‘We Would Be Happy to See More Iranian Students at Our University’
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HSE University has hosted the signing of cooperation agreements with two Iranian universities—Allameh Tabataba’i University (ATU) and the University of Isfahan (UI). Delegations from the universities led by ATU President Abdollah Motamedi and UI President Hossein Harsij visited HSE University and met with Rector Nikita Anisimov and staff of the HSE International Office led by Vice Rector Victoria Panova.
Welcoming the meeting’s participants, Rector Nikita Anisimov stressed that Russian-Iranian relations are developing dynamically: ‘Our countries aim to deepen multidimensional partnerships in all areas of mutual interest, including cooperation in training personnel and developing science.’ He also noted the interest among Iranian students in studying in Russia. In 2023, the Russian government increased the number of state scholarships for students from the Islamic Republic of Iran to 300 places—almost three times as many as last year. ‘In the current academic year, there are 32 Iranian nationals studying at HSE University, which is certainly very few,’ the HSE University rector said. Three experts from Iran are full-time teachers and researchers at HSE University.
‘We hope to further expand our interaction and will be happy to see more Iranian students at our university, both in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate basic education programmes as well as in exchange mobility programmes and internships,’ said Nikita Anisimov.
The rector stressed that HSE University is focused on research leadership and advancement in global higher education and is among the top 1% of universities in the world. Today the university offers seven bachelor’s programmes and 35 master’s programmes in English.
In 2019, HSE University signed a cooperation agreement with the Cultural Mission at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Russian Federation to create and operate the Centre of Iranian Studies and the Persian Language at HSE University. The centre is currently headed by Associate Professor Evgeniya Nikitenko, who was also present at the meeting.
Iranian Studies at HSE University take place at the Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, where the Centre for the Study of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia operates. Persian language and literature, the history of Iran, and a number of related disciplines are studied on the Bachelor’s in Language and Literature of Iran and the Master’s in Classical and Modern Orient: Languages, Cultures, Religions. There are also separate courses in Iranian studies and the Persian language within various university programmes.
The HSE University rector praised the successful work of the Russian language and literature departments in Iranian universities. The meeting was attended by Dr Mousa Abdollahi, Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages and Associate Professor at the Department of Russian Language at Allameh Tabataba’i University. ‘HSE University, with its strong teachers of Russian as a foreign language, is ready to support the opening and promotion of Russian language courses abroad: to share experience, organise teacher training, and implement exchange programmes for teachers and students,’ emphasised Nikita Anisimov.
He invited students, teachers, and researchers from Iran to HSE University’s summer schools and academic events, a key one being the annual Yasin (April) International Academic Conference.
Hossein Harsij, President of the University of Isfahan, stressed that political and economic relations between Russia and Iran are getting better every day.
The University of Isfahan has about 18,000 students, 10% of whom are foreigners. It is the largest and most prominent university in central Iran. It is located in Isfahan, known as the capital of Islamic culture and civilisation.
‘Our university is over 75 years old. I hope that based on this long experience, we will be able to maintain and strengthen partnerships with Russian universities,’ said Hossein Harsij. However, simply signing a cooperation agreement is not enough for that, the UI president stressed. It is necessary to learn to solve our common problems together, firstly by identifying the problems that exist in Russia, Iran, and the region as a whole, and then building appropriate strategies in the field of education, research, and technology.
President Harsij suggested the creation of an international faculty to be developed jointly by HSE University and UI. ‘We could subsequently extend this model of cooperation to other universities in Russia and Iran,’ he suggested. In discussing possible cooperation, the UI president highlighted two principles. The first is to meet the needs of society.
‘We are convinced that in addition to the tasks of advancing education, science, and technology, the university is endowed with a responsibility towards society,’ stressed Hossein Harsij.
The second principle is the construction of civilisation. ‘Eastern universities, especially those in Iran and Russia, have a common duty to lay the foundation for a new civilisation. Instead of cultural borrowing from the West, we should engage in cultural exchange,’ the UI president said. Such ‘science diplomacy’ would promote cultural, political and economic relations between the countries. He believes that such interaction can contribute to the creation of a new world civilisation based on spirituality and the values of humanism.
Abdollah Motamedi, President of Allameh Tabataba’i University, told the meeting participants that the university is based in Tehran and has 14,000 students, 550 full-time faculty members, and 100,000 graduates.
The university’s graduates play a major role in Iran’s modern economy. The staff of Allameh Tabataba’i University includes a number of high-ranking officials, including the current Minister of the Economy and the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran.
Allameh Tabataba’i University has a total of 11 faculties, including the Faculty of Economics, where students study oil and gas economics, economic theory, Islamic economics, etc. The university mainly focuses on the humanities and socio-economic sciences, but also has a Department of Mathematics that conducts research into artificial intelligence. The university also actively develops inter-faculty collaboration. Abdollah Motamedi said that ATU offers about 270 educational programmes and has well-equipped laboratories. Allameh Tabataba’i University has a positive experience of developing academic cooperation with more than ten higher education institutions in Russia.
Abdollah Motamedi said he hoped that after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between UAT and HSE, the universities will be able to connect outstanding academics and professors from both sides. Online lectures and seminars could be the first step in this, and creating conditions for joint research projects will be another important step. The ATU president suggested such formats of cooperation as inviting HSE University teachers to ATU, assisting HSE University’s Centre of Iranian Studies with materials on the Persian language, and sending Iranian language teachers to Russia.
‘There is a will for scientific relations between Iran and Russia to actively develop, and it has now become clear that both sides are ready to expand this cooperation,’ concluded the ATU president.
During the discussion, the participants talked about some options for potential cooperation, including courses on Islamic economics at HSE University, scientific cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, and informal networking for Iranian students in Moscow.
The HSE University rector and the ATU president signed a memorandum of understanding on academic cooperation that envisages exchange of academic materials, joint publications, student exchanges, joint academic events, joint academic supervision, as well as the possibility of opening joint programmes and dual degree programmes.
A memorandum of cooperation including academic exchanges, joint educational and research programmes, joint research, publications and events was signed with the University of Isfahan.
As noted by Victoria Panova, HSE University Vice Rector, the mutual integration of HSE University with the scientific and educational community of Iran is reaching a new level: ‘I am confident that in the mid-term perspective, the signed documents on cooperation will become the basis for launching a number of joint programmes and projects in the field of research and education. Both we and our Iranian colleagues believe that mutual cooperation will make it possible not only to significantly increase competencies, but also to create new professional and social paths for young people in both countries.’
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