Arza News via trend: Currently 21,000 foreign students from some 100 countries are studying at the Iranian universities, Reza Ali Hasanvandian, an official with the Islamic Republic’s science, research, and technology ministry said.

Of that amount some 3000 students have received Iran’s scholarship, meanwhile around 4000 foreign students are studying in Iran with their own funds, Hasanvandian said, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported June 9.

The remaining foreign students are legal residents who have participated entrance examination alongside with the Iranians and have entered the universities, he added.

These students pay only some part of the education costs, Hasanvandian said.

Based on the Islamic Republic’s Fifth Economic Development Plan (2010–2015), Iran should accept 5000 foreign students annually. Of them 2000 students will be provided scholarship grants, the official said.

Iran’s Science, Research, and Technology Minister, Mohammad Farhadi earlier said that half of the foreign students at Iranian universities are studying human sciences, 30 percent – engineering, 17 percent -medicine, and 3 percent are studying arts.

Iran is ready to admit students from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the minister added.

He said that 151 male and 90 female students from other countries have been recently graduated from the Iranian universities in PhD, master’s, and bachelor’s levels.

By Umid Niayesh

Reprinted fromtrend.az