Explainer: Why did Iran organize first intl. conference on nuclear science?

By Ivan Kesic

The three-day International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology (ICNST2024) was held last week in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, an important gathering attended by renowned officials from Iran and numerous other countries.

The inaugural edition of the international conference, held in coordination with the 30th National Nuclear Conference, was sponsored by the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute of Iran (NSTRI) and the Nuclear Society of Iran (NSI).

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), announced plans to host the conference in February when he revealed that 130 of the world’s prominent nuclear researchers have been sent invitations, of which more than a third agreed to participate.

The event was held in the four conference halls of Hotel Abbasi, a former caravanserai from the early 18th century converted into a hotel, a jewel of Iranian architecture from the Safavid period.

What is the ICNST conference?

According to the organizers, the ICNST conference is conceived as one of the leading international conferences to present new and fundamental developments in the field of nuclear science.

The conference also works to foster communication between researchers and practitioners working in a wide range of scientific areas with a common interest in improving nuclear science-related techniques.

The applications of nuclear technology play an important role in healthcare, from the diagnostic process to the acceptable treatment, and also in the food sector, where it can increase production and manage storage.

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Furthermore, in the field of environmental management, it is used to monitor, evaluate and control air, water and other environmental pollutants. Last and most important, nuclear energy is the only carbon-free source that can provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity.

In Iran, the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute of Iran (NSTRI), as one of the institutes that comes under the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), is responsible for coordinating the various roles of research and development of nuclear technology.

Various departments, human resources and research works are connected by various centers under the supervision of NSTRI that have made various achievements at national and regional levels.

The ICNST events are intended to be a community for these partners at home and abroad, with the purpose of advancing the capabilities and future prospects in nuclear science and technology that benefit the country in particular and the global community.

Iran has been holding national nuclear conferences for three decades, and to date, there have been 29 annual nuclear energy and engineering conferences, as well as over 20 annual nuclear medicine conferences and congresses.

This time, as part of the 30th National Nuclear Conference, emphasis was placed on international participation and cooperation, which resulted in the first international conference.

Who are the conference participants?

The joint international and national nuclear conference had hundreds of participants, both domestic and foreign researchers, scientists and officials.

It was officially opened on Monday by Mohammad Eslami, the head of AEOI, who said that over 500 scientific articles have been submitted to the conference.

The notable articles were felicitated by the NSI with the Shahid Shahriari Award, named after the Iranian nuclear expert Majid Shahriari who was assassinated in an Israeli terrorist attack in 2010.

About 340 experts held simultaneous presentations in four conference halls of the Abbasi Caravanserai on various nuclear topics. Apart from that, 16 specialized panels, round-table meetings, and an exhibition were also held.

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In addition to local experts, foreign experts from Russia, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Brazil and the Czech Republic also took part in the conference.

The chairman of the conference was Dr. Javad Karimi Sabet, who is also chairman of the NSI board of directors and NSTRI professors. He said 100 academic speakers, including over 50 foreigners, participated in the conference in person or via video conference.

Prominent foreign officials seen at the conference included Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Abdullah bin Saud Al-Enezi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Iran.

What are the messages of the conference?

Eslami stressed that despite pressures from arrogant hegemonic powers to prevent the implementation of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, the first ICNST received a warm welcome.

An important message sent by the head of AEOI was that the Islamic Republic is prepared to transfer its peaceful nuclear technologies to other countries worldwide.

The event was also praised by Grossi, who said that the world has been deprived of the cooperation of nuclear scientists of Iran due to political challenges, adding that the ICNST conference can help to solve many global problems

Eslami and Grossi held a joint press conference where the latter further asserted that the IAEA will work towards bolstering cooperation to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was put on the back burner due to American policy of procrastination.

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