Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) has entered into a cooperation program with the Center for Political and International Studies (CPIS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed at enhancing health diplomacy.

The signing ceremony took place at the CPIS, with Dr. Nader Tavakoli, President of IUMS, in attendance. During the event, Dr. Tavakoli highlighted the significant potential of health diplomacy for fostering international collaboration, emphasizing the need for systematic approaches rather than reliance on individual efforts. He also underscored IUMS's international experiences, including the organization of hospital management courses in partnership with the School of Health Services Management and emergency management initiatives in collaboration with the World Health Organization. Dr. Tavakoli called for the establishment of a dedicated team and director to lead this initiative, along with plans to recruit faculty members in the upcoming months.

Dr. Sheikholeslami, Head of the CPIS, expressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' strong support for advancing health diplomacy and proposed several collaborative initiatives. These proposals encompass training workshops, joint research projects, the development of educational resources, and the organization of national and international conferences focused on health diplomacy.

Dr. Mehdi Moghtadaei, Vice President for International Affairs at IUMS, discussed ongoing efforts to establish health diplomacy as a formal field, stressing the importance of assessing human resource needs and attracting independent faculty. He highlighted the university's capacity to conduct international training courses for health managers, referencing a recent program for Tajik managers, and announced plans to establish a health diplomacy research center.

Dr. Mohsen Asadi Lari emphasized the critical role of leveraging international resources, particularly from the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), to advance health diplomacy and the necessity of appointing qualified instructors for each course in this domain.

This cooperation program represents a significant milestone in the development of health diplomacy and the promotion of international collaboration in this vital area.