TEHRAN - The Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has launched 120 ‘host bases’ in order to expand cooperation with Iranian specialists and entrepreneurs residing in other countries.

The host bases are tasked with supporting research projects, starting technological businesses, and holding workshops and seminars for overseas entrepreneurs and scientific figures, IRNA quoted Mehdi Qaleno, an official with the Vice Presidency, as saying.

More than 200 non-Iranian specialists in the country have been identified and supported through providing them with residence permits, Parviz Karami, an official with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, has said.

Due to its proximity to some countries or its various attractions, Iran has been hosting immigrants from different countries for many years, some of whom are scientific and knowledge elites, he added, ISNA reported.

"Iran has been hosting a large immigrant population for nearly four decades. Many of whom, despite the difficulties they faced in education and business, have been able to achieve great success and live as professional elites in Iran.

By implementing a program of cooperation with international experts and entrepreneurs, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has provided special support for non-Iranian specialists. The program defined a set of services and facilities for elite immigrants and entrepreneurs, one of which is the provision of a special residence permit for three to five years," he explained.

To date, more than 450 international professionals and entrepreneurs have been identified through this program, and over 200 applicants have been able to benefit from the “Special Residence” card, he added.

The primary objective of this plan is establishing an effective interaction between experts and top science and technology centers of the country in the form of supporting research and technology projects, such as post-doctoral, sabbaticals, visiting and selected professors, creating technological businesses and occupation in knowledge-based companies and holding specialized workshops and lectures.

Iran has also implemented a plan to return elites from the top 100 universities in the world. Through a national model, the facilities are provided for their return by creating technology parks, innovation centers, and factories.

The plan was able to bring back 2,000 Iranian students from around the world over a three-year period.

About 500 Iranian researchers have returned home over the past four years to transfer their knowledge and expertise to the country's universities, according to the vice presidency for science and technology.

With the support of the National Elites Foundation and Science and Technology Vice Presidency, universities, knowledge enterprises, technology parks, and incubators launched a plan titled ‘cooperation with Iranian expatriate entrepreneurs and elites’ in 2015.

The plan aims to attract Iranians abroad to share knowledge in different forms including postdoctoral research, research opportunity, and visiting fellows, in addition to being faculty members.

So far, it has attracted more than 500 prominent Iranian researchers living in other countries as faculty members of the country's top universities, which has had a significant impact on raising the quality of research, educational and international activities of universities.

MG