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Reza Asgari Correspondent
One of the most dramatic changes in government in Iran’s history was seen with the 1979 Iranian Revolution where Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on February 2nd.

The Islamic Revolution chatted the beginning of great and fundamental changes in Iran and the countries of the region.

This report seeks to review the important achievements of the Islamic Revolution and the progress of the Islamic Republic in the field of science and technology.

Scientific advances and the achievement of the Islamic Republic of Iran in some of the new technologies in recent years surprisingly came as a worry to some Westerners, the result being the pressure being borne on Iran to abandon the nuclear program, among others, so as to stall Iran’s progress. The following indicators can partly reflect these enhancements. Comparing the status of higher education in Iran before and after the revolution in the census of 1355 and 1390 represents significant achievements:

The literacy rate rose from 47 percent in 55 years to 93 percent in the year 90.

The average of applicants for secondary education has increased from 23 percent to 85 percent.

The population with higher education qualifications rose from 310,000 to 5474,000 in the 1990s.

The number of students has increased from 170,000 to 4m.

The number of Ph.D. students increased by 60 points from 9458 to 580,638.

In the 55th year of growth, Iran’s scientific rank was 52 in the world and reached the world’s 17th rank in the 1990s.

1-With regard to the application areas of Nano science, such as the production and accumulation of drugs, diagnosis of diseases, water detoxification, increased productivity in agriculture, the accumulation and maintenance of agricultural products and food, pest control and sanitation, the effects of these achievements in the lives of the people are palpable and will continue to be. Iran is now ranked 12 in the world of Nano science.

2. Iran has made significant advances in Medical Science, especially in areas such as stem cells, repair of spinal cord injuries, the production of strategic drugs, simulations of animals, etc. Iran ranks amongst the first in this field. Today, advanced hospitals in Iran are offering sophisticated treatment and surgical procedures to patients from other countries within the region.
3. Entry into the World Space Club is one of the country’s scientific and technological achievements in the post-revolution period. With space science and technology limited number of countries in the world, Iran is now the only country in the region with this home grown knowledge and technology. So far, several satellites have been built and will be launched in future by more advanced space carriers from the Islamic Republic. Iran is now among the only six countries designing, constructing and launching satellites in the world.
4. The growth and development of the automotive, steel and aluminium, shipbuilding as well as aircraft industries, and the country’s progress in the construction of docks, drilling of oil and gas wells, construction of a refineries, dams, silos, highways and other various types of metal and concrete structures, are among other scientific and technological developments in the country.
5. The Islamic Republic is now a nuclear country and a member of the nuclear club of the world. Despite all the sanctions and threats, Iran has achieved a complete cycle of nuclear fuel (enrichment) with the efforts and struggles of its young people and its specialists, and in terms of scientific and technological knowledge, it is in the ranks of 7-8 advanced countries in the world. Nuclear power is used in various fields of medicine, veterinary medicine, industry, agriculture, electricity generation, etc. Undoubtedly, with the consolidation and institutionalization of the fuel cycle in Iran, this valuable achievement will reveal its works in all these areas.

Reza Asgari, Cultural Counsellor, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Zimbabwe