Payame Noor University

Infobox University


© Payame Noor University
name=Payame Noor University
native_name=دانشگاه پيام نور
motto=
established=1987
type=Public
city=Tehran
state=Tehran
country=Iran
president = Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini
undergrad=
postgrad=
postgrad_label=graduate
faculty=1345 [ [http://www.pnu.ac.ir/Portal/Home/Default.aspx?CategoryID=a3b84296-2655-4eb4-9b08-16837391d227 آمار اعضای هیئت علمی دانشگاه پیام نور ] ]
campus=Urban
enrollment=681,100 [ [http://www.pnu.ac.ir/Portal/File/ShowFile.aspx?ID=7a3ee6fc-3494-4c08-b5ac-bacb9f319845 تعداد دانشجویان فعال دانشگاه پیام نور به تفکیک رشته ] ] total
free_label=Athletics
free=? teams
website= [http://www.pnu.ac.ir/ www.pnu.ac.ir/]

Payame Noor University is a long-distance mega university in Iran. Its name means "The message of Light" in Persian.

The university was established in 1987, and has 229 campuses throughout Iran.

Controversy

Iranian universities faced criticism in early 2007 about their treatment of Bahá'í students. Although religious identification has been removed from entrance exam papers, students are reportedly being expelled once their religion is discovered. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/03/01/1172338754204.html Baha'i group says Iran discriminates - Breaking News - World - Breaking News ] ] [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2007/03/070306_mf_bahai_students.shtml BBCPersian.com ] ]

The controversy specifically focused on Payame Noor when an official university letter [ [http://media.bahai.org/img/7941/300/0/nc/bwns_7941-300.jpgOfficial letter from university to discriminate against Baha'i students (in Persian)] ] confirmed the expulsion as government policy. [ [http://www.bahai.us/Bahais-expelled Iranian policy calls for Baha'i expulsions | Bahai Faith | Baha'i Faith ] ] Over 30 Baha'i students have been expelled under the policy. [ [http://news.bahai.org/story/510 Bahá'í World News Service - Bahá'í International Community - Official character of Baha'i expulsions in Iranian university revealed ] ]

On the other hand, the university, which has 229 campuses throughout the country, in 2008 declared that Arabic will be the "second language" of the university, and that all its services will be offered in Arabic, concurrent with Persian. [ [http://radiozamaaneh.com/news/2008/03/post_4081.html رادیو زمانه | خبر اول | ایران | عربی دومین زبان دانشگاه پیام نور شد ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.pnu.ac.ir/ Official website, in Persian and English]