In pursuit of expanding international academic collaboration, a joint consultation meeting was held between representatives of the Young Scientists Festival and the Education Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy. The meeting took place on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, aiming to explore opportunities for scientific, educational, and cultural cooperation between science-supporting foundations and festivals in Iran and Turkey.
The meeting began with introductions, followed by remarks from Dr. Shadi Jamili, Head of the Festival’s Permanent Secretariat, who outlined the structure of the event and highlighted the role of the Jamili Science and Technology Foundation—a non-governmental organization responsible for organizing the festival.
Dr. Fatemeh Mohammadipanah, Head of the International Committee, elaborated on the festival’s global outreach. She explained how the international division fosters experience exchange by inviting non-resident Iranians to participate in teams and by collaborating directly with international scientific institutions and festivals with shared goals. She noted that obtaining the license to establish the “UNESCO Basic Sciences and Technology Club” marked a turning point in this effort. She also emphasized that partnerships with influential organizations such as Turkey’s TÜBİTAK could lead to effective exchanges between institutions and festivals supporting applied research in both countries.
The Turkish Educational Counsellor welcomed the proposals and introduced “TEKNOFEST” a major scientific event in Turkey. He suggested connecting with other Turkish scientific and international institutions to foster collaboration and encouraged festival members to visit these centers.
In closing, Dr. Soroush Moddab, Executive Manager of the Festival, emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation and proposed organizing virtual events such as workshops and webinars. He also expressed the festival’s readiness to host Turkish scientific and entrepreneurial delegations in Iran to facilitate deeper engagement and future joint initiatives.
The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to strengthen ties between the Young Scientists Festival and Turkey’s scientific and cultural sectors in Tehran. Both parties emphasized the importance of creating a robust platform for specialized exchanges among researchers, industry experts, and professionals from both countries to promote technology development rooted in basic sciences.
Participants included Dr. Umut BASAR, Educational Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy; Dr. Shadi Jamili, Head of the Permanent Secretariat; Mr. Reza Abbasi, Deputy Attaché; Dr. Fatemeh Mohammadipanah, Head of the International Committee; Dr. Soroush Moddab, Executive Manager of the Festival; and Eng. Shima Manzoumi, International Expert.