An Iranian knowledge-based company developed an injectable drug used in the treatment of a broad range of cancers. The pharmaceutical product, named “cyclophosphamide”, has been unveiled by an Iranian company based in the province of Alborz.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by the Iranian Vice-President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy Ruhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi.

Speaking at the ceremony, the head of the Science and Technology Park of Alborz pointed to the effects of injection of the newly-developed medicine in the treatment of a wide spectrum of cancers, saying the drug is used to treat many diseases including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, blood cancer and eye cancer.

Since recently, 100 percent of Iran’s demand for this widely-used drug was met through imports, Mahdi Abbasi stated, noting that the mass production and supply of the homegrown drug will settle the problems facing cancer patients and prevent the high exchange rate used for importing the product.

Provision and supply of anti-cancer drugs have always been one of the major concerns of the health officials and patients in Iran, he added.

The production of cyclophosphamide inside Iran and the patients’ sustainable access to this anti-cancer drug will be facilitated optimally from now on, he stated.

Cyclophosphamide is used to treat cancers of the breast, blood and lymph system, and nerves (mainly in children). Cyclophosphamide is also used for retinoblastoma, a type of eye cancer mainly in children, and multiple myeloma, a cancer in the bone marrow. /MNA/

The researchers of the Sharif University of Technology won first place in the 15th International Social Robotics Conference (ICSR) 2023.

ICSR 2023 took place in Doha, Qatar, as a face-to-face conference on December 3-7, IRIB reported.

This was the first time that the conference was hosted in West Asia and North Africa region.

Professors and researchers in social robotics fields from 20 countries including Iran, America, Canada, Japan, England, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Qatar, Italy, Australia, Singapore, the Netherlands, France, South Korea, and some other countries participated in the prestigious conference.

In different parts of the conference, in addition to presenting the latest findings in the form of scientific articles, a competition is held to evaluate the best ideas and designs in the social robotics field.

This year, the social-cognitive robotics research core of Sharif University of Technology had active participation in the conference, 3 accepted essays in the articles section, and a design in the competition section.

‘A Tablet-Based Lexicon Application for Robot-Aided Educational Interaction of Children with Dyslexia’ was one of the three designs nominated for the best design.

Alireza Taheri (a faculty member of the Mechanical Engineering and the director of the social and cognitive robotics laboratory), Ali Qorbandaipour (an engineer holding an MS degree), and Omid Amiri (a BS student) took part in the conference on behalf of the members of the research group.

They presented their articles and designs and grabbed first place in the social robotics competition for ‘T-Dyslexia: Taban 2 Social Robot Package Assisting Dyslexia’.

The ICSR

The International Conference on Social Robotics aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers, and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of the Social Robotics Conference.

It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Social Robotics Conference.

The 15th ICSR 2023 brought together researchers and practitioners working on the interaction between humans and intelligent robots and on the integration of social robots into society.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Human-Robot Collaboration: Sea, Air, Land, Space, and Cyberspace”, highlighting all physical and cyber-physical domains where humans and robots collaborate.

Social and Cognitive Robotics at Sharif University

The line of research focuses on designing/using Social and Cognitive Robotics, Virtual Reality Systems, and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) platforms for the education and rehabilitation of children with special needs e.g. children with autism, children with hearing problems, and children with cerebral palsy.

The research includes robots’ design and fabrication, serious games’ design, artificial intelligence and control, conducting educational/clinical interventions for children, developing cognitive architectures for social robots, mathematical modeling of participants’ behaviors during HRI, and empowering robots to analyze users’ behaviors automatically and then react adaptively.

Recent academic rankings

In October, The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024 listed 36 Iranian universities among the world’s top 1,000 institutions, compared with 29 universities in 2023.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 include 1,904 universities across 108 countries and regions.

The ranking is based on 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.

Sharif University of Technology ranks first among Iranian universities with a rank in the range of 301-350.

According to an early release from the 2023 edition of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII), Tehran ranks 34th among the top 100 Science and Technology (S&T) clusters in the world.

In September, Iranian higher education institutions once again demonstrated their global prominence, with 18 universities making their mark in the prestigious “Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities,” also known as the “Taiwan Ranking,” released annually by the National Taiwan University.

The University of Tehran has emerged as the torchbearer of Iranian academia, securing an impressive global ranking of 286 in the 2023 Taiwan Ranking. This distinction cements the University of Tehran’s reputation as a world-class institution committed to research excellence.

