An Iranian university has invited U.S. President George W. Bush to speak about such issues as the Holocaust, terrorism and human rights.

Iran's Fars news agency reports Ferdowsi University in the northeastern city of Mashhad asked Mr. Bush to attend a question and answer session with students and professors.

The White House says it is not taking the invitation "too seriously."

Spokeswoman Dana Perino says Mr. Bush might consider making the trip if Iran was a free and democratic society and allowed its people freedom of expression, and if Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons and advocating the destruction of Israel.

Last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke by invitation at Columbia University in New York. He defended Iran's human rights record and denied his country is seeking nuclear weapons or supporting terrorists.

In introducing Mr. Ahmadinejad, Columbia University's president, Lee Bollinger, called the Iranian president a "petty and cruel dictator." Iranian state media condemned Bollinger for those remarks.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.