Representatives from the country’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology asserted they have been in talks with several campuses in Britain, the U. S., and Germany. These officials said Iran will provide programs, scholars, and teaching materials after making deals with a number of unidentified institutions.

Gholamreza Khajesarvi, a government official, noted in particular: “The departments will be set up to train and educate experts on Islam so as to assist in the introduction of Islam and its realities to the world in a proper academic setting.” Glyn Gaskarth, a UK policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, properly took issue with Iran: “Universities funded by the British taxpayer should not take money or academic direction from totalitarian Islamist regimes like Iran.”