June 11, 2025 – Coinciding with the 26th Iran Health Exhibition, the Connect Forum was held to strengthen ties between Iranian specialists abroad and domestic scientific and technology centers. The event, organized by the Vice Presidency for Scientific, Technological and Knowledge-Based Economy Affairs, highlighted the achievements of the “Connect” platform.

According to Seyed Ali Hosseini, Deputy Head of the International Affairs Center and manager of the Connect platform, Connect was founded in 2015 through collaboration with Iranian experts in North America and Europe. The primary objective is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and experience from abroad to Iran, fostering effective connections between specialists, entrepreneurs, and investors both inside and outside the country.

Hosseini emphasized that migration should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat, focusing on leveraging the scientific capacity of the Iranian diaspora without necessarily requiring their physical return. Activities under Connect include lectures, postdoctoral fellowships, visiting professorships, summer and winter schools, and joint industrial and scientific projects. So far, the platform has established links with around 10,000 Iranian specialists living overseas.

One of the key challenges discussed was the issue of mandatory military service, which has hindered the return of some male experts. Efforts are underway to resolve this through research and industrial projects.

The Connect Forum featured specialists from Belgium, the UK, and Canada in fields such as genetics, biotechnology, medicine, and biotechnological engineering, sharing their experiences of migration, maintaining connections, and even returning to Iran.

Hosseini also invited visitors to the Connect Pavilion in Hall 35 of the exhibition, where 18 knowledge-based companies founded by returning Iranians were showcased. These companies are among the nearly 400 active enterprises established through the Connect platform by Iranian experts abroad. These successes highlight the unique capacity of the Connect network in advancing technology and job creation in Iran’s innovation ecosystem.