Iran’s Islamic Azad University opens branch in Afghan capital

Bloomberg: Iran’s Islamic Azad University, which has more than 400 locations, has opened a branch in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

By Ali Sheikholeslami

Aug. 9 (Bloomberg) — Iran’s Islamic Azad University, which has more than 400 locations, has opened a branch in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The Kabul site is the university’s fourth international center after those in the U.K., the U.A.E. and Lebanon, according to its president, Abdollah Jassbi, the state-run Fars news agency reported today.

“In the past 28 years, 3.5 million people have graduated from Azad University,” Jassbi was cited as saying. “It has 1.5 million students at present.”

Afghanistan is Iran’s eastern neighbor. The two countries share a border of about 400 miles (645 kilometers). The Dari language spoken in Afghanistan is understood by Iranians who speak Farsi. About 1 million registered Afghan refugees live in Iran, according to Refugees International.