About the Department
Industry and Community Liaison Office
Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences
About the Office
The Industry and Community Liaison Office of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences is an organizational unit operating under the Vice-Chancellery for Research and Technology.
Established in 2020 (1399 in the Iranian calendar), the Office is located in the University's three-story Educational and Research Building at the University Headquarters.
The Office was established to create a suitable environment for technology development, the practical application and commercialization of scientific knowledge, and effective cooperation between the University, industry, and society.
Its primary objective is to strengthen constructive relationships between the University and various industries, executive organizations, healthcare centers, hospitals, and service institutions.
The Office plays an important role in organizing and directing applied research, facilitating knowledge and technology transfer, and utilizing the scientific expertise of faculty members to address practical challenges and societal needs.
University–Industry and Community Collaboration
With the increasing demand for specialized knowledge and academic expertise from industries, organizations, and healthcare institutions, the Industry and Community Liaison Office seeks to establish and expand scientific, research, and technological partnerships between Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences and different sectors of society.
These partnerships contribute to:
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Improving the quality of academic research.
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Increasing the practical application of research findings.
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Developing new technologies.
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Promoting scientific advancement.
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Supporting economic development.
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Improving public health and healthcare services.
The Office identifies research needs and priorities across industries, organizations, hospitals, and healthcare centers and introduces the University's scientific capabilities to potential external partners.
It provides a suitable framework for defining and implementing joint research projects, delivering specialized services, providing scientific consultation, and conducting applied research activities.
The Office also facilitates the transfer of academic knowledge and practical experience through specialized workshops, joint meetings, industrial visits, and opportunities for faculty members to work with companies, organizations, factories, and healthcare institutions.
Collaboration with Healthcare Institutions
Close cooperation with university-affiliated and non-university hospitals and healthcare centers is among the Office's major priorities.
These collaborations aim to identify technological needs, improve healthcare service quality, and develop applied research projects in the health sector.
The Office also supports the development of health technologies, medical equipment, and innovative treatment methods through cooperation with healthcare organizations.
Furthermore, it encourages faculty members to participate in sabbatical and study opportunity programs within industrial and community environments, thereby strengthening collaboration between academic institutions and external organizations.
Key Responsibilities
The principal responsibilities of the Industry and Community Liaison Office include:
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Identifying the research needs and priorities of industries, executive organizations, hospitals, and healthcare centers and communicating them to university faculty members.
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Establishing and expanding research and technological collaboration between the University, industry, and healthcare institutions.
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Receiving and reviewing research proposals submitted by faculty members and presenting them to interested organizations and potential partners.
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Facilitating the preparation and implementation of research and service contracts with industries, organizations, and hospitals, including the related administrative and financial procedures.
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Planning and directing applied research projects to address the needs of industry and the healthcare system.
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Collaborating with hospitals and healthcare centers to identify research priorities, improve healthcare services, and implement joint research and technology projects.
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Supporting the development of health technologies, medical equipment, and innovative treatment methods in cooperation with healthcare institutions.
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Preparing, revising, and updating regulations and guidelines concerning university–industry collaborative projects.
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Facilitating faculty participation in joint projects involving the University, industry, and healthcare centers.
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Expanding scientific collaboration through memoranda of understanding with organizations, companies, hospitals, and executive institutions.
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Organizing specialized workshops, meetings, and joint programs with industries, organizations, and healthcare centers, while facilitating faculty engagement with companies, factories, and hospitals.
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Supporting faculty participation in industry- and community-based study opportunity programs.
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Monitoring and evaluating collaborative projects between the University, industry, and healthcare institutions and assessing their impact and effectiveness.
By drawing upon the University's scientific and professional capacities and strengthening partnerships with external organizations, the Office seeks to address national challenges, advance technology, improve healthcare services, and increase the societal impact of academic research.
Mission and Objectives
Knowledge-Based Development and the National Vision
Iran's 1404 Vision Document (corresponding to the national 2025 planning horizon) emphasizes the development of a knowledge-based society through the optimal use of scientific, technological, and innovative capacities.
It also highlights the importance of constructive interaction among institutions involved in basic sciences, religious and epistemological sciences, applied sciences, and technology, in cooperation with a rational and values-oriented society.
Mission-Oriented Education and Research
A review of the historical development of many universities indicates that academic institutions have often pursued similar general missions and objectives without sufficiently emphasizing mission-oriented planning.
A mission-oriented approach to education and research enables universities to identify the actual needs and expectations of industry and society by concentrating on their specialized resources, infrastructure, and scientific expertise.
This approach encourages universities to undertake targeted, problem-oriented research and provide skills-based education that addresses practical challenges.
Identifying and Communicating University Capabilities
One of the main obstacles to effective cooperation between universities, industry, and society is the insufficient communication of universities' scientific, research, and operational capabilities to external stakeholders.
Universities must therefore identify, document, and present their specialized knowledge and professional capabilities through suitable communication channels.
Scientific knowledge and technology, like other valuable products and services, must be presented to potential users and beneficiaries through appropriate methods to attract the attention of relevant audiences.
The absence of established cooperation between universities and external sectors does not necessarily indicate that these sectors have no need for one another.
Rather, it highlights the importance of identifying mutual interests and creating effective communication mechanisms.
Strengthening University–Industry Relationships
Industry liaison offices have been established at many universities to provide an effective framework for cooperation between academic institutions, industry, and society.
In many cases, insufficient knowledge of the educational and research priorities of industry and society has led to academic programs that do not fully respond to real-world requirements.
Consequently, graduates may have limited familiarity with the practical challenges encountered by industries and communities.
This concern is closely associated with the concept of useful knowledge, which has been repeatedly emphasized in the statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Industry and Community Liaison Office aims to help align academic education, scientific research, and technological activities with the actual needs of society.
Transition Toward Third- and Fourth-Generation Universities
Following several years of distinguished research achievements and progress toward the objectives of second-generation universities, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences established the Industry and Community Liaison Office within its Vice-Chancellery for Research and Technology.
This initiative represents a deliberate step toward adopting the principles of third- and fourth-generation universities.
Achieving these objectives requires constructive cooperation between the University, industry, and society, along with problem-oriented research and skills-based education.
Reciprocal and productive interaction between university faculty members, academic specialists, industries, and other sectors of society can contribute to the comprehensive development of knowledge, applied research, and technological innovation.
Such cooperation also helps address societal challenges, particularly under the conditions of economic sanctions described in the University's institutional documentation.
Management
Dr. Davood Eskandari
Faculty Member – Assistant Professor
PhD in Occupational Health and Safety Engineering
Email: eskandari.d@skums.ac.ir
Office Staff
Zahra Keivani
Expert, Industry and Community Liaison Office
Ehsan Heidari
Expert, Industry and Community Liaison Office
University Steering Committee
The University Steering Committee is identified as part of the Office's organizational framework.
Executive Working Group
The Executive Working Group is identified as part of the Office's organizational framework.
Administrative Processes and Industry Priorities
The Office's documentation identifies the following administrative and collaborative areas:
1. Main Contract Process
Procedures related to the establishment and preparation of contracts for university–industry cooperation.
2. Scientific Consultation Request Process
Procedures related to requesting scientific consultation and specialized academic expertise.
3. Industry Priorities
Identification of industrial priorities relevant to university–industry cooperation, applied research, and technological development.
Contact Information
Industry and Community Liaison Office
Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences
Vice-Chancellery for Research and Technology
Telephone/Fax: +98 38 3333 8890
Extension: 352
Email: ilo@skums.ac.ir
Office Staff
Kashani Blvd, Shahrekord, Iran