New opportunities for advancing Iranian studies at YSU

The delegation led by Dr. Seyyed Abolhasan Navvab, President of the University of Religions and Denominations in Qom, was accompanied by Mohammad Asadi-Movahedi, Head of the Culture Center of the Iranian Embassy in Armenia.   

The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral partnership ties and discussing two programs. 

Professor Vardan Voskanyan, Head of the Iranian Studies Chair at the YSU Faculty of Oriental Studies, spoke about cooperation, noting: "YSU cooperates with several leading Iranian universities. Among those universities, the University of Religions and Denominations stands out with its special focus on theology and religious studies. In the Middle East, Islam is of great importance both in terms of academic research and in the operational sector as an important policy factor. In this regard, the broad opportunities for studying Islam in our country and the cooperation with this university are extremely important for us.  

Vardan Voskanyan presented various opportunities for cooperation, including exchange programs for students and teaching staff, and joint research initiatives. The collaboration between the two institutions aims to enhance the teaching of both Persian and Arabic, taking into account the high level of Arabic teaching at the University of Religions and Denominations.

The practical phase of cooperation between the two universities is scheduled to commence at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. A lecturer from the University of Religions and Beliefs will visit YSU to present Manichaeism, one of the important religions of pre-Islamic Iran. This topic holds particular importance for Iranian studies research, especially considering the scarcity of specialists in Armenia focusing on the study of Manichaeism. 

Professors from Armenia will also visit the University of Religions and Denominations to deliver lectures on the apostolic direction of Christianity. 

During the meeting, an agreement was reached to provide professional knowledge on the state religion of the Republic of Iran at YSU and to enhance the quality of research in that field.

The parties discussed a summer school program involving students and teaching staff of YSU and the University of Religions and Denominations in Qom. 

Referring to the importance of similar meetings, V. Voskanyan emphasized: "Of course, the primary goal is to deepen academic, scientific, educational and cultural cooperation, but it’s important to note that the collaboration between universities from friendly countries also enhances relations in political and economic spheres of both countries." 

The memorandum of understanding between YSU and the University of Religions and Denominations in Qom was signed in 2022.