Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education

Submitted by tomh on Thu, 26/04/2012 - 12:36pm

The Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) was founded in 1987 in response to the Iranian government's continuing campaign to deny Iranian Bahá'ís access to higher education.   As its graduates excel in post graduate studies internationally, the BIHE's commitment to high academic standards, international collaboration, and an innovative teaching-learning environment is increasingly recognized.  The BIHE offers 32 university-level programs across 5 faculties and continues to develop and deliver academic programs in Sciences, Engineering, Business & Management, Humanities, and Social Sciences.Faced with unrelenting religious persecution involving a wide range of human rights violations, including systematic denial of access to higher education, BIHE developed several unique features which have become its defining strengths. Courses delivered at the outset by correspondence for security reasons are now provided on-line, using leading-edge communication technologies. In addition, an affiliated global faculty (AGF) has been established comprised of hundreds of accredited professors from universities outside Iran who assist BIHE as researchers, teachers and consultants.

The need to create a new university for those who were denied access to higher education captivated the talents and minds of exceptional faculty and staff from within Iran. For twenty years they have dedicated their efforts to building an exemplary institution and cultivating a student body prepared for fulfilling careers, future study, and social responsibility. BIHE provides its students with the necessary knowledge and skills to not only persevere and succeed in their academic and professional pursuits, but to be active agents of change for the betterment of the world.

These unique strengths of BIHE, together with the top-ranking marks of its students, have helped BIHE graduates secure graduate studies at close to 72 prestigious universities and colleges in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia (India).

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Submitted by bvtn-admin on Fri, 16/11/2012 - 11:39am

Dear Friends,The Cedar Mill Library, 12505 NW Cornell Rd,
Portland, in conjunction with the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Washington County North, will sponsor a screening and discussion
following of the Documentary Film Education Under Fire: The Long
Persecution of Iran’s Baha’is on Saturday, Dec 1 at 2:00pm in the Cedar Mill Library Upstairs Community Room. Please see flyer attached.

Please invite your friends and family and join us for a free presentation of this moving documentary. 

Education Under Fire
is produced by Single Arrow Productions and co-sponsored by Amnesty
International. The 30-minute documentary profiles the growth, struggle,
and inspiring spirit of the Baha´i Institute for Higher Education.

Baha´is in Iran have been subjected to systematic persecution,
including arrests, torture, and execution simply for refusing to recant
their beliefs. They are also prohibited from going to college (and
blocked from many professions). In 1987, the semi-underground BIHE was
formed to give young Baha´is their only chance for a university-level
education. Despite repeated raids and arrests, volunteer teachers and
administrators created an independent, decentralized university system
that has lifted the lives of thousands of Baha´i students across Iran.
In May 2011, an organized assault was launched by the Iranian government
in an attempt to shut down the BIHE. Over 30 homes were raided and over
a dozen BIHE professors and administrators were detained. Several are
still in prison for doing nothing more than trying to teach. The film
connects a diverse audience to a grave human rights issue, a powerful
story of resilience against oppression, and the need to respect human
rights everywhere.The Documentary film will be followed by a discussion facilitated by
Professor Loni Bramson. Professor Bramson holds a PhD in History
and History of Religion, and she has taught in Africa, Europe, as well
as the United States. She resides in Cedar Mill.Refreshments will be provided.http://library.cedarmill.org/news-events/lib-news/education-under-fire

http://www.educationunderfire.com/Feel free to forward this invitation to others you know who maybe interested.With warmest greetings,
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Washington County North, ORJulie Rubenstein, Corresponding Secretary