TEHRAN -- The educated and talented conscripts can serve their two years of compulsory military service at knowledge-based companies, the chief conscription officer at the armed forces Mousa Kamali announced in a press conference on Sunday.

Up to now, some educated conscripts can perform their military services in 150 non-military organization to promote education, production and healthcare, he said.

However, this is the first time that the conscripts can perform their military service in the private sector, he said.

“In this way, we can fully benefit from the time that talented and educated workforce attended the armed forces,” he explained.

“Through this facilitation at the military service, the country can efficiently benefit from talented human resources”Previously, talented conscripts could do researches in national defense and security issues, which were proposed by the armed forces, he said.

“Now according to our agreement with the science and technology vice presidency, the talented conscripts can perform their military services at the knowledge-based companies, incubators and technology parks,” he explained.

In February, the armed forces and the science and technology vice-presidency signed an agreement, which facilitates the two-year compulsory military service for workforce and entrepreneurs working at the knowledge-based companies.

In addition to entrepreneurs and workforce at the knowledge-based companies, other talented and educated conscripts can also perform their military service at these companies in three categories, he said.

Those conscripts who have university degree and do not have any experience can perform their military service at the knowledge-based companies, he said.

“They spend 6 to 12 months of their military services at the companies, hence they empower their abilities and they help the companies to do their projects,” Kamali said.

“Now about 2,000 conscripts perform their military services in this way,” he said.

A number of talented conscripts can choose to work at the knowledge-based companies instead of working on a research project, he said.

Human resources, key to knowledge economy

At the conference, the vice president for science and technology Sourena Sattari elaborated on their cooperation with Iranian Armed Forces.

In a knowledge economy, the main factor is human resources, which create value added, he said.

Thousands of talented and educated entrepreneurs can benefit from these facilities annually, he said.

Through this facilitation at the military service, the country can efficiently benefit from talented human resources, he added.

“I do hope we can fully benefit from this facilitation and show that it has many benefits for the development of the country,” Sattari added.

Expat experts are not an exception!

Those expat experts who are conscripts can benefit from these facilities as soon as they return to the country, Sattari explained.

There is no exception for this plan and any Iranian talented and entrepreneur can benefit from it in the country, he added.

According to the law, those conscripts who are citizens in a foreign country for three years can return Iran twice a year for duration of three months, Kamali explained.

Besides, expats who have higher education can come to the country with an invitation issued by a ministry in order to give speech, and hold educational courses, he added.
  
Regardless of university graduates’ grade point average and the company’s profit margin all workforce can benefit from this facility.

SB/MQ/MG