Tehran:The Iraqi ambassador to Iran has emphasized the need for the two nations to deepen their scientific cooperation beyond merely recruiting students. He advocated for a shift towards joint project implementation, exchange of professors and researchers, and the enhancement of technological collaboration.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Yaser Abdul-Zahra al-Hajjaj highlighted the presence of thousands of Iraqi students studying in over 80 Iranian universities and noted the recent restrictions on the education of Iraqi employees abroad.

Al-Hajjaj expressed that universities serve not only as educational and research institutions but also as platforms for dialogue, confidence-building, and experience exchange among scientists, particularly between Iran and Iraq. He pointed to the Iran-Iraq science week events, where over 70 to 80 university presidents from both countries gathered, resulting in the signing of more than 250 memoranda of understanding. These initiatives have significantly contributed to expanding scientific relations between the two nations.

He praised the establishment of a Tehran University of Medical Sciences branch in Karbala and described the scientific and cultural relations between Iran and Iraq as deep and strategic. Al-Hajjaj warned against a cooperation model based solely on student recruitment, suggesting it could lead to significant limitations and challenges in the future.

The ambassador expressed optimism that the memoranda of understanding concluded between Iranian and Iraqi universities would move beyond the agreement phase and be fully implemented. He called for the exchange of professors and researchers as a crucial area of cooperation, identifying medical issues, agriculture, dust storms, oil and gas sector challenges, and modern technologies like artificial intelligence as promising fields for joint scientific and research efforts.