According to the Public Relations Office of Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs, Dr. Mohammad Nabi Shahiki Tash, the Deputy Minister for Technology and Innovation at the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, addressed the 72nd meeting—the fourth in-person meeting—of the National Working Group for International Student Recruitment. Emphasizing the need to establish systematic coordination among Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology’s various deputy ministries and the international student recruitment sector, he said:
“Science and Technology Parks are recognized as the link connecting universities, the market, and industry. The principal components of these Parks include technology-based units, knowledge-based companies, startups, technology transfer offices (TTOs), university spin-off companies, and the research and development (R&D) divisions of major industries.”
Industrial R&D Accounts for Five Percent of the Parks’ Value Chain
Referring to the current state of the innovation development chain in Science and Technology Parks, he stated: “At present, industrial spin-offs and R&D units operating in the Parks account for less than five percent of the country’s technology ecosystem as a whole. Expanding this sector is therefore on the agenda.”
More Than 16,000 Technology-Based Units Operating Nationwide
Providing statistics on Iran’s technology infrastructure, the Deputy Minister for Technology and Innovation said: “There are currently 60 Science and Technology Parks, 291 technology-unit incubators, 24 science and technology campuses, 44 research and technology funds, and eight technology marketplaces operating across Iran.”
“The establishment of these institutions has led to the creation of more than 16,245 technology-based units nationwide and generated employment for 161,000 talented and specialized individuals—all of whom are considered part of the knowledge-based employment sector.”
Strategic Shift toward Demand-Driven and Specialized Parks
Explaining Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology’s new strategies for licensing Science and Technology Parks, he said: “Our new strategy is to move beyond general Parks and toward demand-driven and specialized Parks. In line with this approach, new Parks—including Artificial Intelligence Parks, Digital Economy Parks, and Industrial Smart Systems Parks—have been designed and launched.”
He added that strengthening commercialization, developing markets, activating new financing capacities—including investment instruments offered by research and technology funds—and assigning specialized technology development brands were also being pursued as driving forces for the ecosystem.
Upgrading Science and Technology Parks and Introducing a New Incubator Model
Referring to the classification of Science and Technology Parks by level, the Deputy Minister stated: “A new framework has been developed to upgrade the Parks. By the end of the year, many of Iranian Level Three Parks are expected to improve their physical and substantive infrastructure and attain Level Two status, enabling them to provide higher-value services.” He added: “A new model for university incubators has also been designed and implemented at 20 universities across Iran. This model facilitates a paradigm shift from first- and second-generation incubators toward more advanced generations.”
He further noted that a new ecosystem for creating an interconnected chain of education, research, and technology had been designed and implemented at three major universities—the Amirkabir University of Technology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and the University of Guilan—with successful results.
Key Initiatives and Special Support Packages for International Students
Explaining the Ministry’s key initiatives that have the capacity to admit and support the development of international students, the Deputy Minister for Technology and Innovation said: “Under the Technology Postdoctoral Programme, we are fully prepared to allocate special positions to outstanding international graduates and students.”
He added: “The ‘Kar-Up’ project, a successful employment-development initiative, is now being replicated and implemented at 10 additional universities following its successful initial implementation.”
“In addition, the ‘Pop’ project, designed specifically for undergraduate students, is currently being piloted at five universities, while the ‘Employment School’ programme is being implemented at 15 universities across iran.”
Regarding other support programmes, he said: “Under the Technology Assistant Programme, we are fully prepared to establish a dedicated track and quota for international students to undertake technology-oriented internships at knowledge-based companies.”
He added that the ‘Noafarin Sanat-Saz National Project’ (Innovative Industry-Building Initiative) had been designed to bring talented individuals without their own ideas into the innovation cycle.
“In terms of direct financial support,” he continued, “in addition to allocating specialized grants for water- and energy-related projects, the programme supporting product-oriented theses will provide students who participate in these projects with research and technology grants of up to one billion Tomans.”
Establishing Joint Innovation Centers with Target Countries
Welcoming the proposal to establish joint innovation centers with neighboring and other target countries—including Iraq and several other interested countries—he stated: “Our policy is to create added value and promote two-way technology transfer. Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology is fully prepared to play an active role in designing the model, providing government support, launching the centers, and supplying part of the financial resources required for joint innovation centers.”
Signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs
He also announced the signing of a joint memorandum of understanding between the Deputy Ministry for Technology and Innovation and Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs, stating:
“In the first phase of this initiative, universities with the highest levels of international student recruitment will enter the process. Our specific proposal is to assess international applicants’ interest in and potential for entering the innovation cycle during the initial admission process. This will enable us to assign them designated support facilities and specialized technology development brands.”
Next Steps: Developing a Dedicated Regulation and Offering Courses for Emerging Skills
Referring to the need to improve the quality of services and admission procedures, he said: “A specialized team has been tasked with reviewing and developing more professional standards for the participation of international students in Science and Technology Parks. In cooperation with Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs, the preliminary framework of this regulation will be finalized within the next month.”
The Deputy Minister for Technology and Innovation concluded: “There are no restrictions on the admission of international students to Science and Technology Parks, and the admission regulations are the same for domestic and international applicants.”
He added: “It has also been planned that, from the beginning of the new academic year, in-person training courses on ‘emerging skills’ will be offered to international students in four provinces, based on professional curricula.”