Embedded Files
The year 2021 proved to be a significant milestone in my pursuit of science diplomacy. Upon my induction as a member of the Global Young Academy (GYA), I was elected to the Executive Committee, a feat that highlights my exceptional communication skills, which are crucial for any science diplomat. Since then, I have achieved notable accomplishments. For instance, I served as a panelist in two sessions of the World Science Forum in Cape Town in December 2022, co-organized and spoke at the World Wide Meeting of Young Academies in Arizona in November 2022, and convened and moderated GYA's contribution to the UN General Assembly Science Summit in September 2022.
Additionally, I authored a paper entitled "Defining Science Leadership" and was a speaker at the "Scientific Integrity" conference organized by the German Commission on UNESCO in December 2021. I possess extensive experience collaborating with the "Science in Exile" project of TWAS-IAP-ISC in 2021, which aims to support displaced and refugee scholars. I am humbled to have founded the "Iranian Women Astronomers" organization.
In July 2022, I was elected to the Advisory Committee on Communication, Education, and Outreach of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP). I also serve on the strategic planning team board at the IAP.
September 2022 was a historic moment for Iran, marked by the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement, and I co-founded the "International Community of Iranian Academics" in support of Iranian students and scholars. In December 2022, the International Science Council (ISC) honored me by naming me a Fellow in recognition of my exceptional contributions to advancing science as a global public good.
Throughout my involvement in various organizations and activities, I have endeavored to facilitate communication and collaboration between the scientific community and policymakers.
Experiences
Experiences
Talk: Dual Standards in Science Diplomacy, World Forum for Women in Science, 20 Jun. 2025
2025, Volunteer Team, Canadian Science Policy Centre
2023 - 2024, European Academy of Diplomacy
Organizer: Towards a Global Definition of Excellence in Research, International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) Conference, Kigali, Rwanda, 1 May 2024
Talk: Science in times of conflict: how to support and limit impact? Canadian Science Policy Conference, 13 Nov. 2023 (Video)
Talk: Science diplomacy in uncertain times – are we on the right track? UN General Assembly 78 Science Summit, New York, 14 Sep. 2023
2023, Member, Strategic Planning Team, InterAcademy Partnership (IAP)
Talk: Toward an International Decade of Sciences for Sustainability, Sustainability, Research and Innovation (SRI) Congress, Panama, 28 Jun. 2023
2022, Co-founder, International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA)
2022 - 2024, Advisory Committee on Communication, Education, and Outreach, InterAcademy Partnership (IAP)
2021 - 2023, Executive Committee, Global Young Academy (GYA)
2021 - 2022, Co-chair, Preservation (and protection) of scientific systems, knowledge, and culture, Science In Exile Initiative, ISC/IAP/TWAS
Opening ceremony of the UN General Assembly 77 Science Summit, Sep. 2022
“Scientific Integrity" Conference, UNESCO German Commission, 9 Dec. 2021
2021, Founder, Iranian Women Astronomers, Astronomy Society, Iran
2022, Moderator, JSPG/UNESCO/MGCY Science Policy Writing Workshop
2019, Founder, "Knowledge Helper" Fund, IASBS, Iran
Academy of Young Diplomats
Academy of Young Diplomats
From December 2023 to October 2024, I had the privilege of participating in the prestigious Academy of Young Diplomats (AYD) program, organized by the European Academy of Diplomacy (EAD). This top-tier postgraduate diplomatic training initiative empowers the next generation of global leaders through an intensive, year-long curriculum culminating in the Executive Diploma in the Art of Diplomacy (EDAD).
The AYD program is renowned for its world-class faculty, hands-on approach, and a global network of over 3,000 alumni from more than 60 countries. Key highlights of the program include:
Four online training sessions and four in-person sessions in Warsaw
Three specializations: International Organizations, International Security, Foreign Service
140 hours of practical diplomatic training
Study visits to embassies and international institutions such as the
Participation in a Leadership Development Program
Opportunities to engage with global leaders
An official graduation ceremony during the Warsaw Security Forum
As part of the program, I specialized in the International Organizations track, which provided a deep dive into multilateral diplomacy and global governance. I am immensely grateful to the European Academy of Diplomacy for this transformative experience and to the Casimir Pulaski Foundation for awarding me the scholarship that enabled my participation.
Throughout the year, I had the honor of engaging in study visits to the embassies of Belgium, Switzerland, Croatia, Canada, and Bangladesh, as well as visits to key international institutions including the European Parliament, International Court of Justice, and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). These experiences offered unparalleled insights into the intricacies of international relations and diplomacy.
The program concluded by writing a policy paper and an exam with an inspiring graduation ceremony during the Warsaw Security Forum in October 2024, celebrating a year of learning, growth, and collaboration with an extraordinary cohort of emerging global leaders from over 30 countries.
