Yale Students Protest Course Taught by Former Iran Envoy Robert Malley
Yale University is facing a student protest over a course taught by former U.S. special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley. Hadi Mahdeyan '27 started a petition against Malley's 'Adversaries by Design: Deconstructing the Iran-US Relationship' course, arguing against the syllabus and Malley's connections to the Iranian government.
Malley, who is teaching the course for the first time this fall, has been open to discussing his perspective with students. However, Mahdeyan took issue with the syllabus, which includes articles by former Iranian officials and scholars critical of U.S. policies towards Iran. The course aims to explore the complex relationship between Iran and the U.S., but Mahdeyan believes it gives too much voice to the Iranian perspective.
Siena Galesi-Grant '28, a student in the course, has praised it as her favorite, with no concerns about the content or Malley's security clearance. Malley was first investigated in 2023 for allegedly mishandling classified documents, but he was reinstated after the investigation. The university spokesperson did not respond to the News' request for comment.
Mahdeyan's petition advocates for Yale to audit instances in which individuals associated with the Iranian government are 'platformed'. Despite the protest, the course continues, with Malley open to engaging in productive discussions with students. The university has not yet responded to the petition.
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