According to the public relations office of the university, the president of Qom University of Technology stated in a speech before the Friday prayer in Qom: Based on the statements of the Supreme Leader, one of the main missions of the officials, concerned individuals, caring citizens, and the revolutionary community is the struggle for clarification.
He added: The direction of the national economy from the years before the revolution until around 2013 was based on an import-driven economy and a distribution system. However, due to the threats posed by international sanctions, from around 2011 there was a good opportunity to shift towards a production-based economy, particularly a knowledge-based economy.
He said: The country's tendency towards a knowledge-based economy is such that we witnessed the drafting and announcement of the unprecedented Law for the Leap in Knowledge-Based Production at the beginning of 2022. According to Article 3 of this law, all expenses that companies and organizations incur for research and development of their products and services are deducted from their fixed tax amount.
Therefore, at the end of 2022 and coinciding with the beginning of the new government's work, we have observed an 87% growth in knowledge-based companies, with currently over 8,000 knowledge-based companies existing nationwide.
Qom province has a strategic position in the country and is located on the country's communication arteries, making it accessible from the north, south, east, and west.
He stated: Proximity to the capital and important industrial cities of the country such as Tehran, Arak, Saveh, Isfahan, Kashan, as well as the numerous industrial towns and regions around Qom has provided a unique geopolitical position for Qom province. Furthermore, with abundant mineral resources like zinc, manganese, kaolin, strontium, salt, and precious stones, along with active industries in wood, home appliances, food, automotive downstream industries, and footwear, Qom can no longer merely be viewed as a base for religious and theological studies in the country and the world; instead, our province is rapidly industrializing, and the demographic and cultural composition is changing swiftly.
Jalal Rezaei Noor stated: Given the province's growing need for engineers and the demand for training specialized human resources, Qom University of Technology was established in 2007 during the visit of President Ahmadinejad and began its operations in 2008 with two fields: Industrial Engineering and Computer Engineering. Currently, it has about 2,000 students and approximately 70 faculty members.
The president of Qom University of Technology added: This university offers 27 diverse academic programs from the bachelor's degree to the doctoral level and provides all fields of basic sciences, technical and engineering disciplines for those interested in science and technology.
He said: Qom University of Technology has become renowned across the country due to innovative initiatives and the organization of skill-oriented courses for employment. We achieved the first rank in employment of bachelor's graduates in 2020 and the second rank in employment of bachelor's graduates in 2021 nationwide.
Jalal Rezaei Noor mentioned: Based on official reports released last year, we succeeded in organizing over 143 professional training courses with the help of 14 active scientific associations, the Academic Jihad Organization, and the Technical and Vocational Education Organization, making us a model at the national level.
He said: We have a memorandum of understanding with the Technical and Vocational Education Organization of the province, which allows us to introduce up to 200 students to vocational training centers for skill development by the end of the year, and over 2,100 hours of professional training sessions have been held with this organization so far.
He stated: Qom University of Technology takes pride in being the first university in the country to launch the innovative "Industry Companion" program. According to this program, engineering students who intend to undergo internships participate in specialized four-member teams with one faculty advisor (this five-member team is known as the "Industry Companion"). They engage in companies and organizations that have requested assistance in identifying problems, conducting field assessments, and then researching and brainstorming to provide solutions. This specialized team, acting as an industrial clinic, has made significant achievements in solving issues faced by industrial units with a problem-solving approach, and many students working in these teams find employment in related industries.
He mentioned: There is a close connection between university faculty and industry within the province and the country, and last year we achieved the third rank among universities nationwide in terms of industry and community research opportunities.
The president of Qom University of Technology added: As a result of these initiatives, we are witnessing the recruitment of top scorers from the national entrance exam and the most distinguished professors from the best universities in the country. In each recruitment call for faculty members, the best doctoral graduates from top universities compete, causing difficulties in selecting the most distinguished among them.
Regarding the university's innovation center, he stated: Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, we have opened the growth and innovation center of the university in an appealing environment covering approximately 250 square meters, and currently, five knowledge-based teams are operating there. We anticipate that the number of these technology units will reach 10 by the end of the year, and we welcome knowledge-based companies and technology units as well as independent players.
Jalal Rezaei Noor, referring to the spiritual status of the holy city of Qom, remarked: Qom University of Technology is the only university in the country where its academics have accepted the chador as the superior form of hijab. This is noted in the entrance exam booklet, and university officials are committed to ensuring proper implementation through proactive methods.
He added: The organization of various camps during the days commemorating the martyrdom of Lady Fatimah Zahra (s), Lady Fatimah Masoumeh (s), and Imam Hussain (a) at the university and in Karbala is among these efforts.
The president of Qom University of Technology stated: Innovative initiatives such as the memorial ceremony for the unknown martyr, the 13th of Aban event inviting representatives from the Islamic Jihad Movement and Hamas to the university, and holding various panels for free thought discussions are among the special cultural programs of Qom University of Technology.
He added: In recent years, special attention has been paid to universities and science and technology parks across the country by the country and provincial authorities, especially by the representatives of Qom province in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, for which we are grateful. We also appreciate the provincial governor's dedicated efforts to resolve the university's land issues and allocating a piece of 5,000 square meters for dormitory construction.
