UT, UNAN Hold First Round of Webinars on Iranology for Spanish Speakers

On June 15, the first round of webinars on Iranology for Spanish speakers was held through the collaborative efforts of the UT Spanish Studies Research Center and the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN). 

According to the UT Office of Vice President for International Affairs, the ambassadors of the two countries and the president of UNAN were among the dignitaries who attended the webinar. Dr. Mohammad Hossein Sarrafzadeh, UT Vice President for International Affairs, stressed that the presence of the ambassadors and the president of UNAN attested to the value they place on academic exchange and communication. Dr. Sarrafzadeh added that encompassing 40000 students and 2000 faculty members, the University of Tehran as the top university in Iran is prepared to admit Nicaraguan students into most of its programs. Even the Coronavirus pandemic, he continued, has not been able to hamper relations between the two countries, which have been currently facilitated by virtual communication tools. Dr. Sarrafzadeh also noted that should UNAN so wish, UT would be willing to open a branch office of Dehkhoda Lexicon Institute, an educational institute specializing in Persian Studies, at UNAN to teach Persian to Nicaraguan students. 

In another section of the webinar, several lectures about Iranology were delivered in Spanish. The topic of the lectures were as follows: Iranian Revolutionary Cinema (presented by Dr. Sina Eskandari), A Comparative Study of Iranian and Nicaraguan Revolutions (presented by Dr. Elaheh Nouri), The Impact of Eastern Literatures on Spanish Literature (presented by Dr. Maryam Haghrousta), Politics and Government in Iran (presented by Dr. Elaheh Nouri), The Influence of Shahnameh on Spanish Literature (presented by Dr. Beatrice Salas), and Iran-United States Relations (presented by Dr. Maryam Haghrousta).