The director of the German Academic Exchange Program Office in Tehran reflects on his experiences building international scientific collaborations in a changing Iran.
Iran’s electricity exports, untouched by European and U.S. sanctions, serve as an alternative outlet for Iran’s extensive natural gas reserves and also support Iran's aspirations of long-term regional influence.
Given the complex and adversarial official relationship between the United States and Iran, mutually beneficial areas of scientific cooperation can be important for both advancing knowledge and promoting understanding.
SESAME, the only synchrotron in the Middle East, seeks to achieve scientific excellence, attract and retain scientists, and foster regional cooperation, while overcoming sometimes tense political relationships.
Policy makers should elevate the use of cooperation in engineering areas to foster relationships and solve global problems, particularly between the United States and the Middle East and Caucasus.
