Impacts of International Sanctions on Research, Publication, and Academic Exchanges

Sanctions have affected all sectors of society, and universities and scientific centers have not been exempt from this rule. As a result, the scientific activities of universities and research centers have been reduced. An important part of Iran’s major universities and research centers is affiliated with the government, and when the country’s economy suffers due to sanctions, their effects are directly transferred to universities and research activities. The budgets of universities depend on the government, and a significant portion of the government budget is related to oil revenues. Although universities and research centers have made efforts to use their capacities to help the country in the field of research, research activities have largely been deprived of their programs due to the decrease in government income. The reduction of scientific exchanges between Iranian universities and universities in different countries around the world, especially in America and Europe, can be mentioned as one of the impacts of sanctions on higher education and scientific research. Many universities and research centers refuse to admit Iranian professors and students, and major international publishers refuse to print and publish their articles. Academics who were active in governmental scientific-research centers in the Islamic Republic of Iran have also been denied admission. The decrees of the US Treasury Department regarding refraining from cooperation with Iranian professors and students active in government sectors have been carefully implemented by major international publishers. Although the effects of sanction policies have been much broader in technical and medical fields, similar conditions have also existed in the social sciences and humanities. Many professors have international connections, but these have been challenged due to sanctions and foreign exchange restrictions, and their communication has faced serious problems. The main question of this paper is: “What effects have international sanctions had on the activities of universities and research centers, and how have they affected the international exchanges of academics?”. The author’s answer is based on a qualitative methodology and a descriptive-analytical approach. She uses official interviews, published statistics, the personal experiences of academics, and articles published about the consequences of sanctions on higher education.

Asian studies · China · Economic sanctions · Government (linguistics) · Higher education · Publication · Sanctions · Treasury · Economic Sanctions and International Relations · International Science and Diplomacy · Security, Politics, and Digital Transformation