Hawzah News Agency- The meeting brought together Qorbanali Pourmarjan, the forum's deputy for international communications, and Seyedeh Zohreh Borqaei, director of Jamiat Al-Zahra Seminary, according to a report by Hawza News Agency.
Borqaei said the Islamic system must pave the way for Islamic civilization worldwide, adding that Jamiat Al-Zahra Seminary's mission is not confined to Iran or its own institution. She noted that while female seminary students at Jamiat Al-Zahra possess considerable academic capacity and study at advanced levels, further training on Islamic schools of thought and proximity-related topics remains a key need that specialized courses can address.
She stressed that planning for women's education and empowerment must account for their dual responsibilities in the family and society, adding that women today manage household and child-rearing duties while also playing active roles in social spheres.
Citing the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, and the martyred leader of the revolution, she said both emphasized the true status of women in Islamic society, and urged seminary and non-seminary officials to properly recognize women's position and plan for their effective participation.
Borqaei announced that the fifth edition of the International Women's Book of the Year Award will be held globally, covering works on women and family by both Iranian and foreign authors and researchers. The event aims to build an archive of female writers and researchers in the field and to foster scientific exchange and cooperation.
She also highlighted the seminary's Growth Center, which works to empower women and develop their skills, noting that efforts are underway to obtain international licenses. The center, she said, can connect women with different countries so that graduates can both transfer knowledge and skills learned at Jamiat Al-Zahra and draw on the scientific, artistic, and professional capacities of their own countries.
Pourmarjan, for his part, described Jamiat Al-Zahra Seminary as a valuable treasure for international activities, stressing that women fluent in foreign languages are essential for effective global religious outreach.
He noted that language alone is not enough—what makes outreach effective is combining substantive knowledge with the ability to convey it in the audience's language. He praised the seminary for training women who possess both religious knowledge and language skills and can serve as capable missionaries abroad.
Referring to the "war of narratives," Pourmarjan said the world today needs women who can present an accurate account of Islamic culture, women's status, and Islamic lifestyle to international audiences, particularly in Western societies. He said capable women from Jamiat Al-Zahra can play an effective role in cultural, media, and outreach activities abroad to counter false narratives.
He also welcomed the Growth Center's work in providing vocational and practical skills alongside academic and religious training, saying such skills can strengthen graduates' economic independence and social activity, especially in less privileged countries.
Pourmarjan proposed developing joint cooperation in religious diplomacy, networking among educated women, and sending female missionaries to various countries.
Sediqeh Shakeri, the seminary's deputy for research, outlined its research capacities, including translator training courses in English, Arabic, and Urdu, designed with input from people familiar with target countries' languages and cultures. She said participants in these courses could also contribute to translating works on Islamic proximity, and that some possess strong outreach capabilities as well.
Hojatoleslam Abbasi, director-general of the seminary's international office, stressed the need to turn these interactions into broader operational programs, praising the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought as a valuable legacy of the martyred leader.
The meeting was attended by female seminary students fluent in foreign languages, who briefed participants on the activities of the seminary's language association. The visiting delegation later toured the Growth Center, including its photography and painting studios, sewing workshop, library, and Persian language classes for non-Iranian students.
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