Hawzah News Agency- Hojatoleslam Ali Kazemi, Vice President for Research at the International Research Institute of Al-Mustafa (PBUH) and Executive Secretary of the festival, briefed reporters on the structure, evaluation process, and submitted works at a press conference held today.
“The festival this year will be held in two main sections: primary and special,” Kazemi said. “The primary section is open to teachers, students, graduates, and their families, and covers research across three categories: books, theses, and academic articles.”
Scope of Submissions
In the book category, scholarly, general, and translated works are evaluated. The thesis section includes master’s and doctoral dissertations, while the article category assesses research papers, scholarly promotion articles, and specialized publications in Al-Mustafa journals and affiliated academic associations.
The special section focuses each year on a theme aligned with global developments and Al-Mustafa’s mission. “This year, the spotlight is on ‘The Role of Justice and Resistance in Achieving the Islamic Civilization of the Future,’” Kazemi noted, emphasizing the festival’s goal of fostering scholarly sensitivity and research output on pressing issues.
Global Participation and Linguistic Diversity
Kazemi highlighted the extensive international engagement: “This year, 1,514 works were submitted, contributed by 1,203 men and 311 women from 47 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, India, Lebanon, Syria, Nigeria, France, Russia, the U.S., Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Tanzania, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire.”
The submissions spanned 18 languages, including Persian, Arabic, English, Urdu, French, Azeri, Tajik, Turkish, Bengali, Indonesian, Hindi, Swahili, Russian, Thai, Spanish, and German.
Breakdown of Submissions
- 416 master’s theses
- 129 doctoral dissertations
- 55 books
- 234 research articles
- 39 scholarly promotion articles
- 415 specialized articles
- 77 translated works
- 149 submissions in the special section
Kazemi noted that these figures only include works officially received by the festival secretariat. “Preliminary reviews in various Al-Mustafa International University units indicate over 2,500 works were produced, though not all were formally submitted for central evaluation,” he added.
Participation by Academic Level
Reflecting the festival’s research focus, the majority of submissions were from postgraduate scholars: 120 bachelor-level participants, 625 master’s, and 769 doctoral candidates.
Evaluation Process and Recognition
The festival operates with six specialized committees. Out of all submissions, 1,027 underwent primary evaluation, 259 proceeded to a second round, and 10 reached a tertiary review stage. Kazemi explained the ranking outcomes: “In the primary section, no first-place awards were given this year. Six works received second place, 38 were ranked third, and 47 were commended. In the special section, one work achieved second place, two received third place, and 22 were commended.”
Regarding the special section articles, 42 submissions scored above 70 points and, after incorporating reviewer feedback, will be published in the festival’s proceedings and indexed in the ISC database.
Honoring Global Scholars
A hallmark of the Sheikh Tusi Festival is its recognition of scholars with impactful global research contributions. “Last year, we honored Ayatollah Subhani and presented translations of some of his works produced by Al-Mustafa International University in various languages,” Kazemi noted. “This year, we will pay tribute to the scholarly legacy of Ayatollah Araki during the 27th festival.”
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