With more than 50 state universities, 40 medical schools and scores of private universities and specialized research institutes, higher eduction is highly valued in Iran. The Iranian university participation rate is slightly higher than Canada — at 25 per cent to 23 per cent — and the gender balance is about the same — at 60 per cent female and 40 per cent male. As well, Iranian students receive free tuition and living expenses at the nation’s public universities. I visited eight Iranian universities and two research institutions in October, along with five other university professors from Canada and the United States, to explore educational and research partnerships.
