According to Webda, on Thursday, August 21, 2026, Dr. Esmaeil Garivani spoke at a meeting attended by international affairs deputies and directors from the Ministry of Health and the universities of medical sciences within the country's Macro-Region 9—hosted by North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences. He stated: "The establishment of an International Affairs Department at the university is commendable and reflects the university president's commitment to expanding services and activities."

He added: "As one of the initial steps taken prior to the formation of this department, we had been pursuing international rankings—such as the Times rankings—and the university’s inclusion in these rankings coincided with the launch of the International Affairs Department's operations."

He added: "Following the establishment of the International Affairs Department, relations with various countries and universities were expanded, and we leveraged opportunities for international collaboration across diverse fields."

The Director of International Affairs at North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences continued: "Collaborations have been initiated with China regarding medicinal plants; additionally, other measures taken include academic cooperation with universities in Pune, India, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Afghanistan concerning telemedicine and health tourism."

Emphasizing that the university approaches its international activities with a trans-border perspective, Garivani stated: "We are striving to expand the scope of our collaborations into various fields, and in doing so, we aim to leverage the capabilities of entities such as the Chamber of Commerce to further enhance international engagement."