A Memorandum of Understanding between AllamehTabataba’i University (ATU), Berghof Foundation (BF) and Tehran Peace Museum (TPM) to exchange experiences in the fields of peace education, global learning and global citizenship education, with the presence of representatives from each respective party, was signed on Wednesday April 19th, in the ATU.

To benefit from the academic knowledge and the results of common research and field experiences, ATU, BF and TPM have signed a MOU with duration of 2 years. According to this MOU, the three parties have agreed to cooperate to exchange knowledge and experiences of both Iranian and German experts and to hold workshops and educational events for students.

"We have had experiences of such academic cooperation and research with international institutes and universities before" said Dr. Seyyed Mansour Mirsaeedi, dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of ATU in the meeting that was held on April 19th ,"but what sets this MOU apart is the presence of an Iranian NGO as an intermediator”. DrMirsaeedi also stated that mutual understating and friendship between countries are byproducts of any kind of scientific international cooperation and that this feature is even more emphasized in this MOU which directly deals with the subject of peace.

Dr. Hamid Salehi, a member of Faculty of Law and Political Sciences and also a member of TPM’s board of directors stated that it has been years that veterans at the TPM have been calling for peace and despite the difficulties, they are assiduous because they believe this way is the righteous way.

“The essence of this MOU is learning together and exchanging knowledge and experience between the three parties and to delineate a way for future steps.” said Prof. Dr. Hans Joachim Giessmann, executive director of BF . He also stated that the combination of the history and culture of all the three parties involved, can help in developing a cooperation model in the field of peace.

Mohammad Reza TaghipourMoghadam, director of the TPM, recalled a memory from a visit by students of peace studies from university of Uppsala and said:” back then, I wished we could soon enter this field more academically and scientifically in Iran. I am glad that today with the efforts of ATU we are very close to the fulfilment of this dream”.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Mirsaeedion on behalf of ATU, Prof. Dr. Giessmannon behalf of BF and Dr. Salehion behalf of TPM signed the MOU. In this meeting several other representatives from the respective parties were present.