Internationalization of Curriculum in Iranian Higher Education System: Challenges and Strategies

Globalization process and the ever-increasing eroding of the borders between countries and nations as well as the creation of international societies, require that in order to educate individuals with cross-cultural qualifications, higher education systems of the Globe should take a serious look at the internationalization of their curricula. Bearing this fact in mind this study, using a qualitative method, focuses on challenges and strategies of Internationalization of curricula in Iranian higher from the standpoint of Iranian administrators, faculty members and non-Iranian students. For this purpose, twelve personal interviews were arranged and two sessions of focus groups were conducted. The results have shown that Iran’s rising to the level of a scientific power requires taking steps toward globalization of its higher education system, paying due attention to language of instruction, qualification of professors, supporting services and seeking international cooperation among universities along with supply of financial and human resources, technology and benefiting from cultural potentials and attractions. These are challenges that have to be met should Iran achieve the above goals. The results have also indicated that strategies such as coming to know other higher education systems, synergy of internal universities, allowing for diversification for the enrichment of subject matters and employing efficient methodology, combining regular attendance learning with distance learning are among the most important strategies of Internationalization of the curriculum.