Valery Falkov speaks at the opening ceremony of the Forum of Rectors of Russian and Iranian Universities

Report by the Directorate for International Academic Cooperation–

In the opening ceremony of the Forum of Rectors of Russian and Iranian Universities, Mr Valery Falkov, the Russian Minister of Education and Science, noted that the training of Iranian students at Russian universities is one of the major areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Russian Minister of Education then added: “This year, more than 6.5 thousand students from Iran are studying in Russia, and more than 250 of them are studying under the quota of the Russian Government. Compared to last year, the number of students increased by almost two thousand people. It demonstrates the dynamics and interest in Russian education on the part of Iranian citizens. We are planning to allocate 300 budget places for the upcoming academic year. We are ready to continue to provide scholarships for the training of specialists necessary for the development of the Republic's economy.”

In recent years, Russia has attached great importance to the study of the Persian language. Centres for Iranian studies and the Persian language have also been launched in Kazan, Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and St. Petersburg. In 2022 alone, the Russian Ministry of Education and Science supported two Russian-Iranian research projects in medicine and biology as part of a competition with the countries of the Near and Middle East.

The Forum is currently held at the Fundamental Library of Moscow State University, named after M. V. Lomonosov. ATU President, Professor Abdollah Motamedi is participating in this event on ATU's behalf.