The seventh meeting of the science and technology exchange program (STEP) will be held virtually to lay the foundation for science production during corona outbreak.

According to the information center of national elites foundation, the seventh STEP will be held on May 18^th, 2020 online to evaluate the challenges in the process of dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

The meeting will focus on the “scientific and technological cooperation solve the challenge of coronavirus” in cooperation with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

During the meeting, keynote speeches and group discussions on topics in various fields of science and technology, including "sharing the experiences and observations of the medical staff of Islamic countries in the fight against COVID-19" and "scientific discoveries, technological innovations and strategies” in the face of the challenge of the coronavirus will be presented. The program also includes other virtual sections such as senior managers’ roundtable, workshops and discussions. In addition, researchers are invited to send their articles until May 18^th, 2020. The best articles will be published in Shiraz Medical Electronic Journal, International Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Biology, and Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management.

In total, 33 international units and universities including the world health organization (WHO), the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and the Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World (SASTA) will participate in this round of the meeting.

The program is a foundation provided by the Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation to expand the science network among the players in the science, technology and innovation field of the Islamic world. The program lays the foundation for reinforcing, synergizing and growing scientific cooperation through holding international events. The program also includes a wide range of cooperation opportunities for joint studies and a foundation for accurate discussions on science and technology and strategic experience exchanging with other member countries.