TEHRAN –Supported by the Center for Progress and Development of Iran (CPDI), and the Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-based Economy, twelve scientists, under the age of 40, have represented the country in the 10th Young Scientists Forum as well as the 8th Young Innovator Prize, focusing on science diplomacy, artificial intelligence (AI), and climate change.

The forum was held in Brasilia,  Brazil, from September 15 to 17. It brought together researchers and entrepreneurs from the group’s member countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Ethiopia, and Indonesia, to showcase innovative solutions in science, technology, and sustainable development.

According to gov.br, the main goal of the forum was to support scientific projects with a real social impact. This year, three key topics were discussed: mitigating the effects of and adapting to climate change, scientific diplomacy, and the use of AI for social solutions.

One of the highlights of the program was the 8th edition of the BRICS Young Innovators Award, which recognizes inventors and researchers with impactful solutions to social and economic challenges. This recognition symbolizes the bloc’s confidence in the potential of youth to bring about significant change in the areas of health, the environment, social inclusion, and new technologies.

During the three-day event, the country's representatives played an active role, delivering scientific lectures and presenting research projects on issues such as comprehensive modeling of the environmental, economic, and social impacts of COP policies in BRICS states, technological innovations in water and renewable energy fields, interdisciplinary studies in the climate change and biosecurity sectors, science diplomacy in a changing world, utilizing artificial intelligence for social initiatives, and improving the life qualities of citizens in BRICS countries, Mehr news agency reported.

They also proposed strategies to enhance scientific interactions among member states.

Iranian researchers in world’s top 2% list

The latest international data shows that the presence of Iranian researchers in the top two percent list of the world based on citation indicators continues to trend upward, indicating an improvement in the quality of the country’s scientific production.

The reputable “updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators”, which provides updated versions of scientist rankings based on standardized indicators, reported on September 19 that Iran has experienced an unprecedented growth in both one-year performance and scientific career-long indicators, IRNA quoted Peyman Salehi, deputy science minister, as saying.

Based on the report, the number of highly cited Iranian researchers in the one-year performance index has increased from 2,326 in the Iranian year 1403 (2024-2025) to 2,533 in 1404 (2025-2026).

This figure represents an increase of 207 persons compared to the previous year and clearly demonstrates the improvement in the quality and impact of the country’s scientific production in 2024, he explained.

Also, the number of highly cited Iranian researchers in the career-long index has grown significantly from 1,018 in 1403 to 1,021 in 1404. A five-year trend analysis shows that Iran has achieved this remarkable achievement from 433 in 1399, and has experienced nearly threefold growth in this time period, Salehi added.

MT/MG