This experience has been an exceptional milestone in my professional journey, and I look forward to contributing to the fields of diplomacy and international cooperation with the knowledge and skills I have gained.
The following topics have been covered:
Introduction to International Multilateral Negotiations
The Future of Bilateral and Multilateral Diplomacy in the Current Geopolitical Landscape
Diplomatic Protocol in Brief
Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy
Writing and Making Effective Speeches
Ethics in International Politics
Leadership Styles for Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Leadership Styles for EQ Leaders
The Image of a Leader in Politics and Business
The Importance of Reforming the UN Security Council and rethinking Multilateral Diplomacy
The Key to Achieving Global Peace and Stability
Strategic Communication in Foreign Service
Forecasting and political analysis
Human Rights as International Organizations Agenda
Working in International Organizations's: budget and human resources
Career in the International Public Sector
International Institutions and Participatory Democracy
Cultural Differences
Migration and Refugee Protection
International Protection of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
EU-Asia Relations and the Indo-Pacific Strategy
EU & US relations
Arms Control and Disarmament
Disinformation in the EU and NAT
The Coordination between Cyberattacks and the Proliferation of Harmful Content Online, including Information
Algorithms, Media Trends, and Bots
Navigating Legal and Ethical Challenges in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA)
International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA)
کانون بینالمللی دانشگاهیان ایرانی
کانون بینالمللی دانشگاهیان ایرانی
The International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA) was founded in October 2022 as an entirely volunteer-run organization by a group of Iranian academics abroad. We are an independent and international network of Iranian academics and students. Our primary objective is to provide a community and a platform to serve the interests of academics of Iranian heritage around the world. However, owing to the "Woman, Life, Freedom" revolution in Iran and its consequences in universities, we are not in normal times and our main focus is on being the voice of students and academics who are under severe suppression and helping those at risk. We believe that the ICOIA, as a community of elites, can have an effective role in the transition phase from the current regime to a democratic one.
I am a co-founder of the ICOIA and you can find more information in my interview with Nature Human Behaviour. The ICOIA report about the suppression at the universities of Iran is available here.
Global Young Academy (GYA)
Global Young Academy (GYA)
In the year 2021, I was appointed as a member of the Global Young Academy (GYA), and as a newly inducted member, I was bestowed with the honor of being elected as an Executive Committee Member, a position to which I had the privilege of being re-elected in 2022. In the last two years, I have undertaken numerous impactful endeavors, which can be accessed here. To provide a brief overview, I shall highlight a few of my notable contributions and achievements.
Organizer, INGSA Conference, 2024
Co-lead, Scientific Excellence Working Group, 2023
Fellow, International Science Council, 2022
Advisory Board, InterAcademy Partnership, 2022
A conversation about building a support network in science, Nature Communications
World Science Forum, South Africa, 2022
"Science with Society" Project, 2022
"This Little Girl Is Me" initiative, 2022
LGBTQ+ Scientists, 2022
Founder, SGD at GYA Incubator, 2022
Science Leadership, 2022
Scientific Integrity Conference, UNESCO, 2021
Manager, National Young Academies’ Portfolio, 2021 - 2023
Global Young Academy, founded in 2010, is an independent science academy of 200 outstanding early- to mid-career researchers from six continents who are selected from across disciplines based on their academic excellence and commitment to engage with society. GYA members serve five-year terms, and the GYA presently counts members and alumni from 100 countries.
The GYA administrative Office is publicly funded and hosted at the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The wide array of GYA activities is supported by a range of international public and private funders.
The vision of the GYA is science for all; science for the future, and its mission is to give a voice to young scientists and researchers around the world.
The International Science Council (ISC) works at the global level to catalyze and convene scientific expertise, advice, and influence on issues of major concern to both science and society.
The ISC was created in 2018 and has a growing global membership that brings together over 230 organizations, including international scientific unions and associations from natural and social sciences, and the humanities, and national and regional scientific organizations such as academies and research councils.
The vision of the ISC is to advance science as a global public good.
International Science Council (ISC)
International Science Council (ISC)
In Dec. 2022, I was honored to become the ISC Fellow in recognition of my outstanding contributions to promoting science as a global public good.
The Fellows include eminent scientists, engineers, and thought-leaders from the science-policy sphere who have made remarkable contributions to furthering understanding of and engagement with science. As scientific experts and as knowledge brokers, they uphold the ISC’s vision of science as a global public good, of knowledge that is shared openly and freely to all who wish to scrutinize it and use it to further understanding.
