A delegation of university officials and professors representing Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, who recently traveled to Iran at the invitation of Iran’s scientific attaché to China, Dr. Ganjidoost, met with Alzahra University officials on June 1st, 2015. Alzahra University Chancellor, Director of International Academic Collaborations, Vice Chancellor of Higher Education, and some of the professors at the faculties of Biology (Fouladi, Hanachi and Mousavinezhad) and Physics/Chemistry (Shah’shahani and Moradlou) furthermore participated in this meeting.
At the outset of meeting, Dr. Marandi, Director of International Academic Collaborations welcomed the guests and continued with an introduction about the university history, faculties and admission regulations for non-Iranian student. “Alzahra University is the only state-run comprehensive university for females in Iran, and with half of a century experience in scientific fields, it offers various programs in Humanities, Social Sciences, Basic Science, Engineering, Arts and Physical Education at ten different faculties and three research centers,” she stated and added: “Currently fifty non-Iranian students, passed the entrance exam or awarded the scholarship by Ministry of Science, are studying in Alzahra and according to our plans we are prepared for awarding few scholarships each year to top international students.”
Dr. Sajad, Vice Chancellor of Higher Education, moreover mentioned to nanoscience related researches conducted by Alzahra University scholars and noted that: “At present, a group of outstanding researchers are involved with teaching and investigation of nanosciences in Alzahra University faculty of Basic Sciences and each year a large number of their articles are published in international specialized journals.”
Subsequently, Dr. Ganjidoost provided some information about the evaluation system of universities and research centers in China. He pointed to the high rank of this center and said: “According to the ranking of Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, Iran; Chinese Academy of Sciences stands among top universities and its associated research centers, with high rate of published articles in specialized journals each year, are among the bests worldwide.”
Professor Hong Ding Cheng, Director of International Students and Sabbatical Affairs at University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, referred to the absorption of top graduate and post-graduate as the main goal of Chinese delegation in this visit. He stated: “We’ve planned to devote 6-month sabbaticals to those top graduate and post-graduate students of nanoscience and higher technologies who are recommended by Alzahra University. Moreover, in the next academic year, we are going to award three master degree scholarships to top alumni of Alzahra University in the aforementioned programs.”
Chinese Academy of Sciences was founded in 1945; it has sixteen faculties and more than hundred associate research institutions in four cities of the country. The university currently has more than 42000 students and 800 international students from 30 different countries who are studying in this university including 30 Iranian students. University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is involved in scientific and research collaborations with the acclaimed universities of United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
Alzahra university chancellor furthermore declared that the university officials are willing to expand educational and research collaborations with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and suggested to sign a memorandum of academic and research collaborations between two universities. A copy of Alzahra University suggested memorandum was handed to the guests. The meeting was concluded by a lunch banquet in Termeh restaurant.