The Minister of Information and Communications Technology Seyed Sattar Hashemi has called for prioritizing missions of the ICT Research Institute, urging it to focus on long-term infrastructure projects and on stronger engagement with leading experts, and playing a more active role in policymaking.
He made the remarks in a weekly
meeting on Thursday to oversee the performance of the ICT Ministry’s affiliated
bodies which was dedicated to review the Research Institute’s activity and its
strategic priorities.
Hashemi was presented with a report
on the institute’s performance and noted the increase in the number of projects
and the resources allocated to the institute, saying “The institute’s
achievements should also be reflected in its final results and performance
evaluation indicators.”
“Having several priorities means
that, in practice, there is no clear priority. Therefore, the institute’s
strategic direction must be clearly defined, and all projects, memorandums of
understanding, and implementation plans must be aligned with these strategies.”
Highlighting the importance of
long-term infrastructure projects, he stated, “We should not simply pursue
short-term, high-profile projects. Instead, we must pursue initiatives designed
with a national vision that create sustainable infrastructure for the country’s
future, even if they are not completed or become operational during the current
management’s tenure.”
The ICT Minister also identified
sustainable cybersecurity as one of the institute’s strategic priorities and
stressed the need to establish clear objectives and measurable indicators to
evaluate project progress.
Strengthening Engagement with
Leading Experts
He referred to the country’s
financial constraints and added, “We must make the best possible use of
existing expertise and human resources. While maintaining quality, research
projects should, to the greatest extent possible, be prioritized for
implementation using the institute’s own capabilities.”
“Relying on domestic capabilities
must not come at the expense of quality,” Hashemi added, “The allocation of
projects should be based on the scientific expertise, track records, and
implementation capacity of those responsible for carrying them out.”
He stressed the need for
continuous engagement with the country’s leading experts and top talents,
saying “Engagement with leading experts must not be limited to holding a single
meeting. Rather, continuous and effective interaction with them must be
established.”
He described the development of
programs to increase interaction and collaboration between top talents and the
institute as an opportunity to identify scientific capabilities, facilitate
knowledge transfer, and strengthen ties between the younger generation and the
country’s scientific community.
More Active Role in Policymaking
Emphasizing the institute’s
specialized role, the ICT Minister noted “The institute is expected to express
its views on major technological issues facing the country in line with its
specialized mandate and to make its findings and expert analyses available to
the public.”
Hashemi called for researchers
and technical managers to take a more active role in expert discussions and the
media, emphasizing that such participation must be grounded in knowledge,
research, experience, and evidence-based analysis.
Also referring to proposals and
decisions related to the governance of cyberspace, he called for their
potential impacts and consequences to be carefully assessed before approval.
“Clearly defining the scope of
authority and responsibilities, and preventing duplication of efforts, are
essential to an effective technology governance system.”
Hashemi underscored the
institute’s important role in examining fundamental issues related to
technology governance, analyzing proposals and legislative bills, and providing
expert recommendations.
He also emphasized the need for
the institute to participate more actively in the policymaking process.
Promoting Persian Language in Digital
Space
In another part of his remarks, Hashemi
referred to estimates suggesting that the Persian language’s share of web
content had declined from approximately 3.5 percent to nearly 1 percent.
He stressed the need to
investigate this trend and develop a plan to strengthen the presence of Persian
in the digital environment.
Referring to the concept of
“Technological Persian” (Fars-e Fanavaraneh), he called for scientific and
technological capabilities to be harnessed to enhance the position of the
Persian language and literature in the digital world.
At the conclusion of the meeting,
Hashemi expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the institute’s managers
and staff.
He expressed hope that, by
focusing on strategic priorities and effectively leveraging its scientific and
technical capabilities, the institute would become a role model for other
organizations affiliated with the Ministry of Information and Communications
Technology.