A meeting was recently held at the Secretariat of the Young Scientists Festival, bringing together Mr. Ebrahim Jamili, President of the Festival’s Policy Council and President of the Jamili Science and Technology Foundation, and Dr. Sandoughdaar, Head of the ACECR Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Advancement. Faculty members and senior managers from ACECR also participated in the session.
The discussion focused on expanding cooperation in scientific research, technology development, and public outreach. Dr. Soroush Moddab, Executive Director of the festival, presented an overview of previous years, detailing the operational structure, idea selection process, judging criteria, and future plans. He emphasized the importance engagement with academic institutions to enhance the festival’s national impact.
Engineer Jamili outlined the foundation’s mission to strengthen Iran’s science and technology ecosystem and expressed readiness to collaborate with ACECR in areas such as science communication, public engagement, and leveraging ACECR’s expertise in the festival’s international judging panels.
Dr. Sandoughdaar introduced the AI Center’s capabilities and national projects in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and emerging technologies. He noted that partnering with the festival could help identify promising young talent and channel their potential into high-impact innovation.
Dr. Saeed Nik-Akhtar, ACECR faculty member, shared insights on global innovation trends, emphasizing the importance of focusing on AI, data science, clean technologies, biotechnology, and advanced materials. He highlighted the role of synergy between academic institutions and the private sector in shaping the future of technology in Iran.
The meeting concluded with both parties welcoming the prospect of formal collaboration in scientific outreach, joint research, and participation in the festival’s evaluation processes.
