International Community of Iranian Academics

The International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA)[1] is an independent and network of Persian scholars. Founded in October 2022, ICOIA is run by diaspora academics who now live abroad, mainly in North America, Europe and Australia.[2] Made up of approximately 100 members, ICOIA sees its mission to improve access to information about academics and students in Iran and raising awareness of issues facing the global Iranian academic community.

Following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was accused of wearing her hijab “inappropriately",[3] university students have protested state brutality by staging sit-ins, class boycotts and slogans.[4] The Iranian government has responded forcefully to student protests[5] and many have been suspended from university, arrested, detained tortured and killed.[6]

ICOIA has demanded that the Iranian government recognize the right to freedom of expression and association.[7]

History

Since 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has interfered with knowledge production.[8] The Iranian academic community have been at the forefront of resistance, with professors and researchers supporting antigovernment protests. Protests, led by women students and academics at Iranian universities in 2022,[9] led to another government crackdowns, affecting scholars, researchers and students alike, across the region.[10] ICOIA was established to support Persian language scholars and researchers in Canada and globally.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Who we are". icoia.org.
  2. ^ Erfani, Encieh; Payne, Charlotte (June 2023). "Iranian academics take a stand". Nature Human Behaviour. 7 (6): 842–842. doi:10.1038/s41562-023-01576-y. ISSN 2397-3374.
  3. ^ Shirazi, Shafigeh (17 November 2022). "Students barred from campuses as state steps up crackdown". University World News. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  4. ^ "Iranian universities have become the beating heart of the protest movement". www.lemonde.fr. 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  5. ^ "The situation in Iran and the protection of Iranian human rights defenders in Council of Europe member States". rm.coe.int.
  6. ^ "More Than 150 Al-Zahra University Students Suspended". iranwire.com. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  7. ^ Erfani, Encieh; Payne, Charlotte (2023). "Iranian academics take a stand". Nature Human Behaviour. 7 (6): 842–842. doi:10.1038/s41562-023-01576-y. ISSN 2397-3374.
  8. ^ "Academic (Un)freedom in Iran after 1979: (Transnational) State Suppression of Academia and Risks for (Diasporic) Academics | AAUP". www.aaup.org. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  9. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (October 6, 2022). "'Geniuses' Versus the Guns: A Campus Crackdown Shocks Iran". The New York Times.
  10. ^ "Iran: Two years after 'Woman Life Freedom' uprising, impunity for crimes reigns supreme". www.amnesty.org. 2024-09-11.
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