The deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has said that Iranian universities and academics have been useful in advancing military development projects.

Ali Fadavi told the official government news website IRNA on Tuesday, December 14, that in the IRGC navy “A lot of cooperation and activities have taken place with universities,” that have not been mentioned due to their secret nature.

He added that 14 universities helped boost Iran’s naval capabilities and played an important role in many other areas.

“We in the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps have used the capabilities of students, researchers and academics at different times and for a variety of problems, especially in the most difficult tasks, meaning in the military field,” Fadavi was quoted as saying.

In the Islamic Republic authoritarian system all resources are at the disposal of the state, especially military and security organs, but since the 1979 revolution and especially in the past decade, Iran has suffered from a “brain drain”, as more educated younger people have been leaving the country in significant numbers.