According to the Public Relations Office of the Student Affairs Organization, a joint meeting was held at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kuala Lumpur between Dr. Alireza Tavakolpour, the Scientific Counselor and the Supervisor of Iranian Students in East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, Valiollah Mohammadi, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Malaysia, and representatives of several Iranian universities of medical sciences. The meeting focused on exploring practical approaches to enhancing the international engagement of Iranian medical universities with Southeast Asia.
During the session, Dr. Tavakolpour reviewed existing barriers to international cooperation between Iranian universities of medical sciences and Malaysia, highlighting existing challenges related to the mobility and exchange of students and faculty members in the region.
He further stressed the importance of Iranian medical universities assessing the standards of the Malaysian Medical Council, referring to key issues such as internationalization, documentation and transparency, quality assurance, and evaluation systems.
Dr. Tavakolpour noted that Iranian universities of medical sciences enjoy a high level of scientific expertise, specialized knowledge, and clinical facilities, and stated that, through targeted scientific diplomacy led by the Office of the Scientific Counselor, they are well positioned to fully meet the educational and professional needs of Southeast Asia.
During the meeting, Valiollah Mohammadi, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Malaysia, also shared his experiences and offered valuable insights into the importance of establishing two-way academic relations between Iran and Malaysia, as well as the challenges associated with student mobility.
He emphasized the need for proper documentation of scientific achievements at medical universities, greater internationalization, courses in English, and close attention to international standards.
It is worth noting that the meeting was attended by Dr. Hashemi, the President of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences; Dr. Farahani from Hamadan University of Medical Sciences; Dr. Mandegari from Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences Campus; Dr. Sarvar from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences; and Dr. Hosseini from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.