Nader Nourmohammadi has been appointed as Iran’s science attaché in Iraq by Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, Mohammad-Ali Zolfigol. The primary responsibilities of the newly appointed science attaché include identifying scientific capacities and facilities in Iraq, fostering scientific connections and cooperation with universities and research institutions in Iran, and attracting students and technologists to study or work in Iran.
Iraqi Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Naeem Al-Aboudi highlighted during a meeting with Zolfigol in Tehran in May 2023 that many Iraqi youths are interested in pursuing higher education in Iran. He emphasized that the demand for studying in Iran is high, with a large number of Iraqi students interested in furthering their education there. Al-Aboudi mentioned that 75,000 Iraqi nationals are currently studying in Iranian universities.
Zolfigol stressed the importance of increasing joint scientific exchanges between Iran and Iraq and organizing joint seminars. He suggested that holding a meeting between heads of universities and research technology centers of the two countries could enhance cooperation. In July 2022, the Iranian deputy science minister Vahid Haddadi-Asl prioritized increasing academic cooperation with Iraq among Islamic and neighboring countries.
During a meeting with Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran Naseer Abdul Mohsen Abdullah, Haddadi-Asl highlighted that Iraq has the largest number of foreign nationals studying in Iran. This makes it crucial for both countries to address their issues to strengthen scientific and educational cooperation between them fully.