In August, the second edition of the Webometrics ranking 2023 of the World Universities ranked 440 Iranian institutions among 30,000 top universities worldwide.

Tehran University, ranked 305 in the world, is the top among Iranian institutions on the list followed by Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

The first edition of the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities 2023, in June, ranked 457 Iranian institutions among around 32,000 top universities across the world.

Universities (ARWU), also known as Shanghai Ranking, placed ten universities from Iran among the top 1000 universities in the world in the Shanghai Ranking, 2023, according to the head of the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC).

The University of Tehran is among the top 500 universities in the world with a rank of 401-500, the best among Iranian universities, the ISC head Ahmad Fazelzadeh said, IRIB reported.

Iran ready for scientific co-op

Vice President for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-based Economy, Rouhollah Dehqani-Firouzabadi, condemning unilateral coercive measures against Iran’s knowledge-based and scientific companies, announced Iran’s readiness for scientific and technological cooperation with other countries to make a better world.

Referring to the significant role of knowledge and innovation and their tremendous impact on the progress of nations, Firouzabadi said Iran’s civilization has honored knowledge throughout history.

“Our ancient teachings and the contributions we have made to the advancement of science and technology is a proof of that saying.”

He made the remarks at the 15th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Social Forum held from November 2 – 3, in Geneva, IRIB reported.

Iran’s developments in the field of science and technology, improving people’s welfare by using science and technology capacities, Iran’s strategies in dealing with the coronavirus, Iran’s technological solutions to improve the health of society, technological employment and solving social problems with soft technologies were among the most important topics of Firouzabadi’s speech.

“Since the establishment of the United Nations, Iran has remained committed to multilateral cooperation, including global cooperation through the United Nations.

“We are keen to engage with the international community and share our research with them while benefiting from the best practices, developments, and achievements of other countries in the fields of science, technology, and innovation,” IRIB quotes Firouzabadi as saying. / T.T/

Iran is one of the ten most successful countries in the world for acute stroke treatment, a member of the National Iranian Stroke Committee has said.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Iran. It is one of the big challenges in the world and one of the main causes of disability worldwide, IRNA quoted Ehsan Sharifipour as saying.

Stroke, also known as brain attack, usually happens when the blood supply to a part of the brain is disrupted. In this case, either vessels are blocked or they bleed, in both cases, there is an interruption of blood to any part of the brain.

Stroke cases usually occur in people aged 70 or older, while the average age is 10 years lower in Iran. The disease affects people aged 60 or older in the country,” Sharifipour said.

Unfortunately, the rate of stroke prevalence in Iran is 1.5 times higher than the world average, that is, if there are less than 100 strokes per 100,000 people in the world, according to the studies, this rate is 150 cases in Iran.

15th intl. congress on stroke

Sharifipour went on to say that the 15th international congress on stroke will be held in Tehran on December 13-14.

“The 15th international congress on stroke will be held with the presence of the best national and foreign professors from 10 countries, presenting the latest scientific achievements in the field of vascular diseases of the brain and spinal cord and the latest scientific, technical, and technological findings.”

There will be about 100 lectures; various scientific workshops and specialized panels; and interdisciplinary discussions between specialists in neurology, rehabilitation, neurosurgery, and radiology fields. The modern endovascular techniques and methods to treat patients suffering from strokes and the latest rehabilitation methods for these patients will be discussed as well.

Stroke second cause of death in Iran

Brain attack is the second leading cause of death in Iran as annually some 15 percent of around 550,000 people suffering from stroke die either on the spot or later, an official with the Noncommunicable Disease Office at the Ministry of Health, has said.

Alireza Mahdavi made the remakes on the occasion of World Stroke Day which was held on October 29 to emphasize the serious nature and high rates of stroke. The day is observed annually to raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of strokes.

The goal is to reduce premature deaths and disabilities under the age of 70. Unfortunately, at least one-third of deaths under the age of 70 are caused by non-communicable diseases, half of which are related to strokes, ISNA reported.

The severity of disability caused by stroke depends on the extent of ischemia and the intervention time, Mahdavi added.

He enumerated the symptoms of stroke as convulsions, confusion, neck stiffness, trouble speaking, not understanding what others are saying, numbness in the hands, face, and feet, double vision, blurred vision, blindness in one or two eyes, severe headache accompanied by nausea and confusion, trouble walking, etc.

