Abu Muhammad Mortezavi, head of the leadership representative office for Iranian students abroad, pointed out the difficulties in integrating graduates into the job market, stating: "Iranian graduates abroad should not return to the country to avoid disappointment." In an interview with the IRNA news agency, he added that "Iranian graduates abroad should find ways to help their homeland in the host country; therefore, there is no objection to their staying abroad." The head of the leadership representative office also noted that due to the status of universities worldwide, the country's financial situation, and currency procurement, the migration of students to Asian countries for further education has decreased. This academic official also reported an increase in "the migration of elites to European countries and the United States last year." According to Mortezavi, "the statistics of student migration to the United States have remained stable compared to previous years." Iran is a champion of brain drain. According to official statistics, over 40% of the unemployed in Iran are university graduates. Meanwhile, some reports indicate an annual outflow of between 150,000 to 180,000 educated specialists from Iran, a phenomenon known as "brain drain." According to Reza Faraji Dana, former Minister of Science, the brain drain phenomenon incurs an annual cost of $150 billion to the country. About four years ago, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, acknowledged that "brain drain is a significant loss for a nation." Based on the results of a report published by the Shargh newspaper in 2017, in 2011, Iran ranked sixteenth in the number of educated migrants to developed countries. Abu Muhammad Mortezavi, head of the leadership representative office for Iranian students abroad, stated last July: "The number of Iranian students in foreign countries is very high, so we need to send an advisor and a missionary for their religious and spiritual relations."
Khamenei's Representative: Iranian Graduates Should Not Return to the Country to Avoid Disappointment
Abu Muhammad Mortezavi, a representative of Khamenei, advised Iranian graduates abroad to remain in their host countries to avoid disappointment in Iran's job market. He highlighted the ongoing brain drain, where a significant portion of educated Iranians leave the country annually, which poses economic challenges for Iran. This situation reflects broader issues of disillusionment among the educated youth in Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Abu Muhammad Mortezavi advised Iranian graduates abroad to remain in their host countries to avoid disappointment in Iran's job market. He highlighted the ongoing issue of brain drain, where many educated Iranians leave the country annually.
- Over 40% of the unemployed in Iran are university graduates.
- Iran experiences an annual outflow of 150,000 to 180,000 educated specialists.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has long struggled with brain drain, losing many of its educated citizens to more developed countries due to economic and political challenges.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%