With a history of a decade in research and training, Insurance Research Center (IRC) has come to a stage to be identified as a pioneering research institute that develops necessary knowledge and training in the realms of insurance and risk in Iran.

Having professional and competent staff and up-to-date training facilities, this academic and research center, acting consistent with the grand policies of the country regarding knowledge-driven economy as the main pillar of the resistance economy has always given priority to value-added productivity.

The main activities of the Insurance Research Center can be classified into four sets: “research projects”, “training”, “dissertation projects”, and “publication of books and journals”. The strategic guideline of IRC mandates its research body to tailor the technical knowledge of insurance, risk and actuary to meet the scientific needs and to solve the problems of the insurance industry through conducting thorough studies and training.

IRC enriched with highly skillful human capital, modern facilities and acceptable capabilities, in its short lifecycle has successfully accomplished a dozen of research projects and over 600 master’s and doctoral dissertations. Holding training courses for the industry’s personnel and managers, conducting a wide range of seminars and conferences to improve the state and performance of the insurance industry are other remarkable achievements of IRC. Furthermore, since its foundation, this academic center has published over 300 books in various fields of risk, insurance, economy and etc., a graded scientific-research journal, and two graded scientific-promotional journals, in Persian and English and some other periodicals.

In order to make its knowledge products more applicable, IRC has intensely concentrated its activities on demand and supply in the insurance industry. Also, to transform its findings, it has attempted to forge and maintain strong and productive relationship with Central Insurance of I.R. Iran (Insurance Supervisory and Regulatory Authority) and the insurance industry. In this regard, following the advice of the president of CII, several research projects and professional training courses have been developed and designed in order to solve relevant problems and to enhance the general condition of the insurance industry. Accordingly, new research projects are expected to emerge from the same standpoint. Meanwhile, it must be noted that by offering professional training for the industry’s personnel, conducting nation-wide examinations for brokers, adjusters, and agencies, IRC has constantly attempted to maintain a productive relationship with the industry.

Relying on knowledge management and the knowledge of management, IRC believes that with the help and support from universities, academic and research centers and employing global knowledge in commercial insurances, it can undeniably make major strides in line with the grand objectives of the country to exploit the resources to tackle industry’s problems and develop new knowledge. It is quite evident that this academic and research center will warmly welcome all the views and embarks to move along this path.

Statute of Insurance Research Center (Affiliated with Central Insurance of I. R. Iran)

Introduction

In order to fulfill part of the research needs of the insurance sector, Insurance Research Center (Affiliated with Central Insurance of I. R. Iran) was established based on the acquired license No. 22/361 dated 2005/05/18, approved by the Educational Development Council of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology and the objectives, obligations, and organization law of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology (approved on 2004/08/08). The content of this statute is in line with the establishments’ rules and regulations.

In this statute, Central Insurance of I. R. Iran is abbreviated to “insurance” and Insurance Research Center is referred to as the “research center”.

Article 1 – Goals

1. Research development and advancement of insurance and its subfields;

2. Setting the stage for the promotion of relevant research activities.  

Article 2 – Duties and Authorities

1. To identify the research requirements in the field of insurance;

2. To undertake fundamental, applied, and developmental research projects to meet the objectives of the research center;

3. To provide necessary facilities appropriate for research activities;

4. To promote collaboration with domestic and foreign universities and academic institutions in order to enhance the quality of insurance related research activities that must comply with the relevant rules and regulations;

5. To provide consultation services to natural and legal individuals based on the latest academic and research findings of the research center;

6. To publish academic journals, books, training booklets, software, and computer programs in line with the objectives of the research center that must comply with the relevant rules and regulations;

7. To organize academic conferences and to present research findings in the form of training workshops that must comply with the relevant rules and regulations;

Article 3

Since the approval of this statute, the research center has the legal character and official and financial independence and is affiliated with Central Insurance of I. R. Iran.

Article 4

The place of activity of the research center is Tehran.

