Sorena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology affairs, mentioned that the fifth round of the event will lead to new steps toward highlighting the role of universities in solving the country’s problems, adding: fortunately, this project has had good results and has exceeded expectations. This plan forms a new culture in the attitude towards the university and its role.

Pointing out that the first round of the event was held in cooperation with just seven research core and it has made great progress since then, the president of the national elites foundation mentioned: after five rounds, there are 272 research and elite cores, as well as 2800 professors and students in this round of the event.

Sattari emphasized that Shahid Ahmadi Roshan emphasizes a change of behavior and attitude toward academic and student-related topics, adding: this plan pays serious attention to the Supreme Leader's emphasis on increasing the role of universities in solving problems and its impact on society.

Pointing out that sustainable development is a cultural and gradual matter, Sattari marked: there was a time when we thought development was just hardware and we were looking for it in building factories, building heavy industries and building more chimneys. After a while, however, we came to the conclusion that software development is software-based and process-based. But today we clearly know that development is a cultural issue and what makes development real and sustainable in society is the existence of an ecosystem with a culture based on the requirements of sustainable development and based on the capabilities of creative manpower. Shahid Ahmadi Roshan Project also follows the promotion of the same culture.

The president of the national elites foundation emphasized the existence of universities that do not use the government budget and solve problems and generate added value. In this regard, he added: universities that receive 100% of their funding from the government certainly do not feel the need to connect and interact with society to solve the needs and problems of the people.

Sattari considered dependence on government budget a factor for reducing the impact of universities, asserting: a false belief and culture emanating from a crude and resource-based economy had made its role in the development and progress of the country less obvious and effective, despite spending huge amounts of money on education.

He continued: to change this process, we need a transformation of behaviors and attitudes toward the country’s needs and problems by the academics. Improvement has been observed in the culture and these attitudes with the considerable participation of academics in the ecosystem of knowledge-based economy and after four rounds of Shahid Ahmadi Roshan.

Sattari mentioned that the project recalls the importance of elite students and top talents, adding: this plan has provided the ground for creative and talented manpower to reach its true status and for the provinces to pay attention and support their valuable manpower investments.

According to the vice president for science and technology affairs, another mission and priority of Shahid Ahmadi Roshan Project is redefining the mission of research and education.

In addition, Hassan Salarieh, deputy of future making of the national elites foundation, expressed that the fifth round of the event will be held more expansive and glamorous than the previous rounds, affirming: the role-playing of talented students in solving the real problems, creating a network of capable people, increasing students' social skills, guiding talents to identify and solve strategic problems and increasing the unity of executive bodies, scientific centers and the private sector are clear goals of Shahid Ahmadi Roshan Project.

A report by the public relations and information center of the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs