The closing ceremony of the Fourth Young Scientists Festival was held on Sunday, November 29, 2020 observing all health protocols and with the presence of a limited number of main elements of the festival and the heads of the country’s top universities, including the University of Tehran, Sharif and Shahid Beheshti. The online broadcast was given to the public through two sites, Aparat and the University of Tehran.
This year, for the fourth year in sequence, the Young Scientists Festival, with the support of the Jamili Charitable Foundation and the University of Tehran Supporters Foundation and the University of Tehran Science Campus, in order to support young thinkers, create technology-based businesses, promote an entrepreneurial culture for converting intellectual property into wealth was held as a national scientific event.
The focus of the festival in the field of basic sciences included five sections: 1) Chemistry 2) Physics 3) Biological Sciences 4) Geology 5) Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science and also this year “Corona Impact on Biological Pattern”.
At the ceremony, Engineer Ebrahim Jamili (Chairman of the Festival Policy Council and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Jamili Charity Foundation) stating that next year we are trying to bring the festival to the student field, added: “Holding the festival means doing hard work and the festival is for people who want to work hard.”
“The fifth festival will be held internationally in 1400,” said Jamili by expressing hope for the festival’s immortality.
Engineer Ebrahim Jamili, stating that the young scientists festival is not going to be summarized only in magazines and media, but it is a place for the connection of science and wealth, continued: “Therefore, the doors of this festival are open to all those who want to promote the country to create wealth.”
Dr. Kamarei (Chairman of the Festival and Chairman of the Board of the Tehran University Supporters Foundation) said that the purpose of holding this festival is to pay attention to young thinkers and scientists and noted: “This festival is held by the private sector that ideas of youth are supported”. Usually in the education system, less attention is paid to the entrepreneurial sector and only the topics of scientific theory are emphasized, but this festival has taken steps to guide young people towards converting science into a product and technology.”
Dr. Kamarei also considered the guidance of thinkers towards entrepreneurship causing to promote the economic and social status of the country and added: “The festival is an action that is part of our responsibilities.”
Dr. Nili Ahmadabadi (Head of the University of Tehran) while referring to the current situation in the country and the spread of the Corona virus, spoke about the close relationship between science and crisis management and Corona. Dr. Nili also referring to the holding of online university classes at the time of the outbreak of virus and the non-closure of science and education in the country at the same time as the crisis, added: “Society values most to science and knowledge.”
“The Corona virus has shown us well that even the passage of such crises is through science, and that the issue of the Festival of Young Thinkers and Scientists is related to this field, the basic sciences,” Dr. Nili continued.
Dr. Fotouhi (Head of Sharif University) while expressing satisfaction with holding of the fourth festival and wishing the country to get rid of the common corona virus investigated the main pillars of the festival and appreciated his efforts. Dr. Fotouhi pointed to the positive news, including the growing efforts to manufacture and produce the Corona vaccine in the world, along with the negative news these days and added: “Conditions such as the unprecedented outbreak of the coronavirus are an opportunity for young thinkers and scientists to make more efforts in knowledge and research.”
Dr. Fotouhi pointed out to the provision of a suitable environment for the growth and efforts of thinkers and the high value of young thinkers with an entrepreneurial spirit and their efforts to convert ideas into action. Dr. Fotouhi considered the promotion of the culture of valuing new ideas as the result of the movement of thinkers and scientists towards idea generation and mentioned the creation of context, team building and creating a suitable space for the growth and empowerment of ideas as the three main conditions for growth and prosperity of ideators in the country.
Dr. Nasiri Gheidari (Head of Shahid Beheshti University) while appreciating the presence of more than 1000 spectators simultaneously with the online broadcast of the festival pointed out the difference between the fourth festival and the previous three festivals. He spoke about the cooperation between the Jamili Charitable Foundation and the Fourth Festival with Shahid Beheshti University in order to produce science and technology and added: “Creativity has had a special place in recent years, especially in the UNESCO World Organization. The distinctive feature of man is also in comparison with other creatures of his creativity. “In the path of human growth and creativity, in addition to government and social institutions, there are also good and benevolent human beings who have built their lives based on helping other human beings grow and creativity, and Engineer Ibrahim Jamili is one of these great human beings.”
The speeches of the other members of the festival, who accompanied this scientific event with their valuable instructions during the past year, were also displayed in the form of audio and video clips during the ceremony due to the existing conditions and the strictest observance of health protocols.
During the ceremony, the names of 46 selected ideas in the semi-final section were announced from among 430 received ideas, and at the end, 16 ideas were introduced as the final options of the two sections “Ideation” and “Start-up Business” that research credit was awarded to each selection by the Jamili Charitable Foundation, job creation is only part of the achievements of the fourth festival, and creating motivation and hope is considered its most important achievement.
