Agreement signed with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Report by the Directorate for International Academic Cooperation–

(Source: atu.ac.ir/fa)

To improve the health and psychosocial support for Afghan immigrants in Iran, Allameh Tabataba'i University (ATU) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) signed a cooperation agreement. Representatives from the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran signed the agreement on SDC's behalf.

In the beginning of the session held on 30 August 2022 at Allameh Tabataba'i University (ATU), Professor Abdollah Motamedi, President of ATU, pointed out that ATU is the largest Humanities-oriented, specialized university in Iran and West Asia. He added: "Allameh Tabataba'i University has numerous academic and political capacities and, thanks to its diverse programmes, it can enact an effective role at the national and international levels. I hope that the signing of this agreement provides the ground for more interactions and communications."

Having expressed his satisfaction at attending Iran's largest Humanities-oriented university, Kim Sitzler, the Deputy Ambassador of Switzerland in Tehran, said: "Afghans have been in Iran throughout history. Therefore, supposing they would return to their home country in the future is not a valid idea. Psychological support of Iranians for Afghan immigrants is of crucial importance, and the service provided by Allameh Tabataba'i University to Afghan immigrants is quite valuable. I hope this cooperation can provide a good basis for further collaborations."
It should be added that, due to the importance of the issue of Afghan immigrants in Iran, ATU, with the help of its Center for Counseling and Mental Health and with the cooperation of Tehran Municipality, has launched the "Center for Immigrants' Mental Health Development" (Mohajer Center) since 2019. Initially defined to be implemented in the national, regional, and international phases, the project is currently being carried out at national and international levels, owing to the global prevalence of the issue of Afghan immigrants.