The Iranian documentary “Water, Wind, Dust, Bread” directed by Mehdi Zamanpour Kiasri will take part in Ethnocineca- International Documentary Film Festival Vienna.

The 25-minute documentary ‘Water, Wind, Dust, Bread’, which took more than a year to produce, is a delicate narrative of the life of two children named ‘Abolfazl’ and ‘Setayesh’ who experience a different life.

The documentary has been previously screened at the 18th edition of ZagrebDox, the International Documentary Film Festival and the 24th edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in Greece, a special screening section of the 15th Miradasdoc International Film Festival in Spain and the 19th edition of the Millennium Film Festival in Poland.

The 17th edition of Austria’s Ethnocineca will be held on 4-11 May 2023 in Vienna. As Austria’s biggest film festival for documentary cinema and ethnographic film, Ethnocineca is dedicated to diverse realities of human life. /MNA/

According to data released by Scopus, Iran published 78,225 scientific articles in this database in 2022. Accordingly, Iran is ranked 15th in the world in terms of publication of scientific works for the fourth consecutive year.

Scopus data in 2022 shows that Iran ranks first among countries in the region in terms of the number of scientific publications.

A review of Scopus data from 2014 to 2022 shows that Iran has always been the first among the countries in the region in terms of the number of publications and has been able to maintain this position.

In total, 3,950,305 works have been indexed in the Scopus. China, with 1,016,311 works, is the source of about 25 percent of the world’s scientific publications and has the first place in this regard.

The United States, India, England, and Germany are also in the second to fifth place.

According to the data of the Scopus index, the Tehran University of Medical Sciences has the largest share in Iran’s scientific publications by publishing more than 6,800 works.

In total, nearly half of Iran’s scientific publications in 2022 have been published by 10 universities in the country.

Meanwhile, the latest data from the Web of Science in 2022 shows that Iran ranks second among countries in the region after Turkey.

Since 2017, Iran ranked first in the region in terms of the number of publications in the WOS index, but in 2022, after 5 years, it has lost the first place in the region.

Reviewing the changes in Iran’s ranking in the last six years in the Web of Science index shows that in 2017, Iran ranked 17th in this index and maintained this rank until 2019.

In 2020, Iran’s rank increased by two places to 15, but in the last two years this rank was lost and in 2022 it returned to 17.

This is the first time that Iran’s scientific ranking in terms of the number of publications in the Web of Science has decreased for two consecutive years.

International citation indexes include Web of Science, Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus.

According to the latest statistics of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, 1,452 scientific journals are being published in the country.

Out of all the mentioned journals, 289 are indexed in the Scopus database and 67 journals are indexed in the Web of Science database, IRNA reported.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has said that the West exerted pressures on Iran in order to isolate it but their efforts in this regard backfired.

He described making progress under economic siege and the most severe pressures possible as indicative of the Iranian nation’s bright performance.

“The U.S. said the economic pressures they’ve put on Iran are unprecedented in history. Despite all their lies, they were true to this,” the Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks during a speech on March 21 at the holy shrine of Imam Reza on the occasion of the New Iranian year.

He named the Persian New Year the year of “Inflation Control, and Growth in Production.”

The Leader highlighted the progress made in science and technology and Iran’s ranking among the top countries of the world in fields such as Nano and Biotechnology, health, aerospace, nuclear, defense, infrastructure, medical centers, and oil refineries “With regard to foreign relations, the West’s efforts to isolate Iran have failed,” he said.

Since the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi took office in August 2021, more than 45 scientific and research journals have been indexed by Scopus, the deputy health minister Younes Panahi has said.

The growth in Scopus-indexed publications has been unprecedented, he said, adding that before the administration took office, 135 publications had been indexed by Scopus, while the figure is currently 180.

In 2021, a number of 27,800 articles have been registered by medical science researchers of the country in the Scopus database, he added.

Over the past year, 18 articles published by Iranian researchers have been cited by Scopus International Citation Database, compared with a total of 101 during the past 40 years, the deputy science minister Peyman Salehi said in September 2022.

The share of Iranian articles with international participation has had significant growth of 209 percent during an eight-year period (2013-2020), becoming the Islamic world’s leading country in science diplomacy, according to the Scopus International Citation Database. /T.T/

The 700-year-old Hassan Padeshah complex, which is located in the historical city of Tabriz, East Azarbaijan province, has undergone some rehabilitation works, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said.

Several parts of the complex have been undergoing restorations for some time, and resuming the work will return the complex to its former glory, Vahid Navadad explained on Saturday.

To implement this landmark project, the provincial department of cultural heritage is utilizing all its technical, administrative, and credit resources, the official added.

