Information on the background and viewpoints of Middle Eastern students who are studying in the United States is presented in revised papers from a 1978 seminar, "The Middle East: The Arab World and Iran." In the first section of the report, "General Background," James Cowan reviews social and cultural factors, as well as questions of philosophy and policy. In the second section, "Arab Students," David Mize provides a theoretical framework for viewing the experiences of foreign students and follows up with information about students from North African countries. Halim Barakat discusses political factors that influence Arab students, and Phebe Marr describes students from the Arabian Peninsula and the Fertile Crescent. In part 3, "Iranian Students," Frederick Lockyear describes the Iranian educational system and draws implications for U.S. admissions policies; Marvin Zonis addresses social and cultural influences on Iranian students; Leonard Binder views their political activities; and Fahimeh Mortazavi describes the situation of women in Iran. (The seminar on which this publication was based took place before the departure of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi from Iran.) Some of the articles are followed by discussion sections, based on interchanges between the authors and seminar participants. Appended materials include a bibliography, a brief, a comprehensive overview entitled "Some Major Concepts to Stress in Studying the Middle East," and a list of seminar participants. (SW)