TEHRAN –In an effort to develop academic cooperation, Sharif University branch of Academic Center for Education, Culture & Research (ACECR) and Khajeh Nasir (K.N.) Toosi University of Technology have signed memorandums of understanding with University of Malaysia and Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), respectively.

Conducting an online meeting, Mohsen Mardani from Sharif University branch of ACECR and Mohammad Yusuf from the University of Malaysia signed an MOU, highlighting the expansion of cooperation in conducting international collaborative research activities, as well as sharing technology, IRNA reported.

The officials also emphasized the need to create a suitable platform to plan and develop joint businesses in technical engineering, agriculture, and health sectors.

Moreover, they decided to establish specialized working groups in the aforementioned fields to develop a short-term, medium-term, and long-term plan. 

Yusef, for his part, announced Malaysia’s readiness to lay the ground for expanding knowledge-based activities and expressed optimism that the ongoing cooperation serves as a preliminary step to implementing future joint activities based on innovation and creativity. 

The second MOU was signed during a meeting held on Thursday, October 3rd, between the president of K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Amir-Reza Shahani and the vice-chancellor of  APU university of Malaysia, Ho Chin Kuan, Mehr news agency reported.

The officials underscored expanding cooperation between the two universities and launching a joint MS course in Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as Cyber Security.

They also expressed interest in publishing joint international articles, and conducting  collaborative industrial projects.

Joint winter school

The first joint winter school ran by Iranian and Malaysian academics commenced in the city of Isfahan on February 27, and concluded on March 12.

The Iran-Malaysia winter school was launched following a visit in 2023 by a high-ranking Malaysian delegation to Isfahan and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the top universities of the two countries.

The higher education minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, heading a delegation of presidents of a number of universities traveled to Isfahan in October 2023.

“A total of 27 professors and students from different Malaysian universities are participating in this scientific and cultural event which started today and will go on for two weeks,” IRNA quoted Mohammad Amiryousefi, an associate professor of the University of Isfahan, as saying.

“The first two weeks of the school will be held at the University of Isfahan and the Islamic Azad University respectively.

As agreed, a group of Iranian students and professors will also participate in the joint school in Malaysia next year,” he went on to say.

“The most important goals of the scientific and cultural event are the expansion of scientific diplomacy, enhancing communications and scientific synergy of the two countries to solve the problems of society and industry and also to attract foreign students,” Amiryousefi further noted.

The two-week event included scientific lectures in various fields such as political science and law; introducing the city of Isfahan; cultural, industrial, and technological tourism; and visiting different sections of the University of Isfahan and the city’s scientific and research estate.

MT/MG