Mohammadreza Khosravinikou said the university is prepared to draw on the expertise of its faculty, researchers and students to assist in evaluating damage and restoring affected oil sector infrastructure.

Because of the university's specialized knowledge of the industry's structure, equipment, processes and needs, he said, it could take a central role in rebuilding oil and gas facilities and could also help coordinate contributions from other universities across the country.

Khosravinikou called the effort an opportunity to make targeted use of the nation's scientific capacity. He said closer ties between the university and the oil industry would speed up reconstruction efforts and help incorporate domestic expertise into rehabilitation and modernization projects.

He also outlined the university's broader development plans, saying that just as expansion and modernization continued during past periods of sanctions and war, current efforts to rebuild and upgrade educational, research and support infrastructure remain underway. Those efforts include expanding specialized training programs, carrying out research contracts with oil industry companies, and broadening international partnerships.

A significant share of the university's research work is designed to address the practical needs of refineries, gas companies, oil-producing regions and petrochemical complexes, Khosravinikou said, adding that this focus will continue in the coming years.

Describing how the university operated during the recent conflict, he said officials followed directives from the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology to continue the academic semester through virtual instruction, minimizing disruption to students. Some research activity also continued remotely, he said, and access to laboratories and research centers resumed once conditions stabilized.

Khosravinikou said the university community followed the country's developments with a strong sense of responsibility during that period. The university, he said, worked to hold informational programs and create opportunities for dialogue, aiming to give students a foundation of awareness and analysis so the institution's academic capacity could serve national needs.

He said the university has worked to keep its development programs and academic missions running even under difficult circumstances, relying on its technical expertise to help meet the oil industry's needs.

Khosravinikou also highlighted the university's role during periods of sanctions, noting that in recent years it has trained specialized personnel while playing an active role in localizing technology, executing first-of-their-kind construction projects, resolving operational bottlenecks, and carrying out research projects needed by oil industry companies.

Outlining the university's development agenda, he said rebuilding and modernizing its educational, research and support infrastructure remains a priority. He noted that the university has signed numerous memorandums of understanding, agreements and research contracts with subsidiary oil companies and private-sector firms, some of which are already being implemented. Expanding specialized and continuing education programs, along with broadening international cooperation, are also central to the university's plans, he said.

Khosravinikou concluded by saying the university's research and educational programs have continued despite sanctions and two wars, adding that officials have worked to ensure the university's development and scientific programs are not interrupted even under the most difficult conditions.