These signs warn of the occurrence of a stroke, and each of them may appear alone in a person.

With the emergence of some symptoms such as the inability to raise the arms, lack of clarity of expression, and so on ask the person to smile to determine whether the two sides of his face are symmetrical or not. In this case, time is very important to call emergency immediately. Immediate treatment can minimize the long-term impact of stroke.

Regarding the prevention of strokes, he said: regular physical activity, a healthy diet, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol are among the most important ways to prevent strokes. /T.T/

Iranian players won five more medals at the 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship on Tuesday. Saba Karamali in the women’s -78kg and Fatemeh Barmaki in the women’s +87kg won two bronze medals.

Majid Vahid Barimanlou claimed a silver medal in the men’s -66kg. Saeid Talebinia in the men’s -60kg and Ramin Ahmadzadeh in the men’s -81kg also seized two bronze medals.

Hamed Rashidi in the men’s -100kg, Abolfazl Torabi in the men’s +100kg, Pardis Eydivandi in the women’s -57 kg and Donya Aghaei in the women’s -70kg had claimed four silver medals on Monday.

Masoud Ghavibazoo in the men’s -90kg and Tahereh Azarpeyvand in the women’s -63 kg had also won two bronzes.

More than 100 best Kurash players from 12 countries are competing in the tournament in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. /T.T/

Iran is set to highlight its tourist destinations, rich cultural heritage, cuisine and handicrafts in Qatar simultaneously with the AFC Asian Cup games for a month.

Organizers say the event will present a remarkable opportunity to showcase Iran’s diverse cultural treasures and handcrafted wonders to a global audience, notably among football enthusiasts converging for the games.

The simultaneous staging of the exhibition alongside the Asian games offers a unique platform for football fans, players, and visitors from over 24 Asian countries to delve into Iran’s rich tapestry of tourism hotspots and exquisite handicrafts.

Organized by the Touring and Automobile Club of Iran, Iran’s pavilion will be set up at Doha’s Katara Cultural Village from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10, 2024, concurrently with the football games, which will involve 24 national teams.

Authorities responsible for the country’s tourism and cultural heritage state that this opportunity must be effectively utilized. “The goal of this exhibition is to support and enhance the competitiveness of tourism and handicrafts.”

Therefore, it is anticipated that the AFC Asian Cup games would serve as a platform for gathering institutions beyond the realm of the sports industry.

Iran’s pavilion in this exhibition will span 300 square meters. The exhibition plan includes zones and booths with a four-square-meter area and is limited to 12-square-meter stalls.

According to organizers, the event is set to bring airlines, national and regional tourist offices, tour operators, travel agencies, hoteliers, online travel companies, artists, producers, and handicraft sellers under one roof to showcase their offerings to the participants of the Asian competitions.

Additionally, the exhibition comprises workshops, seminars, and informational sessions aimed at sharing knowledge and experiences related to the tourism and culinary industries and other sectors.

The participants in this exhibition can benefit from tax reductions, according to a resolution by Iran’s council of ministers, as one of the incentives for involvement in this program.

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup will be the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international men’s football championship of Asia organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It will involve 24 national teams after expansion in 2019, with Qatar as the defending champions.

On 17 October 2022, the AFC announced that the tournament will be held in Qatar. Due to the high summer temperatures in the Persian Gulf, the tournament was postponed to 12 January – 10 February 2024. / T.T/

Iran’s gross domestic product (GDP) including oil grew 7.1 percent in the second quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (June 22-September 22), compared to the second quarter of last year, according to the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI).

Based on the SCI data, the figure excluding oil increased by 4.2 percent, Tasnim News Agency reported.

As reported, based on the fixed prices in the Iranian year 1390 (ended on March 19, 2012), the country’s GDP stood at 21.9 quadrillion rials (about $43.8 billion) including the oil sector, and at 18.5 quadrillion rials (about $37 billion) excluding the oil sector in the mentioned period.

The SCI data indicate that in the summer of the current Iranian year, the agricultural sector grew by -3.2 percent, the industry and mining sector grew by 8.7 percent and the services sector has grown by 7.5 percent compared to the summer of 1401.

As announced previously by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Iran’s GDP including oil grew 6.2 percent in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21), compared to the first quarter of last year. The CBI put the GDP growth at 3.5 percent excluding oil.

