Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between TUMS and Saint Petersburg State University

The memorandum was signed during an online meeting hosted by the TUMS headquarters as the main hub. The meeting began with the playing of the national anthem of the two countries and the welcome of Dr. Nekoofar, TUMS Director of International Relations and the main coordinator of the program.

Then Dr. Sergey Andryushin, the SPbU Vice Chancellor for International Affairs, gave an introduction about SPbU and stated that  SPbU is almost 300 years old and is admitting students in a variety of disciplines, including the humanities and natural sciences, and has focused much of its current effort on expanding medicine and biomedicine to support the people of Russia and the rest of the world.

He mentioned TUMS as an educational institute with a long history and well-known professors and said: "It seems that if we integrate the facilities and capabilities of the parties in the development of medical sciences, we can have stronger and more effective educational and research programs."

He announced the possibility of joint implementation of educational programs and webinars, conferences and scientific workshops by signing this memorandum of understanding and said: "the two universities have a lot of experience in international cooperation and can work together effectively and can be a successful example of scientific interactions between the two countries.

Then, Dr. Ramin Kordi, the TUMS Vice Chancellor for International Affairs, started his speech by thanking Dr. Sergey Andryushin for hosting the TUMS delegation and providing an opportunity to visit SPbU last year.

He also explained the history of medicine in Iran and the background of TUMS and introduced TUMS as the oldest and best university in the country. "Fortunately, the number of faculty members and articles at TUMS has grown significantly over the last 10 years," said the university's vice chancellor for international affairs, referring to the university's leadership role nationwide and its leading position in the Middle East.

Dr. Kordi also explained the position of the university in the international ranking systems and announced the readiness for educational, research and treatment cooperation with SPbU by signing a memorandum of understanding, especially in the area of the professor and student exchange. He suggested a joint course focusing on Covid-19 be defined, and stated that he sees in this approach an opportunity to exchange experiences in the field of medicine in Iran and Russia.

Yury Burov, Scientific Advisor of the Russian Embassy in Iran, and Dr. Mohsen Najafi, Scientific Advisor of the Iranian Embassy in Russia, who also attended the meeting, welcomed the signing of this agreement and emphasized the MoU brings more scientific cooperation between the two countries.

Also, Dr. Alireza Namazi Shabestari, Head of Desk for International Cooperation between TUMS and Russia and the Caucasus, briefly explained the steps taken to conclude the memorandum in this online forum and stated that the two universities began jointly, and last year, preliminary agreements were reached following the visit of the President of St. Petersburg University to Iran. He continued: "Also, during the negotiations and correspondence, the TUMS delegation traveled to Russia in November 2019, and by attending this university and visiting the existing capabilities, signing this MoU came on the agenda."

Then, the officials of the two universities appreciated the efforts of the Russian Embassy in Iran and the Iranian Embassy in Russia, and at the end, the memorandum of understanding and also student exchange protocol were signed by Dr. Ramin Kordi and Dr. Sergey Andryushin.

We wish success to the two universities in advancing this agreement.