Amid tense relations between the United States and Iran, some U.S. college presidents are trying to build scholarly relations between the two countries.
This month, Robert Berdahl - the president of the Association of American Universities - and six college presidents from around the United States will travel to Iran as part of a scientific exchange with presidents of several Iranian universities.
The trip takes place as Medhi Zakerian, an Iranian human-rights scholar, is still being detained by Iranian officials.
Zakerian was scheduled to teach as a visiting professor this fall at Penn Law but was has been detained without explanation since mid-August.
University President Amy Gutmann, while distressed by Zakerian's continued detainment, said she understands that "it is very clear that the AAU visit is not a political trip. It's about strengthening scientific and educational ties."
The exchange will include the presidents of Carnegie Mellon, Cornell and Rice universities, as well as the universities of Florida, Maryland at College Park and California at Davis.
A number of these institutions have participated in Iranian exchanges in the past.
In Iran, the U.S. scholars will engage with presidents, faculty and students of Sharif University of Technology, as well as presidents of other Iranian universities.
According to AAU spokesman Barry Toiv, "it is not a political trip."
Additionally, no meetings with government officials are planned.
The State Department "very much encouraged" the exchange, according to Toiv. He explained that the scientific exchange is important to universities, scientists and other academics.
Dan Mote, president of University of Maryland, recognizes the scientific importance of the trip and views the exchange as a positive foundation for the future, according to a university spokesman.
Some presidents, however, like David Skorton of Cornell, say they believe that the trip will make an important statement.
According to Cornell spokesman Thomas Bruce, Skorton is "participating in this trip to make the point that the Iranian people should not be held accountable for the actions of their government."
Additionally, "person-to-person outreach" is necessary to encourage mutual respect of vales and customs, Bruce wrote in an e-mail.
Penn Faculty Senate President Sherri Adams noted the security risks involved.
"Certainly anyone wishing to go there needs to consider the safety issues very carefully," she wrote in an e-mail. But she added that if scholars "are willing to accept the risks, they should be able to go."
