With the aim of extending the current mutual collaboration with the universities in Switzerland, a delegation from Isfahan University of Technology visited 3 top Swiss universities during a formal trip.

Prof. Mahmood Modarres Hashemi the president of IUT accompanied by Dr. Abtahi the Vice-President for Research and Technology, Prof. Mahboobi Soofiani director of International and Scientific Cooperation Office, Dr. Ghaisari director for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and IUT Technology Incubation Center, and Dr. Fakheran faculty member of the Department of Natural Resources where the members of IUT delegation.

The visit was in response to the official invitation by Prof. Lino Guzzella the president of ETH Zurich, following his visit to IUT in November 2015, during which the existing MOU was renewed between the two universities. The main purpose of this trip was to strengthen and extend current scientific collaborations between IUT and Swiss universities along with pursuing the implementation of existing MOU. During his meetings, Prof. Modarres Hashemi tendered the official invitation of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran to the presidents and officials of ETH Zurich, UZH and EPFL, to have a joint meeting with the presidents of the associations of Iranian top universities in a near future, in Iran.

On the first day of their visit, the IUT delegation visited Mr. Abedi, Iran’s charge d’affairs in Switzerland, at the embassy of Iran in Bern. During this meeting, Mr. Abedi welcomed the IUT delegation and had a discussion with them about the ways of expanding the scientific collaboration with the Swiss universities.

“I really praise the aim of Isfahan University of Technology to expand the scientific collaboration with Swiss universities. We, at the embassy of Iran in Bern, are absolutely ready to introduce IUT to the Swiss scientific and research institutes and help you on the way of extending your cooperation with them”; said Mr. Abedi.

The IUT delegation visited University of Zurich (UZH) on November 9, 2016. They had a meeting with the UZH officials and Prof. Michael O. Hengartner the President of UZH. In this meeting, Prof. Hengartner welcomed the IUT delegation and had a brief introduction about the UZH. During his speech, Prof. Modarres Hashemi referred to the long standing cooperation between the two universities and expressed his willingness to expand this cooperation further, in the fields of education and research. The meeting was followed by a visit to the UZH campus including the Faculty of Science and a joint meeting with Prof. Michael Schaepman the dean of this faculty.

The IUT delegation visited the ETH Zurich on November 10. During their visit, they had a meeting with Prof. Lino Guzzella, the President of ETH. In this meeting, the parties discussed about the ways of putting the previously signed MOU into action. Prof. Guzzella also agreed about providing research opportunities (like sabbaticals) for faculty members and also graduate students, and went on to say that scientific cooperation with Isfahan University of Technology is one of our main priorities.

Visiting the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, lab visits and meeting with Prof. Gerhard Schmitt, Senior Vice-President of ETH Global were other programs of IUT delegation during this visit.

IUT delegate also visited the EPFL in Lausanne on November 11. The visit was programmed following Prof. Patrick Aebischer’s, the president of EPFL, visit to IUT in October 2015.

The IUT delegation had a daylong meeting with different officials of EPFL who presented their main research lines and educational programs followed by a discussion session after each presentation. Thereafter, IUT delegation had a meeting with Prof. Aebischer. The parties had fruitful negotiations to expand collaboration between IUT and EPFL in the fields of double degree programs at PhD level, exchange of faculty members and students, providing sabbatical opportunities for faculty members and students, defining joint research projects and collaboration in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Finally, the IUT delegation had a friendly meeting with some of the Iranian students (IRSA) at EPFL and they discussed about the topics of mutual interest. Members of IRSA asked for strengthening the ties between Iranian graduates from foreign universities (in particular EPFL) and IUT.