Teaching International Relations in Iran: Challenges and Prospects

Document Type : Research Paper

Abstract

It is now more than a century that International Relations (IR), mainly as a subfield of Political Science, is being taught in Iran. However, there is almost no research about how IR is taught in Iran. Using survey method, based on questioning, survey via questionnaires and interviews, this paper seeks to answer the following questions: 1) what are the main IR theories taught in the Iranian universities, 2) which texts (Persian and English) are basically being used in teaching IR in Iran, and 3) what are the main ways IR is taught by the Iranian professors. By answering these questions, we can find out if other theories/approaches than the mainstream IR theories are being taught in the Iranian universities, what are the main challenges IR teaching in Iran is dealing with, and what are the prospects for IR teaching in Iran to contribute the strengthening non-western theories of international relations. This paper is based on a preliminary research which may open a new door to future researches in this regard.

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