In the year 2017, I became acquainted with the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) when I was nominated as a Young Affiliate member of The World Academy of Science (TWAS) to partake in a workshop organized by the IAP at the World Science Forum in Jordan. In 2021, I voluntarily collaborated with the "Science in Exile" project, an initiative committed to supporting scientists who are at risk, displaced, or refugees. You can access more details about this initiative below.
Subsequently, in 2022, I was nominated by the Global Young Academy to join the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) leadership and committee positions. Following a meticulous online election in the summer of 2022, the IAP member academies elected the 2022-2024 Governance. By virtue of my extensive experience in the domains of science communication and outreach activities, I was elected to serve on the Development and Programme Committee on Communication, Education, and Outreach.
Furthermore, in 2023, I was honored to be elected as a member of the Strategic Planning Team of the IAP.
InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), a global network of 138 academies of science, engineering, and medicine provides a collective, supportive mechanism for academies to further strengthen their crucial roles as providers of evidence-based policy and advice.
Three Development and Programme Committees develop and fundraise for IAP projects under IAP’s three strategic aims: 1) Academy Capacity Building; 2) Policy Advice, and 3) Communication, Education, and Outreach.
Science in Exile is an initiative of the International Science Council (ISC), InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
The mission is to enhance the work and lives of at-risk, displaced, and refugee scientists globally and the vision is an active international movement that promotes the protection of scientists, leading to better science and contributions to humanity.
Science in Exile
Science in Exile
I had the distinct honor of serving as co-chair of the Preservation (and Protection) of Scientific Systems, Knowledge, and Culture Task Team, which is dedicated to the critical issue of safeguarding scientific knowledge during times of crisis and conflict. Our primary focus was to investigate how best to preserve the necessary structures, data, and materials that underpin scientific research to prevent the loss of knowledge, equipment, and collections in the aftermath of war and other conflicts. Additionally, we explored strategies for rebuilding scientific infrastructure in the wake of such crises.
During my tenure with this project, I could never have imagined that, within a year, I would become an exiled scientist after resigning from my faculty position in Iran in support of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests. This harrowing experience has provided me with a firsthand perspective on how the life of a scholar can be endangered due to conflicts such as war and the absence of academic freedom. As a scientist working under sanctions for years in Iran, I am keenly aware of the inherent risks that come with my work, which are amplified in my current state of exile. At the World Wide Meeting of Young Academies in 2021, I delivered a talk highlighting the detrimental impact of sanctions on scientists.
This experience has reinforced my sense of duty to raise awareness and be the voice of at-risk scholars, particularly students, and academics in Iran, who are currently experiencing severe suppression by the regime. As a co-founder of the International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA), I gave several talks which are available here.
Since my membership at the Global Young Academy, I have also collaborated with the At-Risk Scholars initiative.
Iranian Women Astronomers (IWA)
Iranian Women Astronomers (IWA)
شاخه بانوان انجمن نجوم ایران (شبانا)
شاخه بانوان انجمن نجوم ایران (شبانا)
In July 2021, as the only female on the board of directors of the Astronomical Society of Iran, I established its female branch, called Iranian Women Astronomer (IWA), by focusing on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity.
You can find more information about the IWA here.
Physics Without Frontier
Physics Without Frontier
The Physics Without Frontiers (PWF) programme of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) works to inspire, train, and motivate physics and mathematics university students worldwide, with a focus on science and technology lagging countries, to help build the next generation of scientists.
In March 2018, I co-organized the first PWF-Afghanistan event with over 250 registered participants at Kabul University. Kate Shaw, the PWF coordinator, lectured on particle physics and I lectured on cosmology.
An outreach day accompanied the program, where high school students came to a local science center and received an interactive session about cosmology.
PWF activity at Kabul University, Afghanistan led to a new scholarship scheme to provide excellent students with the opportunity to continue their studies. PWF has partnered with the IASBS, Iran, to offer ICTP-PWF-IASBS Scholarships. The scholarship supports students from Afghanistan for two years, for a Master's degree with an M.Sc. thesis.
"Knowledge Helper" Fund
"Knowledge Helper" Fund
صندوق یار دانش
صندوق یار دانش
The "Yar-e-Danesh Fund" was established with five faculty members of IASBS and me in July 2019 to provide financial support to students. The main purpose of the fund as it comes by its name ("Knowledge Helper") is to identify students whose financial assistance can improve the quality of their education.
During its 24 months of operation, the fund has assisted 250 students/month. During this period, the main sponsors of the fund were IASBS faculty members who donated a part of their monthly salary to the fund.
The following conditions are considered to support the students:
Priority is given to talented students.
Students who have not passed the years approved by the Ministry of Science.
Graduate students are preferred to PhD students since they do not have the possibility of a teaching/research assistant.
The review of the applications was considered only on the basis of the academic and financial conditions of applicants.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse