Iran, South Africa agree to expand academic cooperation

Iran and South Africa have agreed to expand their academic cooperation, according to a report by IRNA. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Masoud Shams-Bakhsh, Iran's deputy minister of science, research and technology, and Nomusa Dube-Ncube, South Africa's deputy minister of higher education and training, on the sidelines of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers Meeting held in Bhubaneswar, India.

During the meeting, Dube-Ncube outlined South Africa's educational and research capacities and expressed interest in joint research projects, postgraduate faculty and student exchanges, study opportunities, and short-term training courses with Iranian universities. She highlighted the potential for collaboration between the two countries in the field of higher education.

Shams-Bakhsh praised South Africa's role as a founding member of BRICS and said Iran was eager to benefit from South Africa's experience in developing the group's institutional frameworks for educational cooperation. He emphasized Iran's willingness to actively participate in BRICS educational initiatives.

The officials also discussed Iran's participation in the BRICS Education Working Group, mutual recognition of academic qualifications, and the drafting of a joint cooperation document covering strategic areas. These discussions aim to formalize and strengthen the educational ties between the two nations.

According to the report by IRNA, the meeting reflects the growing cooperation between Iran and South Africa within the BRICS framework, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Iran has been seeking closer ties with BRICS member states, and this agreement marks a step forward in academic collaboration.