TEHRAN – Iran and Russia will support the implementation of 15 out of 115 research projects proposed after the second joint call by the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and the Russian Science Foundation (RSF).

These projects cover the three fields of biological sciences, materials science, and health and medical research, IRNA reported.

According to the second joint call, priority support would be given to the projects that would contribute to the formation of a scientific and technical reserve in priority areas of scientific and technological development for the most important science-intensive technologies.

The INSF conducted the scientific evaluation based on indicators such as the results of the reviews, the presence of foreign partners, the amount of added value for the country (including the researchers’ expertise, laboratory facilities, and technical knowledge), the capability of the project manager and colleagues, the importance of the topic from a national perspective, the project outputs, and the quality of the proposal.

Iran-Russia scientific conference

The second scientific conference between Iran and Russia was held in Moscow on December 15, with Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali; science attaché, Hadi Goudarzi, and representatives from universities and scientific institutions of the two countries in attendance.

Referring to Iran’s unique history and the civilizational commonalities between the two countries, Russian Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko emphasized the need to strengthen cultural and academic relations between Iran and Russia, msrt.ir reported..

“The Russian government is completely ready to promote collaborations with Iran in the science and technology sectors. Russia and Iran need to rely on their capabilities in the pursuit of global development and play their historical role,” he noted.

Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Denis Sergeevich Sekirinsky, for his part, said the two nations have their own distinguished civilizations, maintaining cultural traditions and spiritual value. These historical commonalities have resulted in mutual respect and trust, as well as fostering cooperation.

Iranian and Russian universities and research organisations signed over 70 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) just over the past year, he noted.

For his part, Jalali highlighted the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Iran and Russia and emphasized the need to boost ties in scientific, technical, and cultural fields.

Independent countries like Iran and Russia should pursue the path to realizing a more just world through intellectual, historical, and cultural cooperation; meanwhile, scientific and elite dialogues will play a fundamental role, he added.

MT/MG