Invited by Dr. Mehdi Sanaei, Iranian Ambassador to Russia, and to develop scientific relations of the Faculty of World Studies with similar research-educational institutions, a group of six FWS members and directors, including Financial-Administrative Deputy and Member of the Department of Western Asia and North African Studies, Dr. Javad Sharbaf; International Affairs Advisor and Head of the Department of Central and South African Studies, Dr. Amir Bahram Arab Ahmadi; Head of the Department of European Studies, Dr. Younes Shokrkhah; Head of the Department of Western Asia and North African Studies, Dr. Ali Akbar Alikhani; Head of the Department of Iranian Studies, Dr. Mohammad Samiei; and Director of Institute for North American and European Studies, Seyed Ruhollah Hosseini, travelled to Russia on an eight-day visit from April 23, 2017.
During the visit, the faculty members engaged in important and influential negotiations with four prominent scientific institutions in Russia; Institute of Oriental Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences, Lomonosov Moscow State University, National Research University Higher School of Economics, and European University at Saint Petersburg in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Commenting on the history and current majors of the Faculty of World Studies and the good relations between the two parties in recent years, in the meeting at the Institute of Oriental Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences, where Dr. Zahraei, representative of the University of Tehran in Russia and representatives of the Iranian Embassy were also present, Dr. Arab Ahmadi, on behalf of the Dean of the Faculty, stated the FWS readiness in order to expand the two parties’ scientific cooperation. Then, each of the professors continued by introducing their respective fields of research and studies and commented on the relations between FWS and Institute of Oriental Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences.
Talking about research policies of the institute during the Soviet and Russian Federation era, Head of the Department of Middle East Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences commented on the University of Tehran as one of the largest scientific centers in the Middle East and Asia and asserted the need for expanding scientific relations between the two parties. Then, some of the professors of the institute discussed different aspects of the academy and its relations with different countries, including Iran. It was also decided to hold mutual seminars and meetings in Moscow and Tehran.
The FWS professors also met Prof. Andrey Yu. Shutov, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science of Lomonosov Moscow State University, and the faculty is professors. The two sides talked in a friendly environment about scientific relations and cooperation programs, including student and lecturer exchange, publishing journals, and holding mutual seminars. It was decided that a mutual meeting on “Analyzing Iran-Russia Relations” would be held in November at the Faculty of World Studies.
Meeting Aleksey A. Maslov, Head of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, and the school’s professors was another program held by the FWS members. Introducing their respective institutions, Dr. Maslov and Dr. Arab Ahmadi and other professors in the meeting commented on regional and global issues and focused on bilateral relations between the University of Tehran and Russian universities in terms of scientific agreements.
Meeting the directors of the European University at Saint Petersburg was the last part of the FWS members’ visit to Russia. Vice-Rector for GR, Nikita Lomagin, and some professors of the University attended the meeting where the two sides discussed the options to expand scientific cooperation. It was decided that Dr. Gevorg Avetikyan, on behalf of the European University at Saint Petersburg, reviews the international agreements of the FWS and arranges a memorandum of understanding with International Affairs Deputy of FWS to be signed between the Chancellor of European University at Saint Petersburg and Dean of the Faculty of World Studies.
In general, it could be said that all the meetings between the FWS members and their hosts received ample attention from the two sides and both parties agreed upon scientific cooperation in various aspects, including student and lecturer exchange, publishing journals, and holding mutual seminars.
Meetings were also held between the FWS members and Dr. Mehdi Sanaei, Iranian Ambassador to Russia, and the Ambassador commented on Iran-Russia relations in political, cultural, and economic affairs and developing an effective relationship between Iranian and Russian universities.
