Following the journey of Iranian high-ranking delegation to Switzerland and their official meetings and visits from Swiss universities and scientific centers, a joint scientific workshop on Environmental Technologies has been held at ZHAW School of Engineering with participation of Iranian and Swiss academics and specialists in this field on Tuesday June 20, 2019.

Swiss Desk (The Leading House for Iran-Switzerland Science & Technology Cooperation) in close collaboration with Leading House South Asia and Iran at ZHAW, jointly organized this workshop. This was the second joint scientific workshop between Iran and Switzerland while the first joint workshop entitled “joint research activities between Iran and Switzerland” was held at Isfahan University of Technology with more than 600 Iranian and Swiss participants on May 9, 2018.

The goal of this workshop was networking and develop and deepen previous collaborations between the academic members of two countries. Defining new joint projects and implementing basis for Bridging Grant for mutual projects between Iran and Switzerland were other objectives of this workshop.

A team of officials and highly ranked academic members from 9 Iranian Universities including the University of Shiraz, Sharif University of Technology, Isfahan University of Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tarbiat Modarres University, Shahrood University of Technology, University of Zanjan and Shahid Beheshti University, who have had previous cooperation with Swiss scientists in the field of Environmental Technologies participated at this workshop accompanied by Prof. Dr. Mohammad Javad Omidi, IUT deputy for Research and Technology and Prof. Dr. Sima Fakheran, the head of Swiss Desk (The Leading House for Iran-Switzerland Science & Technology Cooperation). During the workshop, they had meetings and discussions with Swiss academics and scientists as well as Iranian researchers working at Switzerland in the field of Environmental Technologies. His Excellency, Dr. Mohammad Reza Haji Karim Jabbari, the ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran in Switzerland, also attended the workshop, supporting the efforts of the Swiss Desk and Iranian academic members.

This one day workshop has been started by the opening speeches by Prof. Dr. Dirk Wilhelm, the Dean and Managing Director of ZHAW School of Engineering and Dr. Mohammad Javad Omidi, IUT Deputy of Research and after that the keynote speeches has been delivered by Prof. Dr. Hans Wernher van de Venn, the Director of ZHAW Institute of Mechatronic Systems, Prof. Dr. Frank Tillenkamp, Director of ZHAW IEFE Institute of Energysystems and Fluid-Engineering, Prof. Dr. Vahid Hosseini, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology and Prof. Dr. Franz Baumgartner Professor of Photovoltaic Systems / Renewable Energy at ZHAW.

At the afternoon, the participants at workshop paid a visit to the laboratories of ZHAW School of Engineering and ZHAW Center for Product and Process Development.

At the end of the day, the participants, where invited to a guided tour through the old town of Winterthur and a formal dinner by participation of the representatives of ZHAW and State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

This is also to mention that at the same day (June 20, 2019) two other parallel workshops entitled “Non-communicable diseases” and “Mental health” has been held at ZHAW with participation of professors and researchers of medical sciences form universities of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

The Swiss Desk, would like to take this opportunity to express its sincere gratitude and thanks to His Excellency Dr. Haji Karim Jabari, the ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran in Switzerland and his colleagues as well as the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran, specially Dr. Chantal Delli, the counsellor of the embassy and Mr. Kurt Grüter the head of visa section for their supports and helps regarding this workshop. We also are really appreciated and thankful for all the efforts and helps of Mr. Waseem Hossein, the Manager of Leading House South Asia and Iran and his colleagues at ZHAW, for planning and organizing the workshop and also would like to thank and appreciate the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology as well as the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation for their supports and helps. We hope that this Science Tour and Workshop could lead us to further scientific cooperation between the two countries and we would be so honored and happy to host the third Iran-Swiss joint conference at Iran in 2020.