Why the West uses scientific apartheid against independent countries?

Pars Today — At the national conference “The Transformative University, Research Justice, and Technology,” held in Tehran on December 16, speakers stressed that the West employs scientific apartheid against independent countries.

According to Pars Today, around the world, apartheid in its various forms is imposed by those in power on weaker groups, and this phenomenon has extended into the scientific sphere as well. Scientific apartheid refers to efforts by hegemonic systems, using their political and economic power and imposing unprincipled policies on the domain of science, to deprive parts of the global community of their rights—namely access to science, knowledge, and technology across different fields. As a result, many societies face discrimination and injustice in science, in other words, scientific apartheid.

Scientific apartheid is not a new phenomenon; it has a history. In past years, the US government has imposed sanctions on Iranian university students and professors. At the same time, unprecedented pressure and restrictions have recently been placed on editors of scientific journals worldwide to prevent them from accepting articles by Iranian authors. Following the 12-day war waged by the Israeli regime and the United States against Iran, scientific apartheid has further intensified.

These practices are taking place despite the fact that UNESCO has designated November 10 as the World Science Day for Peace and Development, intended as an opportunity for thinkers and scholars to exchange views on promoting, developing, and democratizing science, and placing it in the service of a major human ideal: peace.

From UNESCO’s perspective, science should advance peace, development, human well-being, and dignity, and help reduce human suffering. Nevertheless, a key question remains: why does the West resort to scientific apartheid against independent countries and prevent science from serving peace and human development?

In response, it is argued that science today is one of the main sources of power. A country that leads in science gains the ability to develop and progress and to play an effective role in the global system. A scientifically advanced country is less vulnerable to sanctions, enjoys greater independence in the international system, and faces fewer threats. Dr. Seyed Jalal Dehghani Firouzabadi, a faculty member at Allameh Tabataba’i University, says: “The existing global system is by no means just, because it is power-based. Competitors in power struggles do not allow others to gain access to science and technology. Science and technology have always been among the foundations of national power.”

The Western world, through various means—including scientific apartheid—seeks to pressure smaller or independent countries and hinder their development, thereby securing its own interests. At the same time, the rise of artificial intelligence and its major role in wealth creation today highlights the growing importance of science in the global order. Analysts and researchers believe that the future global challenge will be a challenge over science, unfolding within a structured international system.

The West views science and scientific dominance as tools of economic and military control, and its pursuit of scientific apartheid aims at scientific supremacy and monopoly. Countries such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, which prioritize independence in their policies, are likely to face scientific apartheid more than others. In conclusion, scientific apartheid clearly contradicts values such as non-discrimination, yet the Western world—especially the United States—shows little commitment to these principles.