DUSHANBE, January 29, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on expansion of educational ties in Dushanbe on January 26.
Tajik Education Minister Abdujabbor Rahmonov signed the document on behalf of Tajikistan and his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Farshidi, signed the MoU on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abdujabbor Rahmonov told Asia-Plus that the MoU covers a broad range of issues related to bolstering further cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran in various areas of education, including student exchange program, sharing experience and cooperation between Tajik and Iranian researchers. “Besides, Iran has good potentials for publishing textbooks and Tajikistan intends to use this for publishing our textbooks at Iranian printing houses,” the minister said, noting that the MoU also provides for the establishment of international schools in Tajikistan.
According to Abdujabbor Rahmonov, at present 65 Tajik students are studying at various higher educational institutions in Iran and more than 50 Iranian nationals are studying at various higher educational institutions in Tajikistan.
In the meantime, IRNA reported that Iran and Tajikistan inked 20 memoranda of understanding on expansion of cultural and educational ties in Dushanbe Friday evening.
According to the Iranian news agency, pursuant to the MoUs, the sides will expand cooperation in various fields of education, including book publication and sharing of experiences, as well as in information technology.
Speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony, Farshidi said areas referred to in the MOUs include cooperation particularly in the construction of an international school by Iran in cooperation with Tajikistan, publication of teachers” training books in Persian and Arabic languages, establishment of a branch of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) in Dushanbe and sharing of its cultural and artistic products with Iran.
Abdujabbor Rahmonov, for his part, informed that a working group composed of Tajik experts has been set up to speed up the construction of Iran”s international school in Tajikistan. He praised efforts made by Iran to promote education and training of teachers in Tajikistan, saying Tehran has rich experiences in the educational field.
The Iranian education minister arrived in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on January 23 at the head of a cultural and educational delegation for a four-day visit.
