The increasing development of nanotechnology in the country has opened new opportunities in various sciences. Academic studies and researches play a significant role. As sustainable development could be in access through a knowledge-based economy, university students and professors have great potentials. It should be mentioned that prosperity of these latent capacities depends mainly on providing sufficient education and training. Nanotechnology promotional institutions could play a very important role in this topic. They could build a continuous relationship among different activists in the field of nanotechnology including university students, university professors, INIC, Nano Teachers Network (NTN) and the National Nano Competition secretariat.
By activating powerful and effective promotional institutions in various universities all over the country, and encouraging their representatives, university students will be familiarized with nano science and technology. Therefore, prosperity of the mentioned capacities will be in access.
Any student groups, educational companies as well as other institutions inside the university seeking to educate and promote nano science and technology among university students and graduates could apply for INIC promotional institutions. These institutions can benefit from various supports of INIC if they actively pursue supporting regulations. Institutions should introduce a person as a representative to INIC. This person communicates with the secretariat and receives incentives dedicated to the institution due to a specific activity according to the regulations.
In order to support promotional institutions, competitive and supportive regulations are approved by INIC which will be reviewed below.
Supporting Scientific or Business Education & Training Events
In order to develop promotional activities among interested students, graduates and researchers, educational, promotional and business events are supported. These events fall into the following three categories:
- Nano Science and Technology Education Events: These events seek to acquaint the audience with nanotechnology and its scientific foundations. It also aims to prepare the participants of the National Nanotechnology Competition (NNC). These events can be held in person, online, or offline.
- Nanotechnology Applications Education Events: These events are organized for informing university students with more specialized trainings in a specific field.
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship Events: Entrepreneurship is generally considered as one of the ways of development. It is one of the most important sources of innovation and job creation in the new era. Nanotechnology applications have great potentials in various fields. These applications can be a developed in order to establish a knowledge-based company and employ professionals and graduates in the related field.
Therefore, Iran’s Nanotechnology Innovation Council (INIC) supports such events and aims to promote nanotechnology among students of various universities. These events can be held both in person, online or offline.
Works of Media
In order to support the activities of the institutions in making and distributing works of media among university students in the field of nano science and technology, INIC intends to promote these works of media. After evaluating the works and reports provided by the institutions, the best ones are awarded annually. Works of media are received and evaluated in four main categories:
- Educational-promotional publications
- Animations, clips, and educational-promotional podcasts
- Educational-promotional websites or blogs
- Social media groups, pages, or channels.
Supporting Competitions Proposed by The Institutions
Due to the importance and also impacts of competitions and scientific events in introducing and promoting nano science and technology and also providing enjoyable times for students, Nano Education Foundation (NEF) shares its experiences with the institutions and provides the winners of the mentioned competitions with the committed prizes.
Choosing The Best Nanotechnology Promotional Institutions
In order to support the promotional and educational activities in the field of nanotechnology, INIC evaluates activities of the promotional institutions in organizing educational events, providing various services for participation of students in National Nano Competition, management of a page, a channel or a group in social media, etc. and three top nanotechnology promotional institutions are introduced and awarded accordingly.
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