TEHRAN – Iran’s Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Technology Qasem Amou-Abedini and Qatar’s Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi exchanged views on strengthening educational cooperation.

The officials met on the sidelines of the 42nd annual meeting of the International Association of World Universities (IAU), held from November 25-27 in Qatar.

Amou-Abedini and Al Nuaimi also discussed establishing an international Persian language education center in Qatar, IRNA reported.

A plan to pass a maximum of 30 credits (to be taught in Farsi, Arabic, or English) at Qatar University and reciprocally in Iranian universities; establishing an international educational Persian language center in Qatar as one of the main needs of higher education in this country; and creating a fund to support the Educational and research activities of the two countries (after signing the agreement) were some of the discussed issues.

To realize the proposed items, it was decided to form a working group of representatives of the two countries to conduct expert reviews and prepare a draft of the agreement.

To implement the above-mentioned items, Amou-Abedini invited Al Nuaimi to visit Iran.

Academic co-op

In February, the Qatar Fund for Development agreed to provide €4,878 to support projects on educational opportunities for Afghan children who are out of school or at risk of dropping out.

The agreement was reached as per a memorandum of understanding which was inked by Nasser Qofli, the head of the Iranian Charity Schools Association, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, the Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan, and Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari, the director general of the Qatar Fund for Development.

“It is our duty to provide a suitable educational environment in Iran for students of any nationality, especially Afghan students, therefore we consider ourselves the representative and the voice of Afghan children to support their right to access education,” Qofli highlighted.

The Qatari official, for his part, said: “Today, I visited one of the schools for Afghan students in the city of Tehran, and I appreciate the facilities and infrastructure that you provide to Afghan children.”

In 2022, Iran’s Ministry of Science and Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand scientific cooperation, IRNA reported.

“Respect for equality and common interests of the two countries have been declared as basic principles of the MOU with the observance of intellectual property laws,” Hossein Salar-Amoli, head of the international scientific cooperation center of the Ministry of Science, said.

According to the cooperation agreement, the two countries supported the creation of rules for the admission of university degrees and the exchange of certificates issued by scientific institutions.

Supporting the exchange of scientific resources and documents related to the civilization, culture, and art of the two countries to be reflected in the educational books was one of the areas of scientific and cultural cooperation between Iran and Qatar.

Moreover, advanced educational programs, management of scientific research in the university community, teaching, and supervising student research are the priorities of the two countries for joint academic cooperation.

“Iran supports the development of Arabic in its education system and Qatar supports the development of Persian language in its education system,” he explained.

IAU International Conference

The annual IAU International Conference is a unique global platform for higher education leaders to meet, network, and exchange on the development of higher education. Hosted by IAU Members, the Conference moves around the world, from region to region giving the participants access to the local university atmosphere in the host country.

Each conference is devoted to a specific topic of general concern to higher education around the world. The IAU Conference is open to IAU Members and other higher education leaders and experts. IAU conference 2023, held in Doha, Qatar, discussed the theme Higher Education with Impact: The Importance of Intercultural Learning and Dialogue.

Universities provide excellent environments to foster intercultural learning and competence which embraces diversity, treasures differences, and is necessary for graduates to thrive in a globalized world.

It enhances their appreciation and respect for the other and leads to a more forceful commitment to human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and building peace.

The IAU 2023 Intercultural Conference explored how universities around the world promote and support intercultural learning and dialogue, the impact geopolitics is having on this goal, and the broader implications it has for our society.

WISE summit

This 11th edition of the WISE Summit explored the theme of ‘Creative Fluency: Human Flourishing in the Age of AI’.

The emergence of AI challenges the traditional understanding of creativity and raises profound questions about the future of education in a world still grappling with persistent legacy issues around teacher shortages, limited access to formal learning among vulnerable populations, poor learning outcomes even in developed nations, and a disconnect between higher education and workforce needs.

The participants debated and discussed the topics that are reshaping the education landscape, including the importance of computational literacy, the promise of personalized learning for all, new AI-integrated pedagogical approaches that enhance the creative potential of students and teachers, and issues of equity and embedded values in the design, dissemination, and implementation of emerging technologies for education around the world.

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