Article 5 – Key Posts

A. Board of Trustees

B. Director General

C. Research Council

Article 6 - Structure of the Board of Trustees

1. The President of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran (Chairman of the Board);

2. The Minister of Sciences, Research & Technology or his representative;

3. The Director of the Management and Planning Organization or his representative;

4. The Director General of the research center (Secretary of the Board);

5. Three to five national academic and cultural individuals that have effective role in the development and promotion of the research center;

Note 1. At least, two individual forenamed in Clause 5 must be faculty members of the national universities, higher education or research institutions;

Note 2. Recommended by the President of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran, the forenamed members in Clause 5 will be appointed for a four-year term based on the approval and decree of the Minister of Sciences, Research & Technology. These individuals can be members of at most two boards of trustees at the same time. Their recommendation and reappointment is permitted and until new individuals are not appointed instead of them, they can continue to fulfill their legal duties and have their authorities.  

Article 7 – Duties and Authorities of the Board of Trustees

1. Approval of the internal bylaws of the Board of Trustees;

2. Approval of the organizational chart of the research center according to relevant rules and regulations that will be enforceable after the endorsement of the Minister of Sciences, Research & Technology;

3.  Approval of the financial, transactional, official, employment, and organizational bylaws of the research center (including bylaws pertaining to the educational tours, scholarships, and sabbaticals) that will be enforceable after the endorsement of the Minister of Sciences, Research & Technology;

4. Assessment and approval of the annual and detailed budget of the research center proposed by the Director General of the research center;

5. Approval of the accounts and annual balance sheet of the research center;

6. Approval of the method of the special income reception and its consumption that must comply with the relevant rules and regulations;

7.  Making efforts to raise funds through nongovernmental sector and local revenues including cash, construction materials that must comply with the relevant rules and regulations;

8. Recommending the position allowance for faculty members of the research center to the Ministry of Sciences, Research & Technology for approval;

9. Devising the management methods of the units of production, service, workshop, and etc. that must comply with the relevant rules and regulations;

10. Setting the amount of grants, tuition fees, translation fees, authoring fees, and the like that must comply with the relevant rules and regulations;

11. Assessment of the research center annual performance that is presented by the Director General of the research center and providing comments about it.

Article 8 – Director General

Being the legal representative of the research center among the legal authorities and recommended by the President of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran, the Director General of the research center will be appointed by the approval of the Minister of Sciences, Research & Technology and the decree of the President of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran for a four-year term. His recommendation and reappointment is permitted and until another person is not appointed instead of him, he can continue to do his/her legal duties and have authorities.

Article 9 – The Director General’s Duties and Authorities

1. Formulating plans for the research center, directing and administering its affairs, supervising the proper execution of all the activities within the framework of the statute, relevant rules and regulations;

2. Developing organizational chart of the research center and proposing it to the President of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran in order to observe the legal proceeding;

3. Issuing the orders pertaining to the employment, appointment, promotion, commission, dismissal, etc. of the research center faculty members and employees based on the relevant rules and regulations;

4. Choosing and appointing deputies, advisers, and officials of the research center according to the approved organizational chart and discharging them;

5. Signing the contracts, binding documents, financial and administrative documents, and the correspondence of the research center based on the approved rules and regulations.

6. Opening required bank accounts for the research center and introducing the authorized signatories that must comply with the relevant rules and regulations;

7. Planning the annual and detailed budget of the research center and proposing it to the President of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran in order to observe the legal proceeding.

8. Formulating financial-transactional, official, recruitment, and organizational bylaws and changing and amending them based on the relevant rules and regulations and proposing them to the President of Central of I. R. Iran in order to observe the legal proceeding.

9. Formulating the bylaws pertaining to the educational tours, scholarships, sabbaticals within the framework of the relevant rules and regulations and proposing them to the Research Council for approval and legal proceeding observation.

10. Presenting the annual performance of the research center to the President of Central of I. R. Iran.

11. Proposing the establishment and abolition of research groups to the Research Council of the research center.

12. Vindication of the research center’s interests and rights in legitimate authorities (including legal, executive, and official authorities) on behalf of the research center in person or by a lawyer or with the right of substitution with one lower rank.

13. Enforcement of the acts passed by the Board of Trustees and Research Council within the framework of the relevant rules and regulations.

Note: In compliance with the relevant rules and regulations, Director General of the research center can delegate some of its duties and financial and official authorities to the deputies of the research center while maintaining his/her responsibility.

