TEHRAN -- Iran is supporting world academic centers in establishing departments of Islamic studies, the Persian service of IRNA reported on Tuesday.

Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology feels the necessity to help establish and strengthen departments of Islamic studies, an official from the cultural department of the ministry announced on Tuesday.
Gholamreza Khajesarvi added, “The ministry’s International Scientific Cooperation Office is in charge of the issue and is to pursue the case to help establish new departments, provide the necessary articles on Islam, and dispatch scholars to the centers.”
He further noted that the office has much experience in establishing departments of Persian studies across the globe, and expressed hope that the office will also be successful in establishing departments of Islamic studies as well.
“The ministry is currently studying proposals by numerous world academic centers and universities including several universities from Britain, the United States, and Germany,” he continued.
“The departments will be set up to train and educate experts on Islam so as to assist in the introduction of Islam and its realities to the world in a proper academic setting,” he explained.
The ministry has recently prepared guidelines to help establish and support the departments of Islamic Studies, Khajesarvi said, adding, “The guidelines have recently been signed by the minister and have been submitted to all the academic centers to announce ways and means of cooperation.”
He also remarked that a committee has been formed to follow up on the issue and that it bears the entire responsibility for oversight in the matter.