The first international rehabilitation research center in joint cooperation between the Iranian University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (USWRS) and Germany’s Leipzig University was inaugurated recently.
A South Korean university and two Indonesian universities are also in the joint effort.
Hamid Reza Khankeh, technology and research deputy at USWR announced the official opening of the rehab center on June 18. “The center’s structure was designed by the International Rehabilitation Research Center of Leipzig University, and its statute was signed by the representatives of the four founding universities,” he said.
The research center will conduct different projects on psychological rehabilitation and natural disasters and is sponsored by Leipzig University, IRNA reported.
The first joint research project is a comparative study between Iran and Germany on psychological safety in natural disasters and psychological preparedness for the eventualities.
Khankeh who also heads the Health in Disaster and Emergency Research Center, has conducted workshops for Ph.D. students at Leipzig University, which is the most prestigious in addressing psychological aspects of disasters. The Iranian university is also reputable in the field.
The two universities will exchange masters and PhD students in natural calamities, conduct joint projects in safety management and hold training programs.
The USWRS was established in 1992 through the integration of several related schools and colleges to provide and develop opportunities for extended knowledge creation, education and research in health-related matters in the context of rehabilitation and social welfare. Its goal is to be a focal point in disaster-response research.
