education.

Some 30,600 of the whole students are studying in universities affiliated with the Ministry of Science, while 25,000 others are receiving education in Azad University, and about 2,000 in medical universities.

Fifty-seven percent of the international students are studying for a master's degree, 27 percent for a bachelor's degree and 15 percent are educating to receive a Ph.D., while the remaining one percent study at other levels.

Law, Persian literature, and computer engineering are the top three fields of study for foreign students in Iran, while civil engineering, business management, political science, English language and literature, Quran and hadith sciences, international relations, and electrical engineering, and other majors with the highest number of non-Iranian students.

In 2013, 35 centers were allowed to admit foreign students, which has increased to 77 in 2021.

Earlier in May, Indrika Ratwatte, Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), appreciated Iran for vaccinating foreign nationals Iran.

In light of the pandemic, all refugees, even those undocumented, benefited from access to free primary health services and free COVID-19 related testing, treatment, and hospitalization, just like Iranian nationals.

The same happened for the vaccination when the country has generously considered foreign national and refugees over the age of 75 for vaccination against coronavirus.

FB/MG