Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, a top Iranian university, has eliminated 13 branches of the humanities, leaving only six branches of humanities studies for students to pursue in the coming academic year.
The Etemaad newspaper reports that the country’s top humanities university will only offer courses in law, Arabic language and literature, Persian language and literature, theology and Islamic studies, ECO insurance and tourism administration.
Journalism, political science, sociology, history, philosophy, communications, pedagogy, accounting, administration, education administration, pedagogy for special needs, early childhood education and economics have been omitted from the offerings at Allameh Tabatabai University.
In the past year, the Islamic Republic authorities has announced on several occasions that they are planning a complete overhaul of the humanities in order to make that area of study more compatible with Islamic mores.
The humanities became a target after Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, blamed the widespread protests that followed the 2009 presidential elections partly on the millions of students enrolled in humanities departments across the country. He said the courses need to be taught by professors committed to Islam, which are lacking in university faculties.
Minister of Education Kamran Daneshjoo has also announced that the curricula in all humanities department are being reviewed with regard to Islamic values.
