A tripartite meeting involving the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), the Zanjan Provincial Directorate General of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and the Zanjan Provincial Department of Information and Communications Technology has been held at the university as a strategic step towards linking basic sciences, artificial intelligence, and the film industry.

According to the Public Relations Office of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, the university’s officials have held a joint meeting with the Zanjan Provincial Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mr Mohammadi; the Zanjan Provincial Director General of Information and Communications Technology, Eng Gholaami; and a number of distinguished figures and professionals from the province’s cinema and theatre sectors. The meeting, held in the university’s meeting room, focused on examining areas for collaboration, the application of artificial intelligence in the seventh art, and the development of programmes for the national Science Night event.

At the beginning of the meeting, the IASBS President, Prof Sadollah Nasiri Gheydari, welcomed the guests and paid tribute to the valuable position of the province’s artists and cultural managers. He stressed the university’s commitment to constructive engagement with society and industry.

Referring to the university’s particular strengths in interdisciplinary fields, he said: “Art provides an unparalleled platform for promoting and communicating scientific concepts to society. Basic sciences and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence have remarkable potential to advance and transform the cinema and animation industries. The university is fully prepared to build bridges between science and art and play its role as a driving force at provincial and national level.”

The Zanjan Provincial Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mr Mohammadi, then referred to the university’s distinguished scientific background and the comprehensive outlook of its faculty members. He stressed the importance of redefining new concepts and making use of emerging technologies.

He said: “Today, the connection between information technology, artificial intelligence, and the creative industries provides a basis for producing influential works and developing the art economy. The presence of leading figures and distinguished veterans in Zanjan has created a unique opportunity for the province to become a centre for producing technology-based content and animation. Collaboration with the university will be a fundamental step towards bridging the gap between technical capabilities and artistic creativity.”

The Zanjan Provincial Director General of Information and Communications Technology, Mr Gholaami, also explained the need to increase the province’s share of the digital economy. He stressed the importance of developing local artificial intelligence models and directing the capacities of the joint Science and Technology Park incubator towards the creative and media industries.

In another part of the meeting, the IASBS Deputy for Administrative and Financial Affairs, Prof Zaare-Nahandi, made reference to the national Science Night event, which will be held on 29 October 2026 with the support of the Iranian National Science Foundation. He called for the active participation of the province’s artistic community in simplifying fundamental scientific concepts and presenting them attractively to the general public.

The provincial theatre and cinema veterans, Mr Saasaan Ghajar and Mr Farid Ahadian, then explained their views and valuable suggestions on empowering artists through artificial intelligence and creating opportunities for skills-based training.

At the end of the meeting, a special working group for developing new technologies in art and cinema was established to develop an operational roadmap. The Zanjan Provincial Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mr Mohammadi, was appointed chair, the Zanjan Provincial Director General of Information and Communications Technology, Mr Gholaami, deputy chair, and the IASBS faculty member, Dr Houshmand, secretary.

The working group will include representatives of the university and experts from the artistic community and will be responsible for planning the preparation and signing of a memorandum of understanding on future collaboration.