TEHRAN – Iraqi Ambassador to Iran Yasser Abdulzahra Al-Hajjaj has stressed that scientific cooperation between the two countries should extend beyond student recruitment to include joint research projects, exchanges of professors and researchers, and stronger technological ties.
Universities are not merely educational institutions; they also serve as bridges for dialogue and the exchange of expertise among scientists from different countries, particularly Iran and Iraq, IRNA reported.
He made the remarks while addressing a national festival held at the Iran University of Science and Technology on Tuesday.
Referring to the significant progress achieved in bilateral scientific relations, Al-Hajjaj said today that thousands of Iraqi students are studying in more than 80 Iranian universities, majoring in medical and non-medical fields, across the country.
The past two Iran-Iraq science weeks brought together over 70 and 80 university chancellors of the two nations, and more than 250 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) were signed, indicating a good experience in expanding scientific collaborations.
The official said that the establishment of a branch of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iraq promoted and stabilized academic relations between Iran and Iraq more than ever.
He went on to say that a branch of University of Tehran will be inaugurated in Karbala and Najaf in the near future. He expressed hope that a branch of Sharif University of Technology and Iran University of Science and Technology would be launched in Iraq as well.
According to the official, Iraq is expanding its educational and research infrastructures, and with the increase in the number of domestic universities, the majority of Iraqi students would tend to study at home.
Given that 85 percent of Iraqi students in Iran are employees who, based on the new legislation in Iraq, will have problems studying abroad, the official suggested considering the situation as an opportunity rather than a threat to revise the model of scientific interactions between the two sides. Otherwise, the probable decrease in the number of Iraqi students in Iran would give rise to new challenges.
Iraqi official called for the implementation of joint research projects in medical, agricultural, sand and dust, oil, gas and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
Developing joint educational courses and co-supervising theses were among other issues highlighted by Al-Hajjaj.
Boosting academic ties to meet domestic, regional priorities
On October 18, Iran’s scientific counselor in Iraq, Mohammad-Javad Najafi, and Iraqi Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Haider Abd Dahed, discussed ways to strengthen academic cooperation between universities in the two countries, with a focus on problem-solving approaches and addressing domestic and regional needs.
Collaboration on problem-oriented research, the provision of scholarships, the facilitation of educational issues for students, and preparation for the ‘Third Iran-Iraq Science Week’ were the key topics discussed during the meeting, IRNA reported.
The officials also discussed conducting collaborative research projects, supervising joint dissertations for postgraduate degrees, and publishing joint scientific articles in globally reputable magazines.
Addressing the challenges and educational problems faced by the students in reciprocal countries was the other issue raised by the two sides.
On September 22, Ehsan Qaboul, head of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology’s Center for International Scientific Cooperation, and Safaa Taqi Abd Nour Al-Issawi, president of Mustansiriya University, highlighted the need to boost technological cooperation and implement previously reached agreements.
The officials met in Tehran and agreed to conduct joint research projects and supervise postgraduate theses focused on Iran-Iraq shared issues, including economic, social, cultural, agricultural, and industrial challenges, IRNA reported.
Both parties agreed to have an active participation in the third Iran-Iraq Science Week. Qaboul, for his part, said the Iraqi university is expected to play an effective role in the week through defining and executing practical and synergistic programs in cooperation with top Iranian universities.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
