Brain Drain: A Serious Loss for Iran and Its Scientific Connection with the World

Iranian academics are increasingly turning their backs on their country. Last year alone, nearly 900 university professors left Iran. However, Germany continues to find productive scientific cooperation with Iran worthwhile.

You have a job, but you no longer want to stay in your own country. This is the beginning of a report by Kirsten Knipp, a Deutsche Welle correspondent who has investigated brain drain from Iran. A summary of this report.

Around 900 university professors left Iran in 2020. Mansour Gholami, Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology, has also confirmed this matter.

The migration of academics is part of the brain drain process that has shown an upward trend since the 1979 revolution. According to Stanford University studies, since the revolution, approximately 3.1 million Iranians have left their country. This represents about 3.7 percent of Iran’s current population.

During the same period, around 700,000 people born in Iran completed their education outside the country. Currently, 130,000 people are studying outside Iran, the highest figure in various periods.

While in 1979 around 90 percent wanted to return to their country after completing their education and live there, Stanford research now shows this figure has dropped to less than 10 percent. Currently, approximately 110,000 Iranians are employed at universities and research institutions outside Iran. This figure is equivalent to one-third of those working in academic and research centers within Iran.

“A Serious Loss for Iran”

These figures are concerning for Iranian officials. Is Iran losing its connection with the international scientific community? The think tank “Vocal Europe” based in Brussels has cited a reference to Iran’s news agency IRNA in this regard: “Our inability to bring back students who have completed their education abroad to Iran causes serious damage to the country.” IRNA’s report discusses the inability of officials in Iran to create suitable conditions that could encourage specialists to remain in their own country.

The Minister of Science has also emphasized that the government must provide more attractive conditions for professors, both financially and in other matters.

Based on Stanford University research, the roots of academic migration are diverse: “The brain drain crisis in Iran is related to several decades of isolation from the global economy, insufficient investment, deep-rooted corruption, and authoritarian political conditions.” It also mentions the “conspicuous presence of ideological elements” in educational centers and universities, which has created an uncomfortable environment for many professors. Moreover, a significant portion of university positions has been allocated to the ruling elite and government affiliates.

“Main Support in Germany”

Among Iranian academics and students residing in Germany, there is also a tendency not to return to their country. According to Christian Holzhuhrster, head of the Southern Scholarship Section of the “German Academic Exchange Service” (DAAD) in Bonn, many Iranian students remain in Germany. 9,000 Iranians were studying in Germany in 2019. The “German Academic Exchange Service” financially supported 1,300 of them in various projects.

Many students have attempted to integrate into the German job market and obtain German citizenship after completing their education. Holzhuhrster says: “They want to earn an income and continue their education. This is a very important aspect for them,” but “this does not mean they are no longer interested in their country. On the contrary, they often have a strong sense of patriotism, which of course is mixed with a clear desire to criticize,” and those who return to Iran “attach great importance to maintaining their position in Germany.”

Scientific Cooperation Despite Limitations

According to Stanford University studies, Iranian professors are also dissatisfied with their country’s university policies. For them, it is very important to present the face of a modern academic system both inside and outside Iran. This includes efforts to publish as many scientific research papers as possible in specialized journals, which does not necessarily reflect the actual high quality of their scientific work.

Christian Holzhuhrster disagrees with this assessment and says: “Iranian universities have a high level of competence. The Iranian university system is a competitive field within which some universities have made significant progress. This is why we work very intensively with Iranian universities. This scientific exchange also benefits Germany.”

He does acknowledge the existence of problems and says: “We are not naive. Iran is certainly a difficult country politically. Nevertheless, there is good space for activity in the scientific field there. This is the fourth time we are sending a Catholic nun to Iran to teach a feminist reading of sacred texts.”

Of course, collaborations also have limitations, “including in fields such as nuclear physics,” which according to Christian Holzhuhrster are impractical to participate in, but “despite such limitations, there are special strengths to a prominent scientific dialogue.” He says: “We are always looking for new communication channels in which there is potential for exchange of ideas. It is natural that we also have political disagreements, but these disagreements do not prevent our intellectual exchange and are conducted on equal footing.”

Source: DW