The 9th gathering of institutes and organizations offering Persian language and literature courses across the world was organized by the Saadi Foundation in collaboration with Tehran University of Medical Sciences, on February 28, 2023, in which the ECO Cultural Institute was represented as well.
According to the ECO Cultural Institute, the event was held at the central building of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences on February 28, 2023. In this meeting, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, the Head of the Saadi Foundation, Mehdi Imanipour, the Head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, Hashem Dadashpour, Iranian Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Hossein Ghanaati, President of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Abolfazl Bagherifard, Iranian Deputy Minister for Education, Health Ministry, Amir Zand-Moghadam, Vice-President of the Department of Education and Research in Saadi Foundation, Mohammad Hossein Ayati, Vice-President of Tehran University of Medical Sciences for International Affairs, and Musa Aswar, a permanent member of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, discussed the measures taken by the responsible state organizations, macro-educational policies, and synergy between the organizations, non-Iranian audiences and Iranians abroad, and reviewed the practical proposals in this field.
During the meeting, Haddad-Adel stated that the Saadi Foundation is one of the institutions that emerged after the Islamic Revolution of Iran. Emphasizing the spread of the Persian language outside the borders, he said: “The Saadi Foundation prioritized the experimental work and today it has been able to become a reliable key center for Persian learners all over the world.”
The Head of the Saadi Foundation further stated: “Teaching the Persian language to non-Persian speakers has different principles and methods, and one of the policies of the Saadi Foundation is to cooperate with state organizations, ministries, and universities; the policy helps to teach the Persian language in a positive way.”
On the other hand, Mehdi Imanipour stressed the importance of the Persian language as a tool of public diplomacy and said: “The Persian language is the language of the Iranian Islamic Revolution and a part of its soft power abroad. If someone is interested in the promotion of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and recognition of it, he or she should learn and teach the Persian language.”
He declared that a good text, a good teacher, and a good method are the three pillars of guaranteeing the quality of Persian language training, and added: “Among the elements which guarantee the quality of Persian language learning are paying attention to different regions of the world, increasing student acceptance, increasing scholarships, facilitation of transportation of the students and professors, raising the budget, identifying the potential of immigrants to Iran, and seeking help from Iranians living abroad to teach Persian in schools.”
Moreover, Hashem Dadashpour referred to increasing the acceptance of international students, expansion of the Persian language through them, and accepting more Persian language and literature professors at the university and non-university centers as strategic measures in the promotion of the Persian language. Referring to the tenfold increase in the demand by non-Iranian students at Iranian universities, he said: “This issue means that we should take advantage of this opportunity. Let's use it to spread the Persian language.”
Hossein Ghanaati, the President of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, also emphasized the importance of the expansion of the Persian language and culture, saying: “the role of literature in preserving culture among all social classes is irreplaceable, and the success of countries depends on both nurturing and training their people.