AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A knowledge-enhancement meeting for professors of AhlulBayt International University was held with a speech by Hojat al-Islam Dr. Saeed Jazari.
In this session, organized around the theme "Scientific Diplomacy and Internationalization Strategies," he provided a comprehensive analysis of the position of science in modern global governance and explained the path from traditional universities towards scientific authority.
The President of AhlulBayt International University, explaining the evolution of "power," called the present century the age of "knowledge dominance."
He stated: "In the 19th century, power revolved around militarism and geography. The 20th century was the era of industrial capacity and mass production. But in the 21st century, the definition of power has changed to 'the ability to produce, regulate, distribute, and standardize knowledge and technology.' Today, 'raw knowledge' alone is not enough; knowledge must be transformed into 'strategic power.'"
Dr. Jazari stated that achieving scientific power is conditional on the realization of four fundamental layers:
- Production of credible knowledge: Moving from abstract theorizing towards knowledge that succeeds in empirical tests and has "problem-solving ability" in the real world.
- Control of knowledge circulation channels: Presence in top indexing databases and the world's elite networks. He emphasized, "Today, the indexing of a journal at the international level is more important than the publication itself."
- Standardization of the researcher's mindset: Setting quality criteria by domestic elites themselves rather than merely following imposed Western methodologies.
- Scientific authority: Reaching a point of influence where the theories of our professors are accepted as references and indicators in international forums.
Dr. Jazari, citing the theories of Jane Knight (a prominent theorist from the University of Toronto), described internationalization as an "institutional transformation," stating that this concept is not achieved by creating a deputy for international affairs or a public relations office. Internationalization must permeate the four layers of education, research, organization, and mission.
In the field of education, he considered 50-year-old curricula an obstacle to growth and emphasized the necessity of revising textbooks.
The President of AhlulBayt University also said in the area of organization, "An employee who works in an international university but is not proficient in the world's living languages harms both the student and the university's reputation."
Dr. Jazari called the current era the age of "scientific consortia." Citing successful models such as Airbus and global environmental organizations, he said, "The world's major universities no longer operate in isolation. Today, boundaries are defined across scientific disciplines. We must enter networks where a student can simultaneously access the resources and libraries of 7,000 top universities worldwide."
Referring to the deep connection between foreign policy and the university, he considered scientific diplomacy a tool for influencing the hidden layers of other societies.
Dr. Jazari noted, "A successful university is one that, when its graduate returns to their own country (for example, in Africa or Asia), acts as our scientific and cultural ambassador. This is the soft power that can change global equations."
In part of his speech, Dr. Jazari referred to the difficult year that Iran has experienced, honoring the memory of the martyred Leader of the Revolution and Dr. Larijani.
He emphasized, "Despite crises and enmities, Iran has found a special place in the region. Our scientific growth under conditions of bombing and war (referring to international pressures) shows the greatness of this ancient civilization. We are indebted to the thoughts of the martyred Leader, and we must maintain the scientific vitality of the university in the most difficult circumstances."
In conclusion, Dr. Jazari addressed faculty members, emphasizing the necessity of "joint research projects" and "inviting international professors," saying, "We must move from the era of internal competitions to the era of international interactions. The blessed name of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) has immense potential to attract the world's elites, and it is our duty to establish this identity in global scientific networks."
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