A delegation from Japan's International Cooperation Agency met Iranian deputy minister on Wednesday in Tehran to discuss the start of joint scientific and research cooperation programs. During the meeting attended by a number of directors from the Educational Department of Iran’s Ministry of Health, Deputy Minister Baqer Larijani said the status of medical science education in Iran is satisfactory, Donya-e-Eqtesad reported.
“With 65 medical universities, over 190,000 students, 18,000 faculty members and about 200 training hospitals. Iran can offer ample opportunities for international cooperation in the field of medical sciences,” he said.
Larijani highlighted the significance of the World Health Organization's approval of Iran’s document on Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention and Control.
“A large number of educational, research and medical projects are currently underway across the country and the region, and there are many instances of joint cooperation," he said. Earlier, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had expressed his readiness for full cooperation in scientific, cultural and economic areas, and the JICA visit is a manifestation of the same sentiments.
The Japanese delegation said the objective of their visit is to become familiar with Iran's educational and research capacities and opportunities in the field of medical sciences. It maintained that joint cooperation with Iran can include building of hospitals, manufacturing medical equipment, holding specialized courses, exchanging students and teachers, as well as conducting joint research projects.
Larijani noted that based on the Health Ministry's policies, the country’s medical universities and the Japanese delegation would devise plans for cooperation.
