TEHRAN –Iranian Science, Research and Technology Minister, Hossein Sarraf, and Japanese Ambassador to Tehran, Tamaki Tsukada, have discussed avenues for boosting scientific and technological collaborations between the two countries.

The officials met in Tehran on Monday, a week before attending the 21st annual meeting of the Science and Technology in Society (STS) forum which is scheduled to be held from October 6th to 8th in Kyoto, Japan.

Participating in the 21st STS forum will be a great opportunity for developing scientific ties with the whole world, IRNA quoted Tsukada as saying.

It also serves as a proper platform for showcasing Iran’s scientific innovations and achievements, as well as enhancing scientific ties with Japan, he added.

Referring to Iran and Japan’s global ranking in producing articles related to nanotechnology–which is fifth and fourth, respectively–Tsukada stressed the two countries can collaborate and become the leading countries in this field.

The Japanese official went on to say that regarding former joint activities, Iran and Japan’s collaborations in the field of environment can also be expanded. 

Sarraf, for his part, said the history of the friendly relations between the two countries dates back to centuries ago.

The official expressed interest in further fostering scientific cooperation between Iran and Japan saying that “Iran is ready to attract Japanese students in the fields of humanities such as Islamic studies, Persian language and other subjects that are of interest to Japanese students,” he highlighted.

Referring to Japanese language teaching at University of Tehran, Sarraf said, “We expect Persian language teaching courses, which were previously held in Japanese universities, to be resumed. We are also ready to dispatch Persian language professors and provide the programs.”

The official also stressed the two countries can collaborate in the field of environment as an area of cooperation.

Joint projects

The conservation and restoration projects of Anzali Wetland and Lake Urmia are two typical examples of the joint actions taken by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Japan in the environmental fields.

Lake Urmia in the northwestern West Azarbaijan province started to dry up in the 2000s. The lake is the largest in West Asia and the sixth-largest Salt Lake in the world with a water surface area of 5,000 to 6,000 square kilometers.

Since 2014, together with the Government of Japan, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has been supporting Lake Urmia restoration efforts. The project covers 202 villages in northwestern East and West Azarbaijan provinces.

The project aims to better the application of sustainability models in Lake Urmia and its adjacent wetlands, promoting local participation in 170 villages around the lake basin as well as enhancing the livelihoods and resilience of local communities through a more integrated approach.

In February 2021, the Government of Japan contributed $3 million to help revive Lake Urmia through the UNDP. This was Japan’s eighth contribution to UNDP Iran.

In 2023, Claudio Providas, the UNDP resident representative in Iran, said that sanctions have not affected providing financial support to protect Iran's wetlands and revive Lake Urmia, in particular.

“Over the past 10 years, Japan has made generous contributions to the global plan to protect Iran's wetlands and has contributed one million dollars annually, which is quite acceptable,” he said.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has supported the Iranian government in the conservation of the Anzali Wetland since 2003.

In 2006, DOE and the JICA signed a two-year agreement to start the Anzali Wetland Ecological Management Project to save the deteriorating Anzali wetland in the northern province of Gilan.

Covering more than 19,000 hectares, Anzali Wetland is located near the northern port city of Bandar Anzali, neighboring the Caspian Sea. The wetland was designated as a Ramsar site on June 23, 1975. It is fed by several rivers and separated from the Caspian Sea by a dune system.

In July 2023, according to the reports, the Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project (CIWP), a joint initiative between the UNDP and the Government of Japan, led to saving water by 27 percent for irrigation in the country.

The three-year (2021-2024) cooperation between the DoE, Japan, and UNDP Iran has been initiated to up-scale successful practices to additional pilots in the Urmia Lake basin and two new replication sites including Shadegan and Bakhtegan Wetlands.

The cooperation between Iran and Japan is expected to continue towards capacity-building, modern technologies, and knowledge-sharing for waste management, protection of wetlands, prevention of dust storms, pollution control, and climate change.

In August 2023, the head of Tehran University’s science and technology park and the Japanese ambassador to Iran announced readiness to launch a center for science and technology parks.

“We are interested in signing a sister city agreement between Tehran University’s science and technology park and one of the science and technology parks in Tokyo,” said Ali Asadi, the head of Tehran University’s science and technology park, in a meeting in Tehran with Kazutoshi Aikawa, the then Japanese envoy, IRNA reported.

Aikawa said he had been greatly impressed by the technological achievements of Iranian companies and the supportive plans of Tehran University’s science and technology park to develop an ecosystem of innovation.

STS forum  

The forum brings together a diverse group of opinion leaders, including 11 Nobel laureates, leading scientists, science and technology ministers, corporate executives, research institute leaders, university presidents, and influential media leaders from around the world.

Participants will engage in cross-border and interdisciplinary discussions on the challenges and directions of science and technology, with a focus on humanity’s long-term future,100 to 500 years ahead.

This year, over 200 selected discussion leaders from various countries will speak at 10 plenary sessions and 24 concurrent sessions.

These include four AI-focused panels: "Lights and Shadows of AI," "AI for Health," "AI in Education," and "AI Ethics and Regulation." Other plenary sessions will cover topics, including "Path to Sustainability," "Basic Science, Innovation and Policy," and "Science and Technology for Business."

The concurrent sessions will be organized around: energy, climate crisis, science and technology education, green technologies, and quantum science and technologies. Last year's annual meeting attracted approximately 1,500 participants from over 80 countries, regions, and international organizations.

MT/MG