In the joint meeting of the National Research Institute of Oceanography and the Secretariat of the Sea-based Economy Coordination Council, it was emphasized: strengthening the network of maritime universities and the scientific infrastructure of the sea-based economy

In the joint meeting of the National Research Institute of Oceanography and the Secretariat of the Sea-based Economy Coordination Council, it was emphasized: strengthening the network of maritime universities and the scientific infrastructure of the sea-based economy
 
The meeting to review the solutions for the development of scientific and institutional cooperation between the National Research Institute of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and the Secretariat of the Sea-Oriented Economy Coordination Council was held on January 14, 1404 with the presence of Dr. Morteza Hanifehzadeh, the deputy director of development of this secretariat, in the research institute. Holding the meeting of the Supreme Council of the Union of Maritime Universities, strengthening international cooperation and starting the practical review of setting up a marine reference laboratory were among the most important outcomes of this meeting. 
According to the public relations report of the research institute, at the beginning of the meeting, the head of the research institute introduced the "Union of Coastal and Maritime Universities and Research Centers" as a national coordinating network of universities and research centers active in the field of marine science and technology in the country, and emphasized the role of this union in providing scientific support to marine policies. This union, which was formed at the suggestion of the National Research Institute of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences in 2006, is now considered the most important academic synergistic structure in the sea domain with the membership of 19 universities and research centers. It was decided that the meeting of the union will be held in the near future with the presence of Dr. Abdul Alizadeh, the special representative of the president for sea-oriented development affairs. 
In the following, Dr. Hanifezadeh, referring to the assigned mission to set up a network of maritime universities in the country, welcomed the capacities and records of the union, and emphasized the need to use this existing structure as a basis for networking maritime universities. He also considered the development of international activities and the use of the capacity of scientific diplomacy as requirements for the advancement of the sea-oriented economy. 
In this regard, the head of the research institute suggested using the capacity of the "Regional Center for Oceanography of West Asia under the supervision of UNESCO" as the main platform for international scientific interactions. This center, which is considered the first UNESCO regional oceanographic center in the world, plays an important role in promoting oceanographic knowledge, developing regional cooperation and scientific support for issues such as climate change, marine ecosystem health, and sustainable management of coastal resources. In this section, the readiness of the research center to host the meeting of the board of governors of this center was announced on the sidelines of the Tehran Marine Meeting, and it was decided to conduct official correspondence in this regard. 
The topic of setting up a marine reference laboratory was also one of the main topics of this meeting. In this section, referring to the country's existing limitations in areas such as marine biodiversity and blue carbon, the necessity of creating a scientific reference structure to support national and international monitoring, decision-making, and commitments was emphasized. Based on this, it was decided to submit the Blue Carbon Laboratory proposal for review and follow-up, and other related national capacities will also be evaluated in stages. 
In the conclusion of this meeting, the parties emphasized on the continuation of interactions, the targeted use of existing institutional capacities, and the step-by-step movement from scientific synergy to decision-making and executive action in the field of sea-oriented economy.