Amirkabir University of Technology is seeking to attract talented students from neighboring countries in order to increase its international capacities. Abbas Soroush, the president of this university, mentioned the necessity of international activities for universities during the farewell and introduction ceremony of the director of student affairs in the international office, stating that the university cannot confine itself to a limited area and must take advantage of global capabilities and opportunities.
Attention to Quality and Increasing the Number of International Students
Abbas Soroush further added that the number of international students should be increased, but this increase should not come at the expense of quality. He particularly emphasized the necessity of attracting talented high school seniors from neighboring countries, saying: “We hope to become more active in attracting undergraduate students and to be able to identify these students.”
Efforts for Independent International Cooperation
Soroush also emphasized that international activities should not depend on domestic support. He stated that, in addition to expecting support from the Ministry of Science and other relevant institutions, the university itself must also be active in this area. He cited his experiences from international research collaborations as a reason to increase efforts in this field.
The president of Amirkabir University of Technology stressed the importance of the university's readiness to take advantage of international opportunities, stating: “We must be prepared to seize opportunities whenever the environment opens up. After the JCPOA, we witnessed the presence of various delegations from Western countries in the country for a period of one to two years.”
Strengthening the Role of the International Office
Abbas Soroush also called for an increased presence of the international office in various university activities. He emphasized that the vice president for international affairs should actively participate in specialized groups of faculties, educational and research meetings, providing feedback and receiving responses in these sessions. He suggested that in future international activity meetings, in addition to presenting programs, the results and achievements of actions should also be discussed.
He also stressed the necessity of updating statistics on active faculty members in the field of international relations, saying: “We need to know the university's weight in international activities and how many professors from each faculty are active in this field.” This information can help create positive competition among faculty members.
Sharing International Experiences
The president proposed that the experiences of professors and faculty members in study periods and scientific activities abroad be shared with other faculty members. He also called for monthly public seminars where individuals with international experience can share their experiences with others and discuss how they established connections and the support they received.
Abbas Soroush, in another part of his speech, referred to the capabilities of the university's students, saying: “Recently, I witnessed teams from various universities in the country at an event in the Science and Technology Park, where several students from Amirkabir University of Technology were also present. This has created a very good atmosphere and shows that even in difficult conditions, the country's capabilities are well manifested.”
He also emphasized that difficult conditions should not reduce motivation for activity, stating: “We have experienced tough conditions for years. These conditions should compel us to strive harder and should not be a reason for despair.”
