TEHRAN – Around 200 international students took the second Persian language proficiency test on Friday at examination centers in Iran and abroad, demonstrating growing interest in learning the language.
Organized by the Organization of Student Affairs, the test was held at four centers, namely Ferdowsi University in Mashhad, Razi University in Kermanshah, Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran, and the University of Tehran’s international campus in Baghdad, Iraq, IRNA reported.
“International students who are interested in majoring in Iranian universities are required to complete 480 hours of Persian instruction under the supervision of professional and expert instructors in preparation for the Persian language proficiency test,” IRNA quoted Saeed Habiba, the head of the Organization of Student Affairs, as saying.
More than 50 Persian language teaching centers are operating in Iranian universities, he added.
The goal is to make sure international students have mastered essential skills required for studying in Iranian universities, and they are enabled to better benefit from educational materials within their respective fields of study, Habiba further noted.
The first Persian language proficiency test for international students was held on February 12 in Tehran.
On January 24, Abbas Qanbari-Baghestan, an official with the Organization of Student Affairs, said attaining a specified score in learning the Persian language will be a key requirement for foreign students to be admitted to Iranian universities from the next academic year, which will start in fall 2026.
The test includes listening, speaking, and writing sections, he added.
Highlighting the importance of providing quality education for international students, the official said Persian language teaching centers play a key role in attracting foreign students and preparing them to major in universities. So, they should do their best to employ experienced professors to provide the best educational courses to help foreign students learn the Persian language.
Nearly 60,000 foreign students are currently studying in Iranian universities, compared with 35,000 students in the past Iranian academic year, which started on September 22, 2024.
Despite existing challenges, Iran has managed to attract students from 101 countries, Saeed Habiba, the head of the Organization of Student Affairs, said in October 2025.
The scientific capacity of the country’s universities and their positive record in international cooperation are a valuable opportunity that must be seized to transform the presence of foreign students into a national discourse and strategic planning, the official said, adding that the students are mainly from Afghanistan, India, Iraq, and Pakistan.
Attracting 320,000 intl. students by 2028 on agenda
According to the Seventh National Development Plan (2023-2028), the country is projected to increase the number of international students to 320,000 from currently around 60,000.
To this end, the higher education system needs to adopt some institutional and developmental approaches in organizations associated with foreign students, Mehr news agency reported.
In this regard, the parliament research center has evaluated Iran’s situation in attracting international students and measures that need to be taken into account.
According to the report, the number of foreign students in the country has grown from 13,767 in Iranian year 1394 (2015 – 2016) to 68,563 in 1403 (2024 -2025). The number of educational institutions that are allowed to accept foreign students has noticeably increased from 45 to 206 over the past decade.
The report also shows that 13 acts, such as providing short-time sabbaticals, granting visas, establishing a center for foreign student graduates, and holding remedial courses, have been developed and officially accepted by the parliament as part of educational charter for foreign students; however, they have not been implemented in time.
Also major organizations and institutions of the country have no participation in planning cultural programs for foreign students.
A lack of strategic comprehensive marketing skills, and bureaucratic and time-consuming correspondence were among other recognized problems.
The parliament research center has put forward some proposals to help attract more international students. The most important one highlights adopting an approach that focuses on generating income, soft cultural power, and expanding science.
The other suggestion emphasizes the importance of boosting south-south international relations, that is developing political and economic interactions with highly populated countries like Pakistan, India, Egypt and some countries in Central Asia.
Ongoing evaluation of other countries’ policies in attracting students, developing software and hardware infrastructures, stable and secure network, as well as increasing the number of scholarships are among other suggested solutions.
MT/MG
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