TEHRAN-The Iranology Foundation in Tehran is holding a knowledge-enhancement course on Iranology for a group of students from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, who are all familiar with the Persian language.

The two-week course is designed to familiarize foreign students with the history, culture, and civilization of Iran and includes educational programs, specialized workshops, and field visits to historical and cultural sites.

It has been designed by the Iranology Foundation, in collaboration with the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, to deepen knowledge about Iran and build cultural bridges with Eurasian countries.

In exclusive interviews with the Tehran Times, two participants in the course elaborated on their familiarity with the Persian language, their experiences in Iran, and how the Islamic Republic is seen in their countries.

Participating from Kyrgyzstan, Azat Bokoloev has studied Persian language at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Kyrgyz National University, and is working as a translator and interpreter for Iranian companies.

On the reason he chose to study Persian language, he said: “My father is a writer in Kyrgyzstan. He is pretty strong in literature and loves Persian literature as well. When I finished school and it was time to choose a major to continue in university, he advised me to choose the language of literature. I asked him which language that was and he said Persian language”.

“My father told me that if I learned Persian, it would be easier to learn other languages of Central Asia because you can find many Persian words in our language and many more in Uzbek and Kazakh languages. For example, if you take the Uzbek language, it seems like Persian with Turkish grammar. And of course, Tajikistan is a Persian-language country,” he added.

This is Bokoloev’s fourth time in Iran. He has visited Mashhad, Isfahan, Qom, Kashan, Tehran, and Gorgan on his trips. “Every time I come to Iran, there is always something new and interesting to discover. The people of Iran are very nice, and the same is true for the food, and of course many historical sites. And I would love to see other parts of Iran like southern, central, and northwestern cities,” he noted.

Regarding Iranophobia propaganda run by the Western media and its influence on the people of Kyrgyzstan, he said: “As a country in Central Asia, we have the same heritage as Iran like Nowruz, and we do not have such a thing as Iranophobia in our country”. 

He concluded by saying “Iran has always been our friend. Our people like Iran and they know that Iran has very strong people. I would love to come to Iran again. I always call Iran my second home”. 

Another participant in the course Uktamali Ravshanov from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, is a Ph.D. student of history at Bukhara State University.

He is also the head of the History Department at the Bukhara Museum, which as he said is “one of the oldest museums in the world, with 140,000 items kept in it, some of them belonging to Iran including carpets and handicrafts among other things”. 

Speaking about how he learned to speak Persian, he said: “Bukhara is home to four languages (Uzbek, Tajik, Persian, and Russian) as it is a tourist city and it was located on the Silk Road in the past”.

Ravshanov noted that he came to Iran last year for the first time and stayed for four months. “In the first two months, I learned Persian and then I traveled around Iran and visited Shiraz, Yazd, Isfahan, Kashan, Hamedan, Kermanshah, and Mashhad”.

Regarding how the Uzbek people think of Iran, he said: “For the people of Uzbekistan, the first thing that comes to their mind is that it is a religious country. Another point is its ancient history and the rest include its culture, literature, and music”. 

Also speaking to the Tehran Times, Iman Nezamzadeh, vice president of international and scientific cooperation at the Iranology Foundation, elaborated on the course. 

“Iran, with its ancient civilization and rich culture, has always been of interest to scholars and researchers worldwide. This course is a valuable opportunity for the participants to closely acquaint themselves with various aspects of this civilization and gain a deeper understanding of Iranian history and identity. We strive at this foundation to provide academic programs that facilitate a better understanding of Iran for foreign students and researchers. This course has been organized with this goal in mind,” he said.

“During the two weeks, in addition to attending theoretical classes and educational workshops, participants also visit historical and cultural sites. These visits will include cities such as Tehran, Kashan, and Isfahan,” he added.

Nezamzadeh emphasized the importance of scientific and cultural exchanges between countries and said: “The participants can be cultural ambassadors of Iran in their own countries”.

He also expressed hope that this program would expand in the future and serve as a bridge for scientific and cultural interaction between Iran and other countries.

“This is in our agenda to hold such programs for different regions. According to the policies of the country, our priority is the neighboring countries. The next step will include the other countries. However, international affairs need to be carried out with certain considerations,” he noted.

“We do not intend to induce or force anything in these courses but we seek to prepare the grounds for the participants so that they can gain enjoyable first-hand experiences,” he stated. “This happened last year when we had this course for a group of students from Georgia as they returned to Iran afterward one or two times and brought some others with them as well”. 

Regarding cooperation with foreign universities and organizations to hold such courses abroad, Nezamzadeh said: “We are in touch with our cultural attaches in other countries and collaborate in organizing sessions and workshops on Iranology during the cultural weeks and we plan to increase our international programs”.

The Iranology Foundation was founded in 1997 to create a center for students and professors who share a deep interest in Iran and its rich history and culture. 

The foundation seeks to give people worldwide a comprehensive notion of the Iranian civilization and is willing to cooperate with foreign Iranologists in this regard. The Department of International Scientific Cooperation is the one responsible for identifying talented individuals and institutions that would like to study and observe the beauties and sophistications of Iran up close. 
The Department of International Scientific Cooperation provides a number of opportunities for institutions and scholars active in the field of Iranian Studies. Entities can form connections with the Iranology Foundation in order to create a better ground for their scientific and research-based activities.

SS/