RosNOU and Al-Mustafa International University determine areas of cooperation

On 12 December 2022, Russian New University (RosNOU) hosted an Iranian delegation from Al-Mustafa International University (MIU). The delegation was led by MIU’s representative in Russia Dr. Rasul Abdollahi and also included MIU’s Vice-Rector for Education Dr. Hamid Jazaeri, Head of Staff Mohammad Alinejad Shani, Head of MIU’s Institute of Quran and Hadith Mohammad Ali Rezai Renani, Vice-Rector for Economic Affairs Naim Rezaian, and Head of Research Department, MIU’s representative in Russia Airat Baeshev.

The receiving party was represented by RosNOU’s First Vice-Rector Elena V. Lobanova, Vice-Rector for Education Grigory A. Shabanov, Vice-Rector for Education Quality and Accreditation Igor V. Darda, and Director of the Center of Iranian Culture and Persian Language, Project Administrator for the Middle East Dr. Ahmad Reza Elahi.

At the beginning of the meeting Dr. Rasul Abdollahi presented Al-Mustafa International University and shared what he expected of the visit to RosNOU:

«Our university is one of the biggest universities in Iran. Around 50 thousand students of 130 nationalities coming from all over the world undergo training at MIU. We have branches and representative offices in 50 countries and we see training of international students as one of our primary objectives. More than 80 thousand foreign students have completed their Persian language studies at MIU. In terms of national diversity, Al-Mustafa International University can safely claim the status of one of the leading universities in the world. We believe it vital to strengthen cooperation with Russia and today we would like to learn as much as possible about your university».

In reply, Grigory A. Shabanov told the guests about RosNOU’s thirty-year history and its achievements. The Vice-Rector highlighted that there was nothing that could be more powerful than science and education, and for that very reason implementing joint educational projects was of tremendous importance. RosNOU established its first contacts with an Iranian university back in 2002 and since then it has been working ceaselessly on evolving cooperation with Iran. Today, the implementation of educational and scientific projects with the country that has been under Western sanctions for many years and that has worked out unique solutions to keep developing in difficult conditions is one of priority areas:

«For quite a long time, RosNOU has had a successful educational platform for cooperation with Iran in the humanitarian sphere — the Center of Iranian Culture and Persian Language. Our university’s academic staff is eager to take part in developing Russian as a Foreign Language programs as well as joint research projects with Al-Mustafa International University».

According to the Vice-Rector for Education Quality and Accreditation Igor v. Darda, RosNOU implements more than two hundred further vocational education programs. Cooperation with Iranian colleagues in this area can also be of great interest. Other spheres of collaboration include preparation of scientific articles, exchange of academic staff in the fields of Economics, Jurisprudence and Sociology, and arrangement of short-term training courses in the Russian language for our professors.

«After completing training at Al-Mustafa International University, our professors will be able to read Omar Khayyam in the original. Cooperation with the leading private international university in Iran will let RosNOU broaden and strengthen the relations of the Center of Iranian Culture and Persian Language as well as create a platform for the interaction between students and professors from humanitarian universities of Russia and Iran,» — summed up the meeting RosNOU’s First Vice-Rector Elena v. Lovanova.