The Second International Conference on Quran and Science was inaugurated at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad with the participation of prominent domestic and international scholars and researchers. The ceremony commenced with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and the playing of the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Dr. Hossein Bazrafshan-Moghaddam, the executive secretary of the conference, welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of holding such events to deepen scientific reflections based on Quranic teachings. He expressed his delight that, by the grace of the Quran, an opportunity had been provided for researchers to gather, although some invitees were unable to attend in person due to the unstable regional conditions and participated online instead.
Dr. Bazrafshan-Moghaddam described this conference as a continuation of a scientific movement that began earlier at the University of Tehran and is now being pursued at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad on an international scale. He stressed the necessity of defining new problems in natural and life sciences inspired by Quranic concepts and stated that the main goal of this conference is to create a suitable platform for exchanging views, brainstorming, and presenting new scientific approaches in this field.
He also introduced the Quran and Science Research Center as an example of innovative scientific institutions that, with a specialized approach, examines the inspirational capacities of the Quran in the process of scientific production.
During this conference, more than 170 scientific papers were received, and after evaluation, a selection of them were chosen for presentation in specialized workshops. Additionally, Dr. Bazrafshan-Moghaddam announced the launch of the electronic version of the bilingual Quranic journal of the research center, which will be made available concurrently with the conference.
In concluding his remarks, he thanked the members of the board of directors of the Quran and Science Research Center for their continuous efforts and expressed hope that this scientific path would be like a “blessed tree” whose “root is firm and whose branches reach the sky.”
The holding of this conference once again highlights the increasing importance and status of Quranic reflections in the realm of scientific production at the international level and opens new horizons for institutionalizing inspiration from the Quran in the scientific advancement of the Muslim world.