Brain Drain Crisis in Iran; 25% of University Professors Have Emigrated

As concerns continue over the intensification of the brain drain crisis from Iran, and with statistics indicating a large portion of the skilled workforce's exit or desire to leave the country, Hossein Simayi Sarraf, the Minister of Science of the Islamic Republic, has acknowledged that in recent years "25% of professors" have emigrated. On Friday, December 2, Simayi Sarraf described this statistic as "worrisome" and a factor in the "decline of universities and the academic performance of students," stating that if this trend continues, "individuals will replace them who may be of a weaker caliber." This official of the Islamic Republic also pointed to various factors for individuals' emigration from Iran, including "job-related, economic, social-political" issues, identifying economic problems as the main reason for professors' emigration, adding that "some even have no intention of returning." He noted that the income of university professors in neighboring countries ranges between $4,000 to $7,000, while "our full professors with 50 ranks barely reach $1,000." This comes in the wake of the killing of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police and the protests of "Women, Life, Freedom," during which pressure from Islamic Republic officials on students who were at the forefront of the protests, as well as on professors supporting them, increased, leading to the suspension and dismissal of many professors or forcing them into retirement. Some other professors were sidelined from teaching due to not aligning with the appointed university heads following Ibrahim Raisi's presidency. While it was previously claimed that Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic, called for a review of the status of dismissed professors, the Kayhan newspaper, one of the most hardline publications in Iran and effectively reflecting the positions of the leader and the main body of the Islamic Republic's governance, quickly criticized this issue, describing Pezeshkian's remarks as "promoting lawlessness." Hossein Simayi Sarraf also claimed on September 15 that he had been in contact with the judiciary to bring back protesting students and professors, emphasizing that he is not sure if the judiciary will review these cases again. The sharp migration issue from Iran has not only overshadowed universities but also encompasses other sectors. Mahmoud Najafi Arab, the head of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, recently warned that in the past two or three years, more than two thousand "startup visas" have been issued for young Iranians. Startup visas are granted to individuals with startup ideas who intend to establish their businesses abroad. Iranian economic experts warn that the emigration of entrepreneurs reduces economic growth and job creation and weakens Iran's innovation and technology industry. The escalating trend of Iranian emigration in recent years in the health and medical sector has repeatedly made headlines and fueled concerns about the disintegration of the country's health system. Recently, the head of the Nursing Organization of Iran stated that according to the Ministry of Health's statistics, "about 1,500 nurses left the nursing profession last year." This statistic only covers public sector nurses and does not include private sector nurses and graduates of this field who have not entered the service cycle. The "Ham-Mihan" newspaper reported in June 2023, citing Iraj Khosrounia, head of the Society of Internal Medicine Specialists, about a shortage of specialist doctors across the country. Khosrounia stated, "For every 7,000 women in the country, there is only one specialist obstetrician." A member of the Education and Research Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also recently reported a shortage of "12,000 doctors." Abolhasan Mostafavi said, "Due to the shortage of doctors, many of our clinics in cities have closed after 40 years." Official statistics show that in the past two decades, more than 6 million Iranians have emigrated from the country. The Rokna news agency reported, based on these statistics, that about 40% of Iranian emigrants have higher education, and the emigration of educated women has seen a "significant increase." A trade union official emphasized the livelihood problems of nurses, stating that 150 to 200 nurses emigrate from Iran monthly. The medical community's reaction to the suicide of Parastoo Bakhshi highlights the struggles to achieve a job without a future. The migration of Iran's medical staff has increased tenfold in five years, described as a "foreshock" of a devastating earthquake. The doctor shortage crisis in Iran has led Raisi to tell emigrant doctors that there is an opportunity for "dignified employment." The shortage of nurses in hospitals is being compensated for with "mandatory overtime" at a rate of 16,000 tomans per hour. Despite having 20,000 to 30,000 unemployed nurses, the alarm for the shortage of nurses in Iran has sounded again. The "migration tsunami" in Iran's medical community has reached "specialists," with a shortage of 70,000 nursing staff.