TEHRAN – A study conducted by the Scientific Information Database (SID) of the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, known as Jahad-e Daneshgahi, has examined the state of scientific diplomacy in Iran and worldwide, identifying restrictions on international cooperation as one of the major challenges facing efforts to enhance the quality and credibility of the country’s scientific output.
The study identifies three major challenges to the development of scientific diplomacy: research security concerns, scientific sanctions, and geopolitical tensions.
According to the findings, Iran’s scientific output has continued to grow in quantitative terms, accompanied by an increase in collaborative research and group co-authorship. However, international scientific cooperation remains limited compared with the country’s domestic research output.
The University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences are among the country’s leading scientific hubs. Tarbiat Modares University and the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University also hold prominent positions in national scientific collaboration networks.
In 2020, Iran ranked 15th globally in terms of total scientific publications, accounting for 2.02 percent of the world’s scientific output. The country ranked 15th in basic sciences, 29th in social sciences, and 37th in humanities and arts.
The study also found that international research collaboration is associated with higher citation rates and improved paper quality. The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Australia were identified as Iran’s major international research partners.
It further highlights considerable potential for expanding scientific cooperation with neighboring and regional countries, particularly in fields such as nanotechnology, stem cell research, and medicine.
Despite these opportunities, economic constraints and difficulties accessing global scientific networks continue to pose significant barriers to expanding research partnerships.
Concerns over scientific espionage, the transfer of sensitive technologies, and foreign interference have also resulted in restrictions on research cooperation. In addition, sanctions have limited scientific collaboration involving targeted countries, including Iran and Russia. The Ukraine crisis, which began in 2022, has also disrupted some international cooperation in polar research.
The study warns that scientific isolation can restrict access to major international infrastructure and research projects, widen the gap between scientific publication and the conversion of knowledge into economic and technological value, accelerate brain drain, and undermine countries’ ability to address transnational challenges.
These challenges include climate change, biosafety, water resources, and public health, all of which require cross-border scientific cooperation and coordinated research efforts.
The study proposes four main strategies to strengthen Iran’s scientific diplomacy: Strengthening scientific diplomacy and expanding cooperation with neighboring and Islamic countries; Reforming academic evaluation and incentive systems to encourage both domestic and international co-authorship; Moving beyond an exclusive focus on publication numbers toward greater emphasis on citations, research quality, and addressing societal challenges; Enhancing researchers’ presence, particularly in the humanities, across academic social networks and online platforms to increase the visibility and international reach of their research.
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