IOM and the Iranian government will today launch the 7th Academy
for Migration and Refugee Studies course on the topic of migration
and development for an audience of Iranian media in the historic
city of Isfahan.

The course, which is funded by the Australian government, will
use a core curriculum based on IOM's Essentials of Migration
Management programme translated into Farsi and will be
facilitated by IOM experts from Geneva and Islamabad.

It will focus on ways in which migration can contribute to
development, including the use of remittances, skills transfer,
brain drain and brain gain, and engaging diasporas to participate
in the development of their places of origin.

The Academy, which was established through the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and IOM in 2004, has
already conducted six training programmes on various migration
topics for Iranian officials and policy makers involved in
migration management.

For further information please contact:

Mehran Razmehr

IOM Tehran

Tel:  +98-21-22048886-7

Fax: +98-21-22044929

E-mail: "mailto:mrazmehr@iom.int">mrazmehr@iom.int