Tehran University Access to International Scientific Databases Cut Due to Debt

The research deputy of Tehran University announced that students' access to international scientific databases has been cut due to accumulated debts. Mehdi Fakour mentioned that the total debts of Tehran University have reached 60 billion tomans over the past five years, citing the increase in currency exchange rates. Saeed Peyvandi, an educational expert residing in France, holds the Ministry of Science responsible for this issue, stating that the ministry has shown 'serious neglect' towards research and education. The cutting off of access to global scientific databases for Iranian research and academic centers due to debt is not a new issue and has been raised multiple times by university officials in recent years. Farhad Daneshjou, the president of Tarbiat Modares University, had previously reported a debt of over one million euros to information sources, leading to the cut-off of access for students and professors to these research sites. Saeed Peyvandi believes that in the absence of international scientific databases, conducting 'real and fundamental research becomes impossible' and 'it causes a significant blow to quality education and research in Iranian universities.' Vahid Ahmadi, the former research deputy of the Minister of Science, stated in 2015 that the budget share for research activities from Iran's GDP was 1 to 2 percent, criticizing the low amount compared to South Korea and Israel, which allocate over 4 percent of their GDP to research. Peyvandi criticized the allocation of large budgets to religious and propaganda institutions, questioning whether the funds for these ideologically focused institutions could be redirected to support academic activities. In recent years, the budget allocated to religious and seminary centers has consistently increased. According to the Open Data Iran database, based on the current year's budget document, the budget for 25 religious institutions has increased by 70 percent compared to the previous year. For example, the budget for the 'Center for the Services of Religious Seminaries' has doubled to 6,400 billion tomans this year. The increase in funding for such institutions comes at a time when their performance is not transparent, and they have few measurable indicators. A Ministry of Science official stated that Iran attracts twice as many foreign students as other Islamic countries, while Iranian universities owe 40 million dollars to global scientific databases. A research report highlighted the significant share of 'Islamic knowledge' in the programs of state television. Monthly losses of 10 trillion tomans due to internet filtering and disruptions are impacting the digital economy, alongside a 327 percent increase in the budget for the 'Imam Khomeini Institute.'