TEHRAN – Iran and Indonesia have explored ways to expand scientific and technological cooperation, with a particular focus on developing science and technology parks and strengthening academic and research ties.
Iran’s Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Technology Esfandiar Ekhtiari and Indonesian Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto met in Jakarta on October 23 to discuss cooperation through exchanges of professors and students and greater use of the two countries’ scientific and research capacities, Mehr News Agency reported.
Highlighting Iran’s scientific achievements, Ekhtiari outlined the country’s research, educational, and scientific infrastructure, including the artificial intelligence center at Sharif University of Technology, the Laser and Plasma Research Institute at Shahid Beheshti University, the satellite monitoring center at Iran University of Science and Technology, a quantum laboratory at Isfahan University of Technology, IT centers at other universities, and the Pasteur Institute of Iran.
He said these facilities had been targeted during what he described as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, condemning the attacks and arguing that they were aimed at undermining the country’s scientific and technological progress.
The official also announced Iran’s readiness to provide and transfer expertise to establish science and technology parks that support the development of Indonesia’s innovation ecosystem.
For his part, Yuliarto condemned attacks on scientific institutions, highlighting that Indonesia rejects any form of aggression and colonialism.
He stated that the partnership between the two sides is aimed at strengthening national technological capacity and the inter-academic research ecosystem.
“We are very pleased to be able to invite leading professors from Iran to serve as visiting professors at Indonesian universities. This step is expected to significantly accelerate and improve the quality of cooperation in science and technology between Indonesia and Iran,” topik.id quoted Yuliarto as saying.
Referring to Iran’s capabilities in science and technology sectors, the official emphasized the importance of sharing technological expertise and expanding scientific interactions.
The partnership also encompasses the commercialization and downstreaming of research results. The two parties also discussed the formation and development of high-tech startups in the renewable energy and aerospace sectors.
The two countries agreed to take the results of the initial dialogue to technical discussions. The next step is to draft and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the ministries responsible for higher education in both countries.
The MOU is intended to serve as a legal framework and operational basis for faculty exchanges, student mobility, and joint research funding. The program will involve leading universities from Indonesia and Iran.
Expanding scientific cooperation
In August, Sharif University of Technology and Institut Teknologi Bandung of Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen scientific, research, and educational cooperation, exchange professors, researchers, and students, and implement collaborative research projects.
The MOU aims to bolster scientific and academic interactions between the two universities, explore the potential for technological collaborations and technology commercialization. Accordingly, the faculties and academic staff of the two universities can identify areas of shared research interest and collaborate on implementing specific research projects, IRNA reported.
It centers on exchanging scientific resources and information, holding joint conferences, educational workshops, and symposia, conducting short-term scientific visits, as well as developing joint educational programs and curricula.
The agreement also grants postgraduate students the opportunity to study abroad, access library resources at partner universities, and conduct field research.
On the sidelines of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting, held from August 5 to 7 in Odisha, India, Acting Minister for Science, Research and Technology of Iran, Masoud Shams-Bakhsh, and Yuliarto, held a meeting to explore avenues for the development of scientific and technological cooperation.
Both sides discussed ways to develop scientific collaborations, particularly in emerging technologies.
During the meeting, Yuliarto expounded on the scientific capacities of Indonesia, specifically in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, voicing Jakarta’s readiness to implement collaborative research projects, exchange professors and postgraduate students, grant sabbatical leaves, and organize short-form courses in cooperation with Tehran.
The Indonesian official invited Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, and Shams-Bakhsh to pay a visit to Indonesia
For his part, Shams-Bakhsh highlighted that long-standing cultural, historical, and religious ties between the two countries have established a natural, deep, and lasting foundation for the expansion of educational and research cooperation between the two countries.
Increasing the number of scholarships, expanding scholarship exchanges, developing joint educational courses, conducting research on climate change, food security, renewable energies, and agriculture were among key focuses of the talks.
The two sides also discussed the inclusion of more Iranian universities in the BRICS Network University, relying on Indonesia’s experiences. They highlighted the signing of an MOU to implement the reached agreements as soon as possible
On July 15, the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and the Indonesia National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) conducted a joint webinar, titled ‘Advancing Iran-Indonesia Research Collaboration: Strategic Opportunities Ahead’, on Wednesday to explore avenues for the expansion of scientific and research cooperation between the researchers, scientists, and the scientific institutions of the two countries.
The webinar kicked off with the remarks of the president of INSF, Morteza Hormozinejad, and the deputy chairman for Facilitation of Research and Innovation, Agus Haryono.
Also, experts and professors from both countries in the health, water security, and environment sectors delivered lectures.
The event served as a great opportunity to promote scientific ties, expand research collaborations, and develop joint projects between Iran and Indonesia.
In December 2025, Rolliansyah Soemirat, the Indonesian ambassador to Tehran, said the new Indonesian administration intends to develop scientific and technological ties with Iran, highlighting Iran’s extensive capabilities in science and technology.
“The administration is looking forward to the expansion of international collaborations, particularly in fields of science and technology, which opens up new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries. The main focus of the interactions will be centered on sharing technology and emerging innovations, as well as boosting technological cooperation,” IRNA quoted Soemirat as saying.
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