TEHRAN – Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, has said that attacking universities is a crossing of red lines, highlighting that many universities and educational centers in the country were targeted by the United States and Israel during the recent war.
When a university is targeted, in fact, one of the most authentic centers of culture and civilization is attacked, and the harm is directed at the entire scientific community of the world, msrt.ir quoted Simaei-Sarraf as saying.
The official made the remarks while addressing the tenth meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Education Ministers, which took place in Minsk, Belarus, on June 16. A delegation led by the science minister attended the meeting.
Elaborating on the US-Israeli military attacks on Iran, destruction, and assassinations of Iranian universities and scientists in the past year, he emphasized that universities should be safe havens for thought, dialogue, and hope, rather than victims of conflicts.
The official raised a question, asking participants, “Will the international community allow the most authentic centers of civilization to fall victim to violence?”, and urged the global scientific community and international organizations to adopt a clearer, more responsible, and decisive stance in defending the security of universities, scientists, and scientific centers.
Silence in the face of these aggressions will lead to constant violence against science and civilization, he added.
Referring to transboundary challenges such as climate change, water and energy crisis, food security, and developments in artificial intelligence (AI), he stressed that cohesive scientific cooperation is critical for the future of mankind.
The official went on to highlight the unique, civilizational and academic capacities of the SCO member states in AI, basic sciences, advanced materials, and public health, and emphasized the need to transform these diverse advantages into a network of cooperation, noting the universities’ success in the future will not only be measured by the production of pure knowledge, but their impacts on the quality of people’s lives.
The official went on to propose that SCO become a successful model of problem-based convergence in which knowledge is a bridge between nations and a factor for sustainable development, prosperity, and building a safer and more humane future.
Hosting more than 30 representatives of SCO member states, including ministers of education and their deputies, university rectors, and officials from relevant agencies, the tenth meeting aimed to enhance multilateral scientific and technological cooperation among SCO member states.
Belarusian Education Minister, Andrey Ivanets, held a meeting with Simaei-Sarraf. The official hoped the meeting would lay the ground for the expansion of scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries.
The Iranian minister, for his part, highlighted the strategic standing of the SCO and called for the enhancement of collaborations among member states in the technology sector to meet the shared needs of each nation.
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