TEHRAN – Iran and Georgia have emphasized the need to boost cooperation in the field of education and science.

The issue was discussed by Iranian Ambassador to Georgia Akbar Qassemi and Georgian Education, Science, Culture and Sport Minister Mikheil Chkhenkel during a meeting on Saturday, ISNA reported.

The Iranian official said the two sides agree on taking steps to confirm and approve certificates issued by universities in the two countries.

For his part, the Georgia minister referred to strategic bilateral ties, saying that Tbilisi has always had a positive point of view toward boosting academic relations between the two nations.

Academic achievements 

 Iran ranked 14th among 102 countries for the highest number of top universities, as 46 Iranian universities were listed on ISC World University Rankings 2020.

ISC is the third internationally accredited citation center established in the Islamic Republic of Iran based on a resolution adopted in 2008 by the 4th Meeting of the Islamic Ministers of Higher Education (ICMHESR) in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to index, evaluate and publish scientific productions in Islamic countries.

There are 2,182 universities from 102 countries in the ranking, of which 46 universities are from Iran, ISNA reported.

In 2019, Iran participated with 43 universities, which shows an increased share in the recent ranking.

Abdol-Hamid Alizadeh, the deputy science minister, has said that 40,000 foreign nationals are studying in 43 Iranian universities, 22,000 of whom are studying at the universities affiliated to the Ministry of Science, 8,000 at the Azad University, 3,000 at the Ministry of Health, and the rest at other universities.

So far, foreign students from 129 countries have come to Iran to study, he noted.

MG