ATU and Coimbra University Sign an MoU on Academic Cooperation

Directorate for International Academic Cooperation -

ATU Vice-President for Research hosted two guests from Coimbra University (CU) on 26 September 2017. During this visit, an MoU cooperation was signed between the ATU Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences and CU Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education.

At the beginning of the meeting, held with the participation of heads of different departments in ATU Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Dr Habib Honari, ATU Vice-President for Research, welcomed the Portuguese guests and briefly introduced ATU and its education and research potentials. Then, he presented some data about the research and publications in ATU, and mentioned that more than 60 international MoUs have to date been signed from which more than 60 precent are actively being operationalised. Honari then insisted on the importance of implementing the signed MoUs and proposed the Portuguese delegation to consider such activities as staff exchange and establishment of joint/double degree programmes, including the Sport Physiology in the framework of the cooperation of the two Universities.

The session was continued with Dr Gholamali Kargar, Dean of ATU Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, presenting data about the Faculty and saying that "development of our Faculty is one of the priorities of ATU and this session is in line with the same policy. We have planned for adding to our Faculty such fields as Sport Law, Sport Tourism, and Sport Sociology" and connections with foreign universities have been formed in this regard.

Dr Joaquim Ramos de Carvalho, Vice-Rector of Coimbra University (CU) and a Faculty Member at CU Faculty of Letters, then pointed to the extensive cooperation between Iranian and Portuguese universities and the large number of Iranian students currently studying at CU. He expressed his university's willingness to sign MoU with ATU and suggested the exchange of faculty and student as a good starting point. Dr António José Barata Figueiredo, Dean of the CU Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, then introduced his Faculty and offered suggestions on further cooperation of the faculties.

Dr Majid Reza Momeni, Head of ATU Office for Developing International Academic Cooperation, was the next speaker, asking the Portuguese guests about the medium of instruction in the CU and the percentage of classes specifically organised in English. The session was closed with the parties signing an MoU by their Vice-Presidents and Faculty Deans. The guests then had a visit to ATU Museum in Imam Ali Mosque.