Joint Meeting between the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences on Enhancing International Standing and Developing Strategic Cooperation

The session focused on exploring ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and enhance Iran’s scientific standing on the global stage. The primary aim of the meeting was to assess the current situation and identify practical solutions for common challenges, particularly those related to international university rankings.

In a strategic session attended by Dr. Elham Aminzadeh, Vice President for International Affairs of the University of Tehran, and Dr. Kurosh Djafarian, Vice President for International Affairs of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, along with several other vice presidents and directors from the international offices of both universities, the shared challenges and opportunities in international engagement were thoroughly discussed. The participants emphasized the necessity of synergy and joint action in areas such as improving global rankings, attracting international students, conducting joint research projects, and establishing a permanent secretariat within the university to follow up on mutual agreements.

The joint meeting of the two leading universities of Iran, the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Medical Sciences, was held on September 14 in the Council Hall of the Vice Presidency for International Affairs. The session focused on exploring ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and enhance Iran’s scientific standing on the global stage. The primary aim of the meeting was to assess the current situation and identify practical solutions for common challenges, particularly those related to international university rankings.

Officials from both universities expressed concern over the decline in the ranking of Iranian universities in prominent ranking systems such as the Shanghai Ranking, and examined the internal and external factors contributing to this trend. One of the key topics discussed was the improvement of both the quality and quantity of joint scientific publications. In this regard, it was proposed to establish a joint research fund between the two universities to provide special financial support to faculty members who publish papers with dual institutional affiliations in top-tier journals such as Nature and Science.

Additionally, it was emphasized that identifying and supporting faculty members who are on the verge of becoming highly cited researchers should be considered a core strategy for achieving rapid ranking improvements. The participants noted that targeted support for leading researchers could significantly raise the universities’ positions by several hundred places in global rankings.

Collaboration in interdisciplinary fields—such as Artificial Intelligence in Health, Biomedical Engineering, and Nanomedicine—was also highlighted as a platform for generating cutting-edge science and increasing international citations.