The webinar on international collaboration in the fields of research and education was held by the Community-Based Psychiatric Care Research Center and the International Unit of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences on Tuesday, July 19, 2021, from 18:00 to 20:00. This webinar aimed to enhance the awareness and capabilities of the faculty members of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences regarding international collaborations in research and education.

In the third millennium, globalization, a dominant trend in various human sectors, has affected higher education and Iranian universities, leading to phenomena such as the internationalization of universities, cross-border education utilizing communication technologies, distance learning, and virtual universities. In this context, international scientific collaboration is a significant influence in the realm of universities and higher education. Today, international scientific collaborations are seen as an appropriate tool to improve quality in universities and foster practical knowledge production. These collaborations are a response to the pressures and models of globalization, aimed at maintaining efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness in the global higher education market. However, the lack of a strategic approach to the components and dimensions of these collaborations underscores the need to address this area.

Given these circumstances, the webinar titled "International Collaboration in Research and Education" was organized for the faculty members of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Initially, Dr. Khatereh Silani, Vice Dean of International Affairs at the School of Nursing, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, presented on the process of internationalization, especially in educational activities with foreign academic institutions. She discussed the objectives of international collaborative programs, including deepening internationalization goals at universities, strengthening and expanding international collaborations, creating better employment opportunities for graduates, effectively utilizing international memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and contracts, and enhancing the quality of graduate programs. She emphasized the importance of internationalization, focusing on the internal infrastructure required for its successful implementation and elaborated on the types of international joint educational credentials.

The next speaker, Dr. Mohammad Nami, Vice Dean of Research and Technology at the School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, presented on conducting research in the international arena. He outlined the philosophy and objectives of research, emphasizing the creation of wealth, entrepreneurship, and the overall improvement of societal conditions. According to Dr. Nami, research should guide policy at a national level, with converging sciences and technologies playing a crucial role. He discussed how international research should align with global needs, while national research should address local priorities. He further emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts through various types of MOUs, academic exchanges, joint publications, collaborative programs, and faculty employment at the international level.