Considering the historical significance of this complex, the project is being closely supervised by cultural heritage experts and experienced restorers, he noted.

As a result of the need for specialized and technical research due to its high cultural significance, the restoration project has taken so long, he mentioned.

During the Turkmen and Safavid eras when Tabriz was the capital of Iran, this complex played a significant role in the governmental spheres, therefore, permits are required for the restoration of its remains after extensive research and studies, as well as technical and expert measures, he stated.

Located in Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan province, the 160 thousand square meter complex of Hassan Padeshah, meaning ‘Hasan the King’, is among the outstanding works left over from the glorious time of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty.

The complex comprises a mosque, a madrasa, a bathhouse, and a massive forum covering some twofold that of UNESCO-registered Imam Square in Isfahan.

As a result of certain factors and events such as floods and earthquakes and historical indifference, the complex carries only a small portion of its past historical greatness.

Like many cities in Iran, Tabriz has a long and rich history but saw many of its historic buildings destroyed by invaders or earthquakes. Tabriz became the capital of the Mongol Il-Khan Mahmud Gazan (1295–1304) and his successor. Timur (Tamerlane), a Turkic conqueror, took it in 1392. Some decades later, the Kara Koyunlu Turkmen made it their capital. It was when the famous Blue Mosque was built in the ancient city.

The city retained its administrative status under the Safavid dynasty until 1548 when Shah Tahmasp I relocated his capital westward to Qazvin. During the next two centuries, Tabriz changed hands several times between Persia and the Ottoman Empire. During World War I, the city was temporarily occupied by Turkish and then Soviet troops.

Downtown Tabriz is very walkable, and the people are also extremely friendly, something not particularly common in big cities. /T.T/

“The Lovely Sky” and “Katvoman”, two shorts by Iranian directors, have been selected to be screened at the 63rd Zlin Film Festival. Written and directed by Amir Mehran, “The Lovely Sky” has been produced at the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults – Kanoon.

It will compete in the animation category of the festival, which will take place in the Czech city of Zlin from June 1 to 7.

The film follows an impatient fighter pilot who bombs cities every day. He returns to his little girl every night after completing his mission. The girl loves to fly, but the father doesn’t fulfill his daughter’s dream because of the bitter memory of his wife’s death. The war is getting closer every day. One day an incident changes their lives, forever.

“The Lovely Sky” won the best animation prize at the 2022 Roshd International Film Festival in Tehran.

“Katvoman”, a co-production of Iran and India, has been selected to be screened at the Zlin Dog section, which presents a selection of student fiction, animation and documentary work from all over the world.

Directed by Hadi Sheibani, the short drama won the award for best fiction at the 2022 Festival International du Film Amateur de Kelibia – FIFAK in Tunisia.

The film shows a mom and her son playing dressed up as Batman and Catwoman before dad returns for dinner. Through the play, the child discovers a difficult truth about his parents.

The Zlin Film Festival is an active member of the European Children’s Film Association. The festival organizes an extensive supporting, professional and charitable program.

Iranian filmmakers have always been frequent visitors to the festival.

Iranian director Majid Majidi’s child labor drama “Sun Children” won the Golden Slipper for best feature film in the junior category of the 2021 edition of the festival. / T.T/

Students from Iran and six other countries took part in the 17th edition of international robotics competitions (RoboCup IranOpen 2023) which was held at the Islamic Azad University from April 26-28.

Egypt, China, Afghanistan, Brazil, Russia, and Germany were the foreign guests that competed with Iranian teams in the fields related to robotics such as artificial intelligence and programming. / T.T/

The number of knowledge-based companies reached 8,368 in the past Iranian calendar year that ended on March 20, an increase of 90 percent compared to a year earlier.

According to the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, about 750 new knowledge-based companies were launched in the year 1400 (March 2021-March 2022), while in the year 1401 (March 2022-March 2023) some 1,400 companies were launched, IRNA reported.

The companies are mainly active in the fields of “biotechnology, agriculture and food industries”, “pharmaceuticals and medicine”, “chemical materials and products” and “machinery and equipment”.

Other fields of activity include “medical devices and equipment”, “electricity and electronics, photonics, telecommunications”, “information technology and computer software”, “commercialization services” and “humanities”.

The Innovation and Prosperity Fund has paid a total of 27.8 trillion rials (nearly $55 million) to support knowledge-based companies over the last [Iranian calendar] year, IRNA reported.

In line with the law enforced on May 24, 2022, knowledge-based production is a priority of the government so the plan for promoting knowledge-based products has progressed well so far.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei designated the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21, 2022, as the year of “Production: Knowledge-Based and Job-Creating.”

