Islamabad
The opening session of the Second International Conference on “Iran-Pakistan Academic-Cultural Dialogue” was held yesterday, organized by Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in partnership with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. The inaugural session was presided over by Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of HEC. The conference saw participation from Vice Chancellors of six universities from the Islamic Republic of Iran, led by Prof. Dr. Seyyed Abolhasan Navvab, Vice Chancellor of the University of Religions and Denominations. The event aims to promote cultural and academic partnerships, strengthen educational and research relations, enhance mutual understanding of both countries’ languages, educate the younger generation on the importance of historical and cultural ties, and encourage academic dialogue among scholars from both nations. The two-day conference includes various sessions.
Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad highlighted Iran’s longstanding role as a custodian of knowledge and culture, emphasizing the need for Pakistan and Iran to learn from each other as neighboring countries. He underscored the importance of Muslim nations setting aside differences to address common challenges and expressed that stronger Iran-Pakistan relations could be achieved through educational and cultural cooperation. He also stressed the use of education, science, and knowledge for the betterment of humanity, and offered prayers and condolences for the recently deceased former president of Iran.
Prof. Dr. Seyyed Abolhasan Navvab, head of the Iranian delegation, expressed his pleasure in visiting Pakistan and AIOU, highlighting the shared values and the importance of cooperation in education, culture, knowledge, economy, and science between Iran and Pakistan. He noted the numerous opportunities for collaboration and thanked the Pakistani nation and government for their support. He expressed his willingness to visit Pakistan frequently to strengthen the relationship further and thanked AIOU and HEC for organizing the conference.
In his welcome note, Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood, Vice-Chancellor of AIOU, mentioned the significant progress made during a conference at an Iranian university earlier this year. This progress led to the establishment of the Iqbal Chair at the University of Religions and Denominations in Iran, the foundation of the Urdu department at the University of Qom, and the initiation of a Persian language course at AIOU. Dr. Mahmood emphasized the deep religious, civilizational, and cultural connections between Iran and Pakistan and reiterated AIOU’s commitment to strengthening these ties through education. Additionally, Vice Chancellors from 20 Pakistani universities also participated in the conference.
