The tenth regional conference on Climate Change and Global Warming has been hosted by the Department of Earth Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS). During the conference, the Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission in Iran, Dr Hassan Fartousi, described climate change and global warming as some of the most serious challenges of the twenty-first century and emphasised the necessity of scientific, educational, and international cooperation for effectively confronting this crisis.

Referring to UNESCO’s interdisciplinary approach, he considered the role of universities and research centres in producing knowledge, educating the next generation, and providing scientific solutions to reduce the consequences of climate change to be highly significant adding that confronting the climate crisis required a link between knowledge, education, and social responsibility.

At the beginning of the conference, the IASBS President, Prof Sadollah Nasiri Gheydari, welcomed the guests and attendees and, with reference to the academic standing of the University, said that the IASBS as one of the country’s leading centres had always focused on the quality of education and research and ranked among Iran’s top universities in national evaluations.

Emphasising the role of universities in addressing the country’s major issues, including climate change, he regarded the continuous holding of specialised scientific conferences as a sign of the University’s dynamism and the scientific community’s sense of responsibility and said that addressing climate change scientifically was an undeniable necessity and that universities had to play a more active role in it.

The IASBS President also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the organisers, particularly the academic staff of the Department of Earth Sciences, and emphasised the importance of effective communication between the University, executive bodies, and policymakers in providing scientific and practical solutions for managing the consequences of climate change.

Continuing the conference, the Founder of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, Professor Yousef Sobouti warned about the worrying climatic trends in recent years, describing climate change as an issue beyond a merely environmental challenge, and emphasised the necessity of increasing public awareness, strengthening scientific research, and ensuring the serious role of universities in this field.

The tenth regional conference on Climate Change and Global Warming was held with the aim of exchanging knowledge, creating scientific synergy, and examining scientific and practical solutions to address the consequences of climate change and hosted university lecturers, researchers, students, and representatives of provincial executive bodies.