According to the Public Relations Office of Iran’s Organization of Student Affairs, this series of virtual scientific-diplomatic meetings was held to forge strategic partnerships, foster research collaboration, and establish Iranian scientific infrastructure across top-tier Malaysian universities—marking a significant stride in advancing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s science diplomacy across the broader Oceania and Southeast Asian region.
Synergy with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM): The Initial Step Toward Strategic Partnerships
In the first phase of this initiative, a virtual session was convened between the ISC and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to identify avenues of mutual interest. During the session, Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Alavianmehr, the President of ISC, underscored the critical importance of cultivating international scientific networks and outlined the institute’s specialized capabilities in scientific evaluation, research data analytics, and the expansion of international academic cooperation.
Both sides reached an understanding on several key priorities, including scientometric studies, joint research endeavors in science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy-making, as well as faculty and researcher exchange programs. Concluding the meeting, Dr. Alireza Tavakolpour-Saleh, the Iranian Science Counselor to Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, put forward two practical proposals: appointing a UKM representative to the ISC Executive Committee and establishing an ISC liaison office at UKM—both of which were warmly welcomed by the Malaysian delegation.
Deepening Academic Ties with Universiti Malaya (UM) with a Focus on Artificial Intelligence
As part of this ongoing engagement, another specialized meeting was held between the ISC and Universiti Malaya (UM), attended by a high-ranking delegation from the host university. Highlighting UM’s prominent standing in innovation, discussions centered on the necessity of collaborative engagement in cutting-edge domains such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), scientific foresight, and advanced scientific data analytics.
Key proposed areas of cooperation between the ISC and UM included co-authoring comprehensive analytical reports on the landscape of science and technology across the Islamic world and Asia, alongside establishing and reinforcing scholarly networks among researchers in Muslim-majority nations.
The Iranian Science Counselor Highlights the Need for International ISC Hubs
Reviewing the outcomes of these strategic consultations, Dr. Tavakolpour-Saleh emphasized the imperative of transforming the region into an epicenter of scientific cooperation through the integration of ISC infrastructure. Pointing to the vital role of synergy among leading academic bodies in addressing global challenges, he reiterated the strategic necessity of establishing an international ISC hub at Universiti Malaya (UM).
At the conclusion of the deliberations, it was agreed that the executive leadership boards of both Malaysian universities (UKM and UM) would review the proposed initiatives to reach definitive decisions and communicate their outcomes to the Iranian delegation.