TEHRAN – Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, has mentioned that the projected inauguration of seven know-how transfer centers will accelerate rural development.
In an effort to additional empower the workforce and transfer know-how to rural areas, the ministry of science and the vice-presidency’s workplace for rural development signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday, ISNA reported.
The nation has taken nice strides within the development of bodily infrastructure in rural areas after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. There has been a 99-percent protection of providers similar to electrical energy, protected water, gasoline, phone, and web entry in villages with greater than 20 households, Simaei-Sarraf highlighted.
Transferring know-how to villages won’t solely have social and financial impacts, however will pave the way in which for sustainable employment, stop rural-to-urban migration, and even reverse the migration development, he famous.
The ministry of science will make the most of all its capacities to help this initiative. Currently, the nation has some 60 science and know-how parks, 16,000 innovation centers, and a couple of,000 different models working within the rural development sector. These firms are working in numerous fields like power, water, trendy agriculture, processing industries, and handicrafts, which may play a major position in rural development, the official additional famous.
In 2025, the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Zahra Behrouz-Azar, mentioned empowering rural communities is a prerequisite for the financial and cultural development of the nation.
Referring to the distinction between the idea of village and area people, the official mentioned, “The rural areas’ financial actions contain agriculture, animal husbandry, crafts, and pure assets.
However, the area people has a broader idea and contains completely different teams of individuals, not solely in rural areas, but additionally in city neighborhoods, nomadic areas, and even digital communities. Local communities depend on social interactions, traditions, beliefs, and shared human relationships.”
In villages, the development of agricultural infrastructure, animal husbandry, well being, and schooling are fundamental wants, whereas in native communities, points similar to preserving tradition, fostering social interactions, and strengthening help networks are important.
Referring to the truth that solely 30 p.c of the nation’s inhabitants resides in villages, Behrouz-Azar mentioned depopulation of rural areas will lead to dropping a major proportion of cultural heritage, artwork, language, and way of life.
The official went on to urge universities and academic centers to make the most of their information and trendy applied sciences to tackle present challenges in rural communities, assist increase their productiveness, and enhance the standard of lifetime of farmers, significantly girls farmers, since they play a key position in empowering rural communities.
Financing the First Mile
World Rural Development Day is marked on July 6 yearly. This yr, it was marked below the theme ‘Financing the First Mile of Food Systems’. Rural communities are the ‘first mile’ of meals techniques: the locations the place meals is grown, livelihoods are sustained, and resilience begins. They are dwelling to practically 80 p.c of the world’s poorest individuals and stand on the frontline of meals insecurity, local weather shocks and migration pressures. Yet in addition they maintain immense potential to strengthen meals safety, create financial alternative and help long-term stability.
Investing in rural individuals means investing within the foundations of extra resilient societies. When rural areas have the assets they want, communities are higher ready to stand up to shocks, younger individuals have higher cause to construct their futures at dwelling, and producers can contribute extra totally to native, nationwide, and world markets. Evidence signifies that elevated funding in rural areas equal to one p.c of a rustic’s gross home product can scale back worldwide out-migration by practically one share level (IFAD, 2026).
Unlocking this potential requires sensible, sustained motion: stronger worth chains, wider entry to finance, higher help for cooperatives and rural small and medium-sized enterprises, and higher connections between producers and markets. Such investments will help flip vulnerability into alternative and make sure that rural communities are acknowledged not just for the challenges they face, however for the important position they play in shaping a safer and sustainable future.
MT/MG