Exchange programs for foreign students as a soft power tool: case study of Iran

Soft power is defined as the capacity to obtain a benefit without the use of economic or military means, but by generating a positive attraction that facilitates the accumulation of other forms of power. Three basic sources of soft power are: culture, political values and foreign policies. Soft power Instruments in foreign policy are classified as: culture, religion, language, art, education, media, tourism, and diplomacy. Education has come to be one of the most effective soft power instruments. Iran, as a country with a soft power in foreign policy, is working to adapt it to its own interests in a way that serves its soft power in its interests. Iran’s soft power is also different, from ideology to literature and culture. Education instrument is one of the most powerful instruments in Iran’s foreign policy soft power. Iran has established so many organizations, institutions, universities, and schools in all countries to promote and spread its values and export Islamic revolution and Shi’a religion under the education programs in the world. Al Mustafa International University, Islamic Azad University, Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, and The Ahlulbayt (a.s.) World Assembly with very huge and broad networks are the most powerful educational institutes that Iran is using as its instrument. Also Iran is trying to attract students from all countries to Iran and provide scholarships for them to make an atmosphere for influence on their belief and attract them to Shi'a religion and Islamic Republic revolution. Iran is presenting courses and classes with scholarships in its universities and institutes in other countries to influence people in all countries to make a network all over the world. Also, Iran is sending government trusted Iranian students with scholarships to the universities in other countries to make its cultural and scientific diplomacy network in other countries. In this thesis it was tried to review, analyze and evaluate the education as a soft power in Iranian foreign policy as applied research based on objectives, mixed research based on nature and descriptive-analytical research based on the method. Method and tools of gathering data is review of the subject literature, which constitutes the majority of the data used in this research; Based on the library study method and it includes government documents, books, magazines, theses and authentic scientific articles. In this research all success parameters and challenges in education as a soft power of Iran’s diplomacy has been studied in detail but in abstract it can be described that: studies shows that Iran has been successful in attracting students from abroad to Iran especially in recent decades. Iranian universities and institutes have been successful to make a very spread network of education to export its ideology to the world. Iran also is trying to send its trusted Iranian students to other countries, especially USA and Europe but in recent decades some problems with visas for the USA has caused trouble in this way. Iran has some challenges such as economic, educational language and technological problems in its educational system and should resolve them. Also Iran must develop its online educational system inside and outside universities and schools to decrease its economic problem. Last but not least, Iran must provide more budget for scholarships and start more exchange programs with other countries and universities to resolve diplomatic problems for sending students to other countries.