Article 10 – Structure of the Research Council

1. Director General of the research center (Council Chairperson)

2. Research Deputy of the research center (Council Secretariat)

3. Managers of the Research Groups at the research center

4. Two to five faculty members

Note 1. At least two individuals of the forenamed members in Clause 4 must be chosen from amongst the researchers and scholars outside the research center by the introduction of the Director General of the research center, approval of the Research Deputy of The Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology.

Note 2. The forenamed members in Clause 4 will be appointed for a 4-year term and their reappointment is allowed.  

Article 11 – Research Council Meetings

Research Council meetings will be held at least once a month and it is called to order only after two third of its members are present and the presence of the Council Chairperson is mandatory. Its decisions are only valid by the majority i.e. more than the half of the members cast their votes.

Note: The council’s meetings are administrated based on the council’s internal bylaws.

Article 12 – Duties and Authorities of the Research Council

1. Approval of the council’s internal bylaws;

2. Development of the roadmap, academic and research programs of the research center within the policies and acts framework of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology;

3. Approval of the research bylaws and directives of the research groups;

4. Assessment and approval of the research projects and supervising their quality and proper implementation;

5. Assessment and supervision of the research project developments based on the approved schedule and if required, their revision and approval of their changes;

6. Assignment of the referees or the jury for the completed research projects that will be introduced by the research deputy of the research center;

7. Assessment of the academic and research activities of the research center;

8. Approval of the proposition of the establishment and abolition of the research groups in order to observe the legal proceeding;

9. Planning for building and maintaining academic relationship with other national educational-research institutions and centers according to the relevant rules and regulations;

10. Assessment and approval of short training courses, seminars, and scientific visits;

11. Approval of the bylaws pertaining to the educational tours, scholarships, sabbaticals within the framework of the relevant rules and regulations and proposing them to the President of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran in order to observe the legal proceeding;

12. Assessment and determination of the equipment, publication, information, and academic needs of the research center and proposing for their supply by the Director General of the research center;

13. Assessment and approval of the educational tours, scholarships, and sabbaticals of the faculty members of the research center based on the relevant rules and regulations;

14. Approval of the bylaws pertaining to the authoring and translation of books and papers and the publication procedure of the academic and research findings of the research center;

15. Assessment of the academic qualification of the applicants for the research center faculty membership and providing comments about them;

16. Fulfillment of other tasks that within the framework of the relevant rules and regulations are assigned by the Board of Trustees or the Director General of the research center.

Article 13

From financial-transactional perspective, the research center is subject to the financial-transactional bylaw approved by the Board of Trustees and endorsed by the Minister of Sciences, Research & Technology.

Article 14

The academic selection method of the research center faculty membership is based on the faculty member recruitment of the research center that will be approved by the Board of Trustees and the Minister of Sciences, Research & Technology.  

Article 15

The general selection method of the research center faculty membership is subject to the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Sciences, Research & Technology and other competent authorities.

Article 16

The space, facilities, and the equipment of the research center must comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Sciences, Research & Technology.

Article 17

The research center observes all the rules and regulations and approved bylaws of the Ministry of Sciences, Research & Technology and other competent authorities.

Article 18 – Financial Resources

1. General budget credits;

2. The income generated by the implementation of the research projects, consultation service offerings, conducting workshops and short training courses, and supplying academic products (such as books, journals, etc.);

3. Donations received from relevant ministries and organizations;

4. Gifts and donations received from natural and legal persons.

Article 19

The fiscal year of the research center is based on the solar calendar year that starts from Farvardin 1 (March 20)  and ends with the last day of Esfand (March 19) of the same year.

Article 20 – Abolition

The research center can be abolished after the approval of the Educational Development Council of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology:

1. Proposed by the President of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran;

2. In violation of the regulations mentioned in the statute, acts and regulations of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology and other national standing rules and regulations at the discretion of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology.

Article 21

If the initial agreement of the Educational Development Council of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology for the abolition of the research center is declared, a settlement board comprised of the legal representative of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology, legal representative of Central Insurance of I. R. Iran, and the Director General and one of the research center deputies, in compliance with the rules and regulations and in the period that the