Over the past couple of years, the concept of a ‘knowledge-based company’ has changed to a ‘knowledge-based society’, meaning that supporting knowledge-based companies will lead to many social and economic advantages for the public.

The Leader reemphasized the importance of boosting domestic production, as he had done in past years, saying the reason he placed so much emphasis on production was “because it boosts economic growth, it creates employment, it reduces inflation, it increases per capita income and it improves public welfare.”

To this end, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has executed and supported several projects toward the goal of boosting knowledge-based production.

Moreover, the development of an innovation ecosystem is on the agenda, according to which 65 houses of innovation have been set up across the country.

The country’s progressing process of development has accelerated with the emphasis on the formation of the technology and innovation ecosystem and the approval of laws for supporting knowledge-based companies and boosting Iran-made products.

Today, we are witnessing the positive effects of adopting the approach in the economy, culture, and daily life of people.

the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy has reported that the sales of knowledge-based companies in the fiscal year 1400 (March 2021-March 2022) hit 4,000 trillion rials (about $8 billion) compared to the fiscal year 1399, an increase of 86 percent year on year.

Improving the scientific level of society, achieving high global rankings in the number of scientific articles, references, and patenting, reducing the illiteracy rate, and increasing the number of university courses and students are only a part of the achievements after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. /T.T/

The first locally manufactured simulator for training how to fly drones was unveiled in the presence of the commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces on Wednesday. The first fully indigenous simulator for training drone pilots was unveiled in the presence of Iranian Army Ground Forces Commander Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari in the UAV unit of Hazrat Waliasr (AS).

At the event which was attended by army commanders and drone experts, general Heydari said, “Today, drones play an important and decisive role in promoting defensive and combat power of militaries, and it is a very valuable industry.”

Iran army unveils 1st locally-made drone flight simulator

Stating that the army’s ground forces have reached a favored position in the field of making drones, the commander added, “All borders of the country where the army’s ground forces are deployed are monitored and controlled with reconnaissance drones.”

The Commander of the Army Ground Forces considered the role of the UAV pilot training simulator as one of the important components in the training and education of UAV pilots and emphasized, “Today, we have reached a point of confidence that we can design and produce what is needed in the battlefield and this simulator is an example. It is one of the hundreds of completely locally produced military equipment and weapons in the army’s ground forces, designed and produced by domestic specialists.”

In the ceremony to unveil the simulator, several construction and welfare projects were inaugurated and put into operation in the UAV group of Hazrat Wali Asr (AS) in the presence of General Heydari. /MNA/

The acclaimed Iranian movie “This Side, Other Side” has been picked as one of the three best animations at the Bridge of Peace Film Festival, an online event organized in Paris, France.

In this short animated movie, director Lida Fazli shows we are always so afraid of the other side, even though we are all the same. When a war rips their world apart, a little girl and little boy from two sides come together to heal it with their magical crayon. But we all know that’s just fantasy. Real wars are not so easy to stop; the damage is not so easy to fix.

The film has previously been showcased in dozens of international festivals and won several prizes, including the UNICEF Award at the 2020 Biennial of Animation Bratislava in Slovakia.

“Shooom’s Odyssey” by the French director Julien Bisaro about a little owl who leaves on an adventure to find an adoptive mum, and “Life on the Move” by Osbert Parker from the UK about the complex reasons behind migration from the Horn of Africa were the other animations awarded at the Bridge of Peace Film Festival, which ended last week.

The war drama “The Blizzard of Souls” by Latvian director Dzintars Dreibergs won the special jury prize.

The film follows Arturs who finds some consolation in joining the army after losing his mother and his home. However, war is nothing like he imagined.

“The Blizzard of Souls” was also awarded as one of the two best feature films at the festival. The other one was “Reveille” by American director Michael Akkerman.

This film shows a group of American soldiers and their wounded German prisoners in November 1943 who are forced to confront their mutual humanity after taking cover together following a skirmish in central Italy.

“A Soldier”, a short war film by Nikesh Limbu from the UK, won the audience award.

The award for best documentary was given to “The Third and Fourth Generation” by Lukas Zund from Switzerland.

In this film, deaconess sister Silvia lately has been driving to the place where her grandfather was chief of a Nazi concentration camp. Her looking into her family history and her childhood trauma lead her to a turning point in the celibate woman’s life.

Dozens of films were also awarded in different categories at the Bridge of Peace Film Festival.

The organizers say the festival was established “to focus the audience’s attention on the pressing problems of humanity, in order to seek and find an answer to the question of how to live in a world without wars, without oppression, how to learn to respect the traditions and culture of other peoples, how to preserve nature and its diversity for new generations.” /T.T/