New Introductory Course on Social Cognitive Neuroscience

Report by the Directorate for International Academic Cooperation–

(English Report by Rasoul Firouzi)

A new educational program titled "Introductory Course on Social Cognitive Neuroscience: From Brain Structure to Shared Human Experience" has been announced, aiming to explore the biological foundations of human social behaviour.

The course will be led by two experts in the field: Dr Mandana Sajjadi, a faculty member at the University of Tehran, and Mr Mohammad Khademi, a researcher in social cognition and sustainable development with a Master's degree in Cognitive Science.

The curriculum is designed as a six-session series covering a wide array of neuroscientific topics, including:

• Foundations of cognitive neuroscience and brain research methods;
• The mechanisms of attention, memory, and learning;
• Decision-making within social contexts;
• The neuroscience of empathy, social interaction, and group processes;
• The intersection of neuroscience with ethics, culture, and politics.

The program is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, 11 August 2026 (20 Mordad).

Sessions will be held twice weekly on Sundays and Tuesdays. To accommodate participants in different time zones, the course will run from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM Iran time (10:30 AM to 12:30 PM Afghanistan time).

The course is hosted online, and interested participants can join via the following link: https://meeting.atu.ac.ir/ch/research.

The program is supported by Ghalib University and the National Center for Afghanistan Studies.