Al-Mustafa International University (MIU) (; , Jam'h-e Almistâfi-ye Al'alâmih) is an international academic, Islamic and university-style seminary institute in Qom, Iran, established in 1979. It has international branches and affiliate schools.
A brainchild of Ali Khamenei, the university has provided Islamic education exclusively to international students (including female scholars) mostly at a graduate level, in a combined seminary and academic format focused on the study of the Comparative Religion, Quran, Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Philosophy and Discourse, Islamic Mysticism, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Education, Management, Persian Language and Literature, and Arabic. It also provides associate degree for French, Korean, Chinese, English, Japanese, Spanish and Russian.
It also provides Sunni Islam and Shia Islam seminary courses in English, Arabic and Persian.
As of 2020, some 80,000 students had graduated from Al-Mustafa International University over the years.
Besides participation in international scientific-cultural forum, Al-Mustafa University is a member of the following international scientific forums and organizations:
The university was founded in 1979. The university is headquartered in Tehran but has branches in several other Iranian cities.
On December 8, 2020, the United States Department of the Treasury (under Steven Mnuchin) sanctioned the university for recruiting students to fight in Syria. The university published a response.
In December 2020, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Al-Mustafa International University, alleging that it served as a recruitment platform for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force. The U.S. government claimed that the university was involved in recruiting foreign fighters, particularly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, for Iran's proxy wars in the region.
Critics argue that Al-Mustafa International University plays a role in spreading Iran's revolutionary ideology globally and serves as a tool for expanding Iranian influence. However, university officials and Iranian clerics have defended the institution, stating that it promotes peace, friendship, and understanding among nations through its educational programs.