According to CBI data, the GDP growth was positive in all four quarters of the previous year so that from the first quarter to the end of the fourth quarter of the said year, the economic growth rate of the country was 1.9 percent, 3.9 percent, 4.9 percent, and 5.3 percent, respectively.

As reported, based on the fixed prices in the Iranian year 1395 (ended on March 20, 2017), the country’s GDP stood at 15.15 quadrillion rials (about $30.3 billion) including the oil sector, and at 13.8 quadrillion rials (about $27.6 billion) excluding the oil sector in the past year.

In early June, the World Bank (WB) in its latest report dubbed “Global Economic Prospects” estimated a 2.2 percent growth for Iran’s economy in 2023, a figure which is higher than the average growth forecast for the global economy and despite the fact that the country is still under sanctions imposed by the United States.

The bank has predicted that due to the contractionary monetary policy adopted by many countries this year, the average economic growth in the world is expected to decrease from 3.1 percent in 2022 to 2.1 percent in 2023.

Based on the WB report, Iran’s GDP grew by 4.7 percent in the last quarter of the previous year, while the average GDP growth for most of the advanced countries like the U.S., China, and many European countries was less than the said figure.

In terms of economic growth, Iran ranked 15th among the world’s 72 major economies in Q4 2022, which means that only 14 countries had higher economic growth than Iran in this period.

Iran’s 4.7 percent GDP growth in Q4 2022 was achieved, while the average economic growth of developed countries was only 1.2 percent in this period.

The U.S. economy grew by only 0.9 percent in the mentioned period, the Eurozone by 1.8 percent and Japan by 0.4 percent.

According to the WB data, Iran’s economy experienced a 2.9 percent growth in 2022; the average growth rate in West Asia and North African economies in 2022 was 5.9 percent. /T.T/

Two Iranian films have won awards at the 43rd Paladino d’Oro Sport Film Festival, in Agrigento, Italy, the organizers announced on Tuesday.

“The Breath”, a documentary by Behzad Rezaei, received Best Other Cinema Award, while “Unnamed”, a short documentary by Iranmerhr Salimi, won the School Award of the festival.

“The Breath” depicts the loneliness and lack of communication between people during the Corona pandemic era and its impact on personal life, solitude and creativity of artists in different countries of the world.

“Unnamed” revolves around the life of Zeinab, a talented volleyball player, who chooses to undergo a gender transition as she feels that her spirit aligns more with the male gender. However, in doing so, she is aware of the severe repercussions, including the end of her successful career due to her short stature and the loss of her sole source of income, which could potentially jeopardize her family’s future.

Moreover, Iranian film “Punch Drunk” by Adel Tabrizi was also nominated in three categories including the Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, but failed to win.

Set in Tehran in 1996, the story of the film follows Mahtab who lives along with her 10-year-old child, Erfan. She is divorced from her husband, Morteza, who is in jail. Mahtab has enrolled her child in a karate class so that he does not end up like his father as far as his character is concerned. Erfan’s only interest is cinema and could not care less about sports. Hassan Khoshnud, the tough and serious karate instructor with his dictatorial methods causes Erfan to run away one day from the karate academy in the middle of exercises.

The tragicomedy won the best screenplay award at the 16th Cheboksary International Film Festival in Russia in June.

The cast includes Behrang Alavi, Hamed Behdad, Baran Kosari, Nader Soleimani, and Siavash Cheraghipour among others.

Over 150 short and feature films from 39 countries were in competition at this year’s edition of the festival, including Iran, Brazil, China, India, Russia, the U.S., and almost all of Europe.

In addition to the movie screening, the festival also included meetings with producers, directors and actors and the “Sport, cinema and medicine” conference.

Launched in 1979, the Paladino d’Oro Sport Film Festival is the oldest in the world of sports cinema, which promotes the diffusion of sports films and videos. The festival seeks to promote the best quality of sports image productions; organize meetings between productions, film distributors and mass media, and be a teaching tool for schools and universities.

Golden Paladin is the Sport Film Festival Award. The Paladino d’oro is awarded by the sports film academy, made up of illustrious personalities from cinema, journalism and sport. /T.T/

Saleh Abazari from Iran managed to win the gold medal in the 2023 Karate 1-Series in Portugal. Abazari defeated Sajjad Ganjzadeh, who was also from Iran, 6-2 in the +84 kg weight category and stood in the first place of the weight.

The 2023 Karate 1-Series in Portugal was participated by 1003 karatekas from 72 countries in Portugal’s Matosinhos city.  /MNA/