Iran: University of Tehran President Seeks to Boost International Collaborations

University of Tehran President Mahmoud Nili Ahmadabadi has stated that his university aims to increase its international collaborations, despite the sanctions and travel restrictions put in place by the U.S. government to isolate Iran. Nili Ahmadabadi has said that these restrictions are yet to have a significant impact on Iran, and that academic exchange between Iran and other countries is largely unaffected. Travel restrictions can present difficulties in international collaboration, as students and researchers may be working together despite political tensions between their home countries, however, under current rules Iranian’s with student and exchange visitor visas can travel to the U.S. as long as they undergo enhanced screening procedures.

Times Higher Education
September 9, 2018

Israel: Council for Higher Education Pushes Back Against Ariel University Boycott

Recent calls for a boycott of Ariel University, an institution located in a West Bank settlement, have seen heavy criticism from Israel’s Council for Higher Education. A letter published in the Guardian called for academics to refrain from attending a physics conference at the institution. The letter was signed by academics from the U.S., U.K., Finland, Belgium, and occupied Palestinian territories. The Council for Higher Education has said they stand by Ariel University, and will work in the coming year to create a new code of ethics that designates an academic boycott as improper and anti-democratic.

Middle East Monitor
September 4, 2018

Israel: Palestinian Student Banned from Entering Campus for Political Activity

Yousef Dweikat, a Palestinian student at An-Najah National University, was summoned to meet with Israeli intelligence in the Salem military base where he was informed he was barred from entering the university due to his recent political activity on campus. Dweikat has contacted university and human rights groups, saying the decision interferes with his right to education. Tensions in the West Bank have a large impact on students in the region, and, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education, 300 Palestinian university students are currently in Israeli jails.

WAFA
August 29, 2018

Iran: Student Receives Seven-Year Sentence for University Protest

An Iranian student at the University of Tehran has received a seven-year prison sentence for taking part in university protests. The student was convicted of “assembly with the intention of acting against national security, propaganda against the system and disrupting public order,” charges the student’s lawyer holds are both “unfair and unreasonable.” Forty-five other university students are currently in jail for taking place in protests, many of which still await sentencing.

Times of Israel
August 27, 2018

Afghanistan: UAE-Built University Driver in Afghanistan’s Growth

Sheikh Zayed University, a UAE-built institution in Afghanistan, has had a large effect in the development of Afghanistan. The university is one of the largest in the country, and draws students from provinces across Afghanistan to receive training in various fields vital to the growth and development of Afghanistan. Beyond the university level, UAE backing has led to the construction of a number of primary and secondary schools in the country.

Khaleej Times
August 22, 2018