Four U.S. doctoral students attended the summer Persian language session at the Sa'di Foundation in Tehran, Iran. Along with six days of coursework per week, students were taken on field trips to cultural sites and locations in and outside Tehran. They had some, albeit limited, time to pursue their own research as well.
The Sa'di Foundation is a newly established organization intended to centralize Persian language studies in Iran and disseminate knowledge abroad. Instead of holding its own competition for the program, the Sa’di asked the American Institute of Iranian Studies (AIIrS) to identify and recommend top American students for consideration, which AIIrS accomplished through a call for applications and selection committee review.
In the first true example of US-Iran academic exchange in many decades, the students were supported financially by both AIIrS (travel) and Sa’di (tuition, room and board). This program represents not only an opportunity for American students to study in Iran, but an opening for increased educational cooperation between Iran and the US as well.
For more information on the Sa'di Foundation, click here.