Elite capacity tapped for development of AQR scientific diplomacy

A joint meeting between the Secretariat of Scientific Service of the Scientific and Cultural Organization of Astan Qods Razavi (AQR) and the International Affairs Department of the institution was held to explore new avenues for scientific cooperation and international engagement.
Participants reviewed existing capacities for establishing a research and advisory body to support AQR’s international initiatives. They emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between the Secretariat of Scientific Service and the International Affairs Department in order to benefit from the expertise of academic elites, university professors, and researchers.
Speaking in the meeting, Mehdi Ganji, a member of the Secretariat of Scientific Service, highlighted the extensive network of scientific volunteers associated with the institution. 
He stated: "Through its wide connections with university professors and researchers, the Secretariat of Scientific Service can function as an intellectual and advisory arm alongside the International Affairs Department and help address many of its research needs."
Ganji noted that the network of scientific volunteers provides valuable capacity for strategic studies, program design, and the formation of expert think tanks. 
He also referred to the use of research platform NAN (Ideas and Needs Management System) as a mechanism for implementing research projects and facilitating collaboration with scholars.
Elsewhere, Dr. Kahlaki, planning director at the International Affairs Department of AQR, stressed the importance of utilizing the academic potential of the Scientific and Cultural Organization. 
He explained: “The department can benefit from the intellectual contributions of scientific volunteers in both immediate consultative needs and long-term academic initiatives”.
He further pointed to the “Scientific Dialogue from the Sanctuary of a Scholar,” known as the “Discourse Eight” program, as a platform for scholarly exchanges with international institutions, including the Vatican, Al-Azhar, and universities around the world. 
“Such interactions”, he maintained, “can contribute to strengthening AQR’s scientific and cultural diplomacy at the global level”.