Vietnamese culture is very attractive to Iranian people.

This was the statement made by Mr. Sayed Kamal, president of the Iran-Vietnam Friendship Association, during his visit to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on the afternoon of October 13, 2010.

On behalf of the University, Associate Professor Dr. Lam Ba Nam - Vice Rector - provided information on research and training in fields related to Asia in general and Iran in particular at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. He also affirmed the university's leading position in research and training on Vietnamese language and culture.

Mr. Sayed Kamal and the members of the delegation also gave a brief overview of Iran's higher education system and some of the achievements it has made in recent years.

Based on the information exchanged, both sides affirmed the great potential for cooperation between the University and the Iran-Vietnam Friendship Association in particular, as well as with Iranian partners in general, especially in the fields of science and education. The cooperative relationship between the University and its Iranian partners started very well; however, due to various reasons, the actual cooperation activities between the two sides in the past have not been commensurate with the available potential.

To further strengthen this relationship, several initial cooperation activities have been proposed, such as: student and professor exchanges between the two countries; publishing books introducing the Iranian language and culture in Vietnam and vice versa; organizing courses on the language and culture of each country; implementing joint courses between the two sides or establishing joint departments specializing in research and training in Vietnamese and Iranian culture...

Mr. Sayed Kamal, formerly the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Vietnam from 1996 to 2000, is currently a professor of Sociology at Tehran University. He has published numerous works on Vietnam and has translated the Tale of Kieu into Persian. He stated that the Iran-Vietnam Friendship Association was established in Tehran in 2002 with the aim of promoting positive mutual understanding between the people and governments of Vietnam and Iran. In recent years, the image of Vietnam and its people has left a very positive impression on the Iranian people. Iranians admire many outstanding figures of the Vietnamese nation, such as President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap. With many similarities in culture and history between the two countries, Vietnam is becoming increasingly attractive in the eyes of the Iranian people. Therefore, the need and potential for cooperation between the two sides are very great.