Education and research in Iran disrupted by war

During the war in Iran, more than twenty universities were hit by attacks. “Students who were previously targeted by their own regime are now being struck by Israeli and American bombs”, says Iran expert Peyman Jafari.

At the end of February, the United States and Israel declared war on Iran. The attacks had been prepared for months following rising tensions between the countries, partly due to Iran’s nuclear programme and its support for Hezbollah.

“In the beginning, only military and political targets were attacked”, says Peyman Jafari, who himself came to the Netherlands as a refugee from Iran. He is an assistant professor of history and international relations at William & Mary in the United States and is affiliated with the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam.

“But after a few days, civilian and economic targets were also selected. Facilities that are important for ordinary people were hit, such as hospitals, schools and industries, but universities were also targeted.”

Why were universities targeted?

“The aim was probably to cripple Iran economically. Iranian universities perform particularly well in science and engineering. They rank relatively high in global rankings. Technical universities are important for industries such as oil and steel. These are highly developed industries that allow Iran to function independently.”

“Another important aim is intimidation. Iran takes pride in having so many universities that perform well, in being a developed country. By bombing universities, Trump hoped to break Iran’s morale.”

Are these universities also used for military purposes, such as building missiles?

“That is indeed what Trump and Netanyahu claim. This concerns so-called ‘dual use’: knowledge that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. However, that does not mean universities can simply be attacked. The damage suffered by civilians outweighs any possible military advantage gained. Such attacks are in violation of international law. Many Israeli, and also Dutch universities have ties with the military, but that does not make them legitimate military targets.”

How severely have Iranian universities been affected?

“More than twenty universities have been attacked, including almost all major universities in Tehran. Technical universities in particular have been heavily bombed, as they contribute to the economic infrastructure. Lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, data centres and other buildings have been damaged. The Sharif University of Technology, often referred to as the MIT of Iran, was also attacked.”

What does that mean for students?

“Students are traumatised. In recent weeks, all classes had to take place online; now the lecture halls have been blown up. For six weeks, they have experienced heavy bombardments every night; even if you have not been injured, it affects you. Students, who were previously targeted by their own regime, are now also being struck by Israeli and American bombs.”

Could that play into the hands of the Iranian regime?

“It certainly could, although it remains difficult to say. There is currently little contact with Iran; the internet is still down. But the regime can now say: you see, the Americans do not only want to target the regime, but the entire country. And students are asking themselves: how can we still protest if our universities are being destroyed? That struggle is being undermined.”

“It could lead to national unity. People want to defend the country, including those who oppose the regime. But they remain critical; even during the war, the authorities in Iran have continued making arrests. You can be both against the war and against the regime.”

How quickly can education recover once peace is signed?

“That could take years. Everyone will first have to recover. Many students have fled the city because of the bombings. In the coming weeks, people will mainly be occupied with mourning and clearing debris.”

“The quality of education has been affected. Students are now entering the exam period. That will be tough. They must try to focus on their exams while the war is still felt everywhere.”

Can they study abroad?

“They were keen to do so, but Trump has imposed a total visa ban on Iran and many other countries. These students, simply because they are Iranian, can no longer go to the United States to continue their studies. It has also become more difficult for Iranian students to obtain a visa in Europe.”

“I think Iranian students are now extra motivated to rebuild the country. You can already see students volunteering to help with reconstruction. It will be difficult, but they are motivated.”