The delegation of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations (ISCFR), led by Kamal Kharazi, Head of ISCFR, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, and former Foreign Minister of Iran, visited Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) on September 14th, 2018. SISU’s University Council Chair Jiang Feng welcomed the delegation and held a conference with the delegates and SISU scholars. The delegation was accompanied by Zhu Lihan, deputy director of Department of West-Asian and North-African Affairs, International Department, Central Committee of CPC, and Zhou Yueran from Party Relations Division, Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. Zhang Hongling, director of Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of SISU, Cheng Tong, dean of School of Asian and African Studies, Liu Zhongmin, director of Middle East Studies Institute (MESI), Associate Prof. Han Jianwei from MESI, Associate Researcher Qian Xuming from MESI, and other scholars and experts attended the conference.
At the outset, Jiang Feng introduced the history, characteristics and the development of SISU to the delegation. Prof. Cheng Tong and Prof. Liu Zhongmin reviewed the development of the Persian Major and MESI and SISU’s recent achievements in Iranian studies. Mr. Kharazi made a comprehensive introduction of ISCFR and its important role in politics and further elaborated Iran’s attitude towards the US withdrawing from the nuclear deal and the economic sanctions. According to Mr. Kharazi, Iran will take necessary measures to “transform the severe external pressure into the drive of its internal growth.”
The discussion covered many important issues, including the situation in the Middle East, regional hot-spot issues and the impact of external forces such as the United States, Russia and the European Union.
Both sides also exchanged ideas on the cooperation between SISU and Iranian universities and think tanks in scientific research, talent cultivation and people-to-people exchanges. A consensus was reached on strengthening communication, improving communication channels, providing supports for young SISU scholars’ field research in Iran, and accelerating the establishment of a regular visiting mechanism
