Chapter Iran

Founding of the Iran Research Centre for Urban Ecology

The SURE Iran chapter is founding the Iran Research Centre for Urban Ecology for advancing the goals of the Society for Urban Ecology (SURE).

The overarching targets of the Iran Research Centre are:

• International, national, and regional cooperation and networking between Iran and the SURE
• Cooperation with public and private organizations and institutions
• Holding training courses, workshops, conferences, symposiums, etc.
• Educational and scientific support of Iranian students, experts and institutions

Symposium Urban Ecosystem Management held by SURE Iran on 22 February 2022 at Tabriz University

Under the leadership of Prof. Akbar Rahimi, SURE Iran Chapter held a one-day symposium on Urban Ecosystem Management at Tabriz University, Iran, on 22 February.

More than 45 students of different departments and faculties participated and actively discussed the subjects presented by Prof. Cristian Ioja, University of Bucharest, Romania (SURE treasurer), and Prof. Jürgen Breuste, University of Salzburg, Austria (SURE president). The symposium took place in the Shahid Bakeri Hall of Tabriz University and included a site visit to El Goli Park, the largest inner-city green space in city of Tabriz.

The presented and discussed subjects were: urban wildlife, management of biodiversity, and urban tree and green space management. The symposium is already the fourth that is organized since 2019 by SURE Iran at Tabriz University on the subject of urban ecosystem management. These symposia are of constant and rising interest among students and practitioners. Supported by an ERASMUS + cooperation, there is an intensive exchange of students from Tabriz University with University of Bucharest, Romania, and University of Salzburg, Austria.

Symposium participants

Field discussion with Prof. Cristian Ioja and Prof. Akbar Rahimi

Urban biodiversity and its management – SURE Iran symposium

SURE Chapter Iran organized under the leadership of Prof. Akbar Rahimi, University Tabriz, on Tuesday 19th October 2021 in Tabriz, 2021 a national symposium with international guests.

The symposium connects to the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 15) (Part 1) in October 2021 in Kunming, China. It is made clear that the post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be taken, together with decisions on related topics including capacity building and resource mobilization. Urban biodiversity must be focused much more than before. To this the symposium is a supportive contribution.

The president of SURE Chapter Iran, Prof. Dr. Poor Mohamadi, former governor of Iran’s Azerbaidshan province opened the symposium. SURE president Prof. Dr. Jürgen Breuste gave with his presentation on “Urban Biodiversity – by Urban Environmental Management” an orientation for urban biodiversity development. Prof. Dr. Cristian Ioja, University Bucharest, Romania, president of SURE South East Europe Urban talked about “Urban protected areas in a global perspective” and a “Multi-criteria analysis in environmental decision-making process”.

Participants on the symposium were beside scientists about 120 students in presence and online. In the afternoon part these students were included into different interactive courses related to aspects of urban biodiversity and urban design.

Prof. Ioja, Prof. Rahimi, Prof. Breuste, Prof. Poor Mohamadi

SURE Chapter Iran founded

The SURE Chapter Iran was founded on 11^th June 2019 with the aim of expanding international cooperation on urban ecology in Iran and at University of Tabriz. The main purpose of SURE Chapter Iran is to encourage for participation of young and active researchers in urban ecosystem management, urban sustainable development, landscape architecture, urban and regional planning, urban ecology, and geography. The SURE Chapter Iran, was established at University of Tabriz in the northwest of Iran to participate and expand the membership of other Iranian universities researchers, students, institutes and organizations.

Steering committee in SURE Chapter Iran

Prof. Mohammadreza Pourmohammadi is the President of Iran SURE chapter. He is professor in Department of geography and urban planning, University of Tabriz. Also he is the governor of East Azerbaijan province in Iran and he was president of University of Tabriz.

Dr. Akbar Rahimi is the Vice President of Iran SURE chapter. Associate Professor in Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Tabriz.

Reza Farhadi (MA, MSc) is the Secretary of Iran SURE chapter. Head of the Institute of City and Landscape of the Future (ICALF) and Lecturer in Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Hormozgan.

Dr. Fereydoun Babaei-Aghdam, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, University of Tabriz. He is head of Urban Planning and Architecture Commission in City Council.

Dr. Hossein Nazmfar, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, University of Ardabil.

The Iranian Chapter SURE has 52 members, in majority students.

Prof. Mohammadreza Pourmohammadi