Posts tagged : "Education"

Kourosh Ziabari - Stimson Center: Emigration from Iran is on the rise again as more and more Iranians conclude that their country has been turned into scorched earth by the Islamic Republic and seek shelter, stability, and opportunity elsewhere.   While not as dramatic as the exodus from some other nearby countries such as Afghanistan or Syria, the human flight is a simmering societal cataclysm with long-term negative implications for Iran’s prosperity and national security. Over the past four decades, waves of emigration have deprived Iran of its most talented youth, who instead have become engines of economic growth in Europe and North America. Nepotism, failure to reward merit, shrinking civil liberties, and a lack of...

Kourosh Ziabari - Asia Times: Iran’s talented, educated youth have consistently cultivated the nation’s public image as one characterized by vibrancy and motivation to push the boundaries. Whether mathematicians, computer scientists, anthropologists or artists, Iranians have carved out a universal reputation as hard-working and creative, even though the lion’s share of this brilliance is bearing fruit overseas, not at home. Over time, the country’s name has become a shorthand for its deep-seated brain drain, sapping the Islamic Republic’s strength to address challenges and deliver for its people. The authorities routinely complain about this human capital flight coming at the expense of the nation’s progress, and...

Kourosh Ziabari - Chevening.org: Winning a Chevening Award to study a master’s degree in the UK is a dream come true and an impressive accolade. We are hand-picked because of our potential as future leaders and decision-makers. Those who are successful in winning a Chevening Award and finishing their degree should be looked for in the headlines and in high positions in their respective countries or international organisations. Just recently a Chevening Alumnus Carlos Alvarado Quesada was elected as President of Costa Rica. For me—an Iranian journalist and reporter—winning a Chevening Award was a tremendous achievement; something I had been dreaming of since my early years. I clearly remember writing a blog entry when I was...

Kourosh Ziabari - Fair Observer: A member of the Association of American Universities, the University at Buffalo (UB) is the largest and most comprehensive public research university in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. A world-renowned center for research and academic excellence,  Buffalo was established in 1846 and enrolls more than 30,000 students. The university is 89th in the 2019 Best College Rankings, according to the US News and World Report. Researchers and scholars at the University at Buffalo are credited with many important scientific discoveries, achievements and breakthroughs. For example, the university’s medical researchers have developed a vaccine that can block mosquitoes from transmitting malaria....

Kourosh Ziabari - Fair Observer: The Nobel Prize, the most prestigious in life sciences, is awarded annually to individuals who have made the most notable contributions to the fields of chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. Since Alfred Nobel founded the eponymous prize with the money he made from his numerous inventions, which famously included dynamite, in 1859, one of the world’s most respected awards was born and has been annually celebrating outstanding achievements, innovations and discoveries in culture, academia and sciences and major contributions to global peace ever since. The prize in economics was introduced in 1968 by Sveriges Riksbank to commemorate the inventor on the bank’s 300-year...

Kourosh Ziabari - Fair Observer: Why is reading so important? It’s a question that academics, governments and families have considered essential for children. Indeed, reading helps to broaden the mind. Those who read books experience stronger family relationships, improved communication and better critical thinking skills. Reading books is highly important for a child’s development. That is why there is so much investment on children’s literature and media. Aside from the psychological benefits for young people, reading helps to expose children to creative wisdom and assists in shaping their personality. Children’s reading skills are pivotal to their success in school since the act helps improve their communication and...

Kourosh Ziabari - Fair Observer: New Mexico is the fifth largest state in the US. It borders Mexico to the south, its capital is Santa Fe and its largest city is Albuquerque. The state is known for many reasons, including the detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb in the town of Alamogordo in 1945, as well as its large Hispanic population who make up 46.7% of the state’s population. An ethnically diverse community, Spanish is widely spoken in New Mexico. It became the 47th state in 1912 and has two official songs, one in English and the other in Spanish. It was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years, and its yellow and red flag was first brought to New Mexico by Spanish explorers in 1540. The state is home to...

Kourosh Ziabari - Fair Observer: Croatia, the newest member of the European Union, has made enormous investments in science and academic research. In doing so, it has secured its place among the world’s major spenders on science, education and technology. The Ministry of Science and Education is tasked with overseeing primary, secondary and tertiary education, research institutions and sports in Croatia. Around 99.9% of Croatian children learn English at school, according to Eurostat, making the country a frontrunner in the EU when it comes to second-language education. The European Commission’s Education and Training Monitor reported in 2018 that Croatia has showed the best performance among EU member states when it comes to...

Kourosh Ziabari - Fair Observer: With 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24, youth around the world face their fair share of challenges. Whether these challenges are in education or employment, they are highly important and need to be addressed. A proper response to youth challenges needs the involvement of young people themselves in decision-making and political leadership. During the tenure of Ban Ki-moon as the UN secretary-general, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth was created at the United Nations. It was mandated with bringing the voices of young people to the United Nations system and working with stakeholders and influencers in government, civil society, academia and media to empower youth and...

Kourosh Ziabari - Medium: April is a month in which children have many reasons to celebrate and many reasons to expect to be listened to, taken care of and treated more respectfully, fondly and amicably. April 2, which was last Monday, marks the International Children’s Book Day, which is an International Observance. Then many countries such as Bolivia, Haiti, Zambia, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Palestine and Hong Kong, Taiwan mark national Children’s Day to celebrate children and discuss the important things that relate to their welfare and wellbeing, mental and physical health, and raise public awareness of their needs, including the need for a robust, frank and unaltered dialogue between children and their parents without any...