Introduction meeting of ‘the Persian Peoples Studies Group at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid’ in Iran

Introduction meeting of ‘the Persian Peoples Studies Group at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid’ in Iran

The meeting of introduction on "The structure, goals, and programs of the Persian Peoples Studies Group at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid" was held on Saturday, April 10. The Iranian Peace Studies Scientific Association organized this meeting in cooperation with the Persian Peoples Studies Group and the Student Association of Regional Studies of Allameh Tabataba’i University. During this meeting, the fields of scientific cooperation of this group with the universities of the Nowruz region were also examined. The meeting was held at the ECO Insurance Higher Education Institute (Allameh Tabataba’i University) and was attended by professors from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Allameh Tabataba’i University, and a group of students. Moreover, other professors from different countries such as Russia, Spain, Georgia, India, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan joined the meeting online.

Dr. Raffaele Mauriello, the moderator of the meeting, initially mentioned that this group is the first study group on the Iranian people in Spanish universities and this meeting is the first official introduction of this group. "Our goal is to study the history and culture of the Iranian people in the Middle East and Central Asia," said Dr. Fernando Escribano Martín, a key member and the coordinator of the Iranian Peoples Studies Group. We want to study the political, cultural, sociological, and international relations of the Iranian people. Another case we are going to study is the Iranian diaspora. Referring to the good relations and cooperation between the University of Madrid and Allameh Tabataba’i University, Maurillo stated: Allameh Tabataba’i University can act as a bridge between this group and the universities of the region; a region that is also known as the Nowruz region.

Dr. Fernando Camacho Padilla, historian and one of the founding members of this group, referred to the history of academic and diplomatic relations between Iran and Spain and said: " Universidad Autónoma de Madrid is not the first Spanish university to establish relations with Iran, but this university is the first university in Spain that has started teaching the Persian language, culture, and history of Iran. He also added: "Iran-Spain relations, which had decreased during the Iraq-Iran war (1980-88), became more prominent in the late 80s and 90s, ie after the war." Fernando Camacho went on to point out the roots of the establishment of this group and said: "In order to advance the goals of this group, it is necessary to establish more and expanded relations with Iranian academics and universities." Currently, programs such as student exchange and awarding scholarships to professors are underway. He concluded: "Although a pandemic has slowed down activities and reduced communication, it is hoped that we will be able to see more cooperation by resuming relations in the post-COVID 19 period."