According to the Communication and Information Center in the Vice Presidency of Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, a meeting of the Vice President of Science with some members of the Afghan elite community was held today at the Vice Presidency of Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.

The purpose of the meeting was to create a platform for maximum use of the capacities of the elites in the country of Afghanistan, and this was a demand that was repeatedly raised by the attendees at the meeting; in their belief, "common language", "common religion" and "cultural partnerships" and the presence of more than 4 decades of Afghan refugees in Iran are among the reasons that necessitate scientific and technological interactions between the two countries.

Hossein Afshin, Vice President of Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, began his discussion in the meeting by expressing his experience at Sharif University of Technology and in dealing with Afghan students, and said: "Intelligence" and "resilience" are two characteristics that I have always seen in Afghan students, but the main point and question here is how far have we been able to explain and utilize these elite capacities and characteristics of the neighboring country?

The head of the National Elites Foundation, referring to the responsibility he bears in this foundation, said: Looking to the future is one of the most important concerns that we pursue at the National Elites Foundation. Therefore, I see this concern as a concern for the neighboring country of Afghanistan, because Afghan children look up to their elders and prominent scientific figures in their development, and if the necessary context is not provided for them to recognize these celebrities, they will lose the opportunity to set a role model. Another issue in the section on looking to the future regarding Afghan refugees should not be overlooked, their prospects for scientific growth and it is important to examine to what extent this segment of society is allowed to grow and what prospects they have for themselves.

Stating that the policy of the 14th government is based on the full use of all the capacities in the country of Afghanistan, he clarified: The common language is one of the reasons that necessitates this maximum use, and the expansion of this language is achievable through new technologies. Therefore, in the path ahead, we are trying to compensate for past shortcomings in interacting with the Afghan elite community and utilizing their capacities and to operationalize this important matter in the form of short-term, medium-term, and long-term planning.

The Vice President of Science continued: In today's world, intellectual forces are the driving force of countries, and we do not recognize borders for elites, especially since we share religious and linguistic backgrounds. Therefore, I believe that the capacity of the two countries (Iran and Afghanistan) for technological cooperation is high, and the conference "Introducing the Elite Capacities of Afghanistan to Iran" is considered a gateway to begin these interactions.

Afshin also considered holding an exhibition of the achievements of Iranian knowledge-based companies in Afghanistan or Khorasan Razavi Province to be useful for introducing the country's technological capabilities and said that the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum, medical equipment, and technical and engineering could be among the topics of the cooperation.

In conclusion, the Vice President of Science evaluated the conference "Introducing Afghanistan's Elite Capacities to Iran" as a starting point for technological interactions between the two countries and emphasized that the first step on this path is to identify these capacities, and during the conference, in addition to introducing Afghan elites, some Iranian scientific figures can also be invited to establish synergy and scientific exchanges through this familiarization.