Airstrikes over several months have caused widespread damage to universities and research centres across Iran. Officials report that dozens of campuses and laboratories were hit and that more than 30 universities suffered damage since the start of the US-Israeli offensive in late February. Many institutions suspended in-person teaching and shifted courses online.
UNESCO condemned the attacks, saying it "rejects in the strongest terms any threats or the deliberate targeting of such institutions as means of retaliation" and warning that damage disrupts teaching and research, weakens research ecosystems and limits international scientific cooperation. The agency said remote learning can maintain some theoretical teaching but cannot replace laboratory-based training and practical education, and warned that prolonged disruption could raise the risk of brain drain and deepen researchers' isolation.
Iranian scientist Kaveh Madani said the damage goes beyond destroyed buildings: "Universities are centres of hope," and the biggest harm may be to young people's ambitions. He described destroyed classrooms, laboratories, digital infrastructure and scientific equipment as factors that disrupt research and create a climate of fear. Madani added that sanctions make replacement costly or sometimes impossible, and that rebuilding or reverse-engineering technologies can take years. Asadollah Hosseini-Chegeni of Lorestan University said many labs are only semi-active, with limited work mainly for postgraduate students, and that experimental research has slowed because of rising costs for molecular reagents and specialised supplies. UNESCO said recovery will require sustained investment and stability, and experts warned the economic cost and the impact on research output could last for some time.
Difficult words
- disruption — interruption that stops normal activity or servicesdisrupts
- brain drain — movement of skilled people leaving a country
- reverse-engineer — recreate technology by analysing existing devices or designsreverse-engineering
- sanction — official penalty limiting trade, aid, or financial accesssanctions
- laboratory — room for scientific experiments or technical worklaboratories
- equipment — tools and machines used for scientific work
- campus — university grounds including buildings and facilitiescampuses
- suspend — temporarily stop an activity or servicesuspended
- ecosystem — network of organisations and relationships supporting researchecosystems
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Discussion questions
- How might prolonged damage to universities affect students' future careers and ambitions in the country?
- What kinds of investment or support would help research recover after such damage?
- What are the limits of remote learning for scientific subjects, and how could universities reduce those limits?
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