Al-Mustafa University and Transnational Shia Education in Europe

Abstract This article presents the findings of the first comparative sociological study of the Iranian university al-Mustafa (AMU) across selected cities in Britain, Italy, Germany, and Denmark. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and semi-structured interviews conducted between 2018 and 2025, it addresses two interrelated questions: First, how is AMU positioned within the complex landscape of European-based Shia educational institutions? Second, which key variables influence its operations in these cities? The first question is addressed by demonstrating how AMU situates itself within a hierarchical knowledge supply chain linking West and South Asia to Europe. In response to the second question, the article identifies four main variables shaping AMU’s functioning in the European context: the age and size of local Shia communities, the role of European languages, the presence of competing institutions, and, most crucially, Iran’s relationship with Europe.