Iran's Ministry of Science to Address Thesis Buying and Selling

The Deputy for Research and Technology of the Ministry of Science of the Islamic Republic announced the ministry's intention to address professors and students involved in the "buying and selling of academic theses." Vahid Ahmadi, the Deputy Minister, stated in an interview on Saturday, March 29, that from the ministry's perspective, the sale of articles and theses by professors and students is "completely a violation." Ahmadi also mentioned that a regulation was drafted and sent to universities in 2015, mandating officials to confront such phenomena in universities. According to this regulation, the authority responsible for addressing the buying and selling of theses is the "Research and Technology Deputy of the universities," and one of the penalties for this violation is suspension from work. This official also stated, "We have prepared a bill for companies and brokers that sell theses, which has fortunately been approved by the government and is currently with the parliament." According to him, "In fact, all three parties involved in thesis selling (professors, students, and companies) are subject to legal prosecution and will be dealt with accordingly." As the Deputy for Research and Technology of the Ministry of Science indicated, violations by professors and students within universities fall under the jurisdiction of the "Research and Technology Deputy of the universities," while violations outside universities are under the jurisdiction of the judiciary. The buying and selling of theses in Iran has become a common trade, especially in recent years, and advertisements for their sale can be seen in public areas near universities, such as Revolution Street in Tehran. Previously, in October 2014, Hassan Rouhani criticized what he termed "thesis selling" and "scientific plagiarism" during a meeting of the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council. Rouhani stated that "the scientific dignity of the country should never be questioned, and related agencies must confront these actions." Currently, a significant number of companies active in selling theses have established various websites in Iran and are openly operating in this field. So far, no accurate statistics have been published regarding the volume of thesis buying and selling in Iran, and it is unclear what the financial turnover of this "scientific trade" is annually.