TEHRAN – An international Iranology congress, organized by the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization and the Iranology Foundation, will take place in Tehran and Shiraz from Nov. 15 to 18.

According to the organizers, the event will bring together scholars and researchers from Iran and abroad to discuss issues related to Iranian studies and tourism.

The congress will feature six main themes: critical assessments and approaches in Iranology, studies on contemporary Iran, Iranology in cultural diplomacy and international relations, Iranology and new technologies, Iranology and tourism, and Hafez poetry as an epitome of Persian culture.  

As part of the congress, a specialized session on “Iranology and Tourism” is scheduled for Nov. 16 at the University of Science and Culture in Tehran. The session will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and include a presentation by Seyyed Saeed Hashemi, associate professor and dean of the university’s Faculty of Tourism.

Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, Hashemi said the idea for the international congress originated with the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization last year but had been actively pursued this year. “Universities such as Tehran, Shiraz, Allameh Tabataba’i, Science and Culture, and Shahid Beheshti are expected to serve as supporting partners in this congress,” he said.

Hashemi added that the congress aims to strengthen academic collaboration and address how Iran is perceived internationally. “Iran has often been underrepresented despite its strong cultural position,” he said, adding that the event could “influence perspectives and policies toward Iran” through scholarly engagement.

He said the upcoming session on tourism would focus on topics including literary tourism and travel writing. Scholars from Georgia, Russia, Iraq, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia have been invited to participate, alongside Iranian academics, to exchange views on Iran’s cultural and tourism-related studies.

Hashemi noted that the meeting would create opportunities for collaboration between tourism professionals and university researchers, helping them deepen their understanding of Iranology and initiate joint academic and promotional projects in the field.

AM