Dive Brief:
- The nuclear deal reached with Iran on Tuesday after years of negotiations may bring good tidings for higher education researchers and prospective students.
- Academics may be able to dust off old research partnerships that were alive and strong in the 1970s, or launch new ones — The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Iranian officials have already indicated interest in joint research relating to water conservation, environmental management, and food safety.
- The number of Iranian students studying in the U.S. is likely to continue on an even greater incline thanks to the deal, and online exchange is a very real possibility.
Dive Insight:
Iran is one of only three countries on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List held by the U.S. government. Cuba, for decades, was the fourth member of the exclusive list, but President Barack Obama pushed for its removal this year. Sanctions meant to pressure the Iranian government into taking action in line with U.S. interests have stifled a scholarly exchange with Iran that was thriving in the 1970s. At one point, Iran, not China, sent the greatest number of students to study in U.S. colleges and universities. While suspicion surely lives on in both governments, researchers can be more hopeful in filing visa requests to carry out their projects abroad. And recruitment offices may once again consider targeting Iranian students at least a bit more.