Türkiye among top destinations for Iranian students

Türkiye has become a popular destination for Iranian students pursuing higher education abroad, with a significant increase in numbers over the past decade.

According to data from the Council of Higher Education (YOK), in the 2022-2023 academic year, 22,632 Iranian students were enrolled in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs in Türkiye.

Iranian students in Türkiye

Many Iranian students in Türkiye choose to study in major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, as well as border cities like Erzurum and Van. They are particularly drawn to programs in medicine and engineering, although fields like language, history, literature, and art also attract a significant number of students.

Turkish students in Iran

Meanwhile, Turkish students are also pursuing higher education in Iran, particularly at universities in Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, and Tabriz. These students study various disciplines, including history, literature, art and theology. Some receive scholarships, while others fund their own education.

The Turkish Embassy’s Education Counselor in Tehran highlighted student exchanges contribute to cultural exchange and foster stronger ties between Turkish and Iranian universities.

Joint scientific projects, new initiatives

For instance, on March 15, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) and Iran’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Research announced their second joint scientific project call.

Additionally, a university is being established in Hamadan, Iran, as part of a higher education project supported by the Developing 8 (D-8) Economic Cooperation Organization, showcasing the continued collaboration between the two countries.

Prominent Iranian universities such as Tehran University, Shahid Beheshti University, Iran University of Medical Sciences, and Allameh Tabataba’i University have signed cooperation protocols with Turkish universities. These agreements facilitate student and faculty exchanges and joint projects.

Broad scope of educational cooperation

Umut Basar, the Education Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Tehran, emphasized the broad scope of higher education cooperation between Türkiye and Iran.

He noted that nearly 23,000 Iranian students in Türkiye primarily choose universities in Istanbul and pursue a wide range of disciplines, especially medicine and engineering. He also mentioned significant state-level activities in higher education and research, including a notable agreement between TUBITAK and Iran’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Research.

The second joint project call this year focuses mainly on natural sciences, medicine and engineering, with substantial funding from TUBITAK and Iran’s Ministry of Science for collaborative research projects by Turkish and Iranian academics.

Umut Basar