TEHRAN –A total of 12 Iranian universities are scheduled to participate in the Higher Education Partnership Conference (HEPCON) which will be held in Bali, Indonesia, from August 28 to September 3.

Boosting strategic scientific-educational cooperation with Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, diversifying the country's international students, and showcasing Iran's educational attractions to recruit students from the East Asia region, as well as establishing links with higher education institutions in the region are among the goals of attending the conference, IRNA quoted Mohsen Sarraf, Scientific and Research Counsellor of Iran in Southeast Asia, as saying.

The official expressed optimism that the participant universities would have an effective presence in the international event by employing innovative methods to introduce Iran’s academic attractions to millions of international students in the region and encourage them to study in Iran.

Iranian universities are also scheduled to attend Indonesia Educational Fair, participate in the meetings of the higher education network of the East Asian region, and sign scientific-educational agreements.

Bringing together over 100  universities and representatives from over 100 Indonesian universities, converge with representatives from more than 20 countries to explore opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and mutual growth in higher education.

The main goal of the HEPCON is to cultivate global partnerships, streamline student exchange programs, enhance the quality of higher education, foster global partnerships, and share scholarship opportunities through B2B setups.

It also aims to facilitate collaboration and international partnerships between higher education institutions across the globe.

Iranian universities advance in intl. rankings

The status of Iranian universities has increased in the latest versions of the Times Higher Education (THE) and the QS World University Rankings, according to the head of the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC).

World university rankings demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of universities, as well as their scientific positions relative to one another.

However, They can contribute to boosting science diplomacy and attracting international faculty members and students. It can also shape policies that develop international competitions and lead to the globalization of universities.

The 21st edition of the QS World University Rankings (2025) placed nine Iranian universities among the world’s top institutes.

Sharif University of Technology (with a rank of 342), University of Tehran (368), Amirkabir University of Technology (403), Iran University of Science and Technology (436), and Isfahan University of Technology (489) ranked first to fifth, respectively.

Tabriz University (552), Shiraz University (691-700), Shahid Beheshti University (851-900), and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (951-1000) were other top Iranian universities included in the ranking.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (WUR) 2024 included 73 Iranian universities among the top universities in the world in 10 out of 11 subject areas with 2 universities namely the Institute of Higher Education of Scholars and the University of Sanat Naft, (listed as Reporter).

Sharif University of Technology with a ranking of 301 – 350 ranked first in the country. Amirkabir University of Technology was ranked second, while Science and Technology University as well as the University of Tehran were placed third. All the universities moved up.

MT/MG