Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia meets with UT President

On 6 June, 2022, Prof. Seyed Mohammad Moghimi, President of University of Tehran, met with Mr. Arsen Avagyan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia. The meeting which was held at the University Council Hall, aimed at reviewing the previous cooperation between Iran and Armenia and cultivating the areas of future collaborations. The UT President stated, “We need to have a pragmatic approach to inter-university agreements and bring the agreements on paper to the stage of organizing joint scientific work and practical programs”.

The President of the University of Tehran, referring to the requests of various countries to establish a branch of the University of Tehran in these countries, announced readiness to working on opening a branch of the University of Tehran in Armenia and said:  We are ready to pursue a common science in Armenia in the form of establishing a branch of the University of Tehran or holding joint courses in the fields of interest promote cultural and social ties between the two countries.

Prof.Moghimi mentioned the teaching of Persian language and the establishment of Persian language chairs in Armenian universities and the exchange of professors and students in various scientific fields is  priority and favorite fields for  University of Tehran and added: University of Tehran is a comprehensive university with a history of training specialists . This history has created a privileged position for the development of scientific collaborations for this university.

He said that scientific diplomacy can guarantee lasting national security of countries, adding that the development of scientific relations can promote scientific diplomacy between countries. He further reiterated, “We think that the development of academic scientific relations between Iran and Armenia can guarantee the lasting security of the region without foreign interference and provide a basis for dialogue in the region”.

The President of the University of Tehran noted: The University of Tehran and the universities of Armenia can help resolve regional conflicts by organizing peace studies, as well as promoting and strengthening relations from a social and ethnic perspective in the region.

In another part of his remarks, he said that one of the criteria and characteristics of internationalization of universities is the establishment of continuous interactions with foreign universities and the definition of joint scientific and research activities with the presence of scientists and researchers from different countries and said: Researchers from Armenian universities can attend UT  to implement joint collaborations with their colleagues at the University of Tehran.

Prof.Moghimi also announced the readiness of the University of Tehran to host the meetings of the presidents of the top universities in Armenia, and said: The secretariat of the meeting of the presidents of the top universities in Iran is located at the University of Tehran. Accordingly, the University of Tehran can be the link between the top universities in Armenia and the top universities in Iran.

He reminded that the development of comprehensive relations with neighboring countries, including the Republic of Armenia, is one of the priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Prof.Moghimi reminded the development of some scientific fields, including tourism and trade at the University of Tehran, and expressed hope that by using the capacities of the faculties of "Tourism" and "Trade and Finance", in addition to mutual scientific services between the two countries, cultural relations, tourism and  the trade between the of the two countries could be developed more dynamically.;

He called to work on  planning of scientific conferences entitled "Opportunities and Challenges for Trade Interactions between Iran and Armenia" with the participation of professors and experts from Armenian and Iranian universities and the Chamber of Commerce of the two countries a scientific, practical and operational step to promote trade relations between the two countries. He said: The Dean of the Faculty of Management and Economics or Dean of the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Tehran can be responsible for holding the suggested meeting.

, Arsen Avagyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to our country, referring to the long history of Iran-Armenia relations, said: "In these relations, we always attach special importance to scientific and educational relations."

He requested the signing of a MoU between the two countries to exchange professors and students, in order to support the launch of a course or field of Armenian language, literature and culture at the University of Tehran.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Iran acknowledged that the Islamic Republic of Iran is known for the activities of knowledge-based companies, especially in the field of nanotechnology, and welcomed the exchange of experience between knowledge-based companies and active professors of Armenian and Iranian universities in the field of knowledge-based.

According to the report, Prof.Seyed Mohammad Marandi, Vice President for International Affairs of the University of Tehran, also stated that there are plans to increase the number of Armenian students at the University of Tehran, establishing and developing relations between the University of Tehran and top Armenian universities, expanding the interaction of Iranian and Armenian elites as well.

Eskandari, Director General, Office of International Relations, Prof. Malek, Director General for International Students and Staff, Prof. Beyad , Advisor to the Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature on International Affairs, Prof. Shahidi , Advisor to the Dean of Faculty of Persian Language and Literature on International Affairs and Prof. Alavi, Dean of Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature also expressed their viewpoints about cooperation between UT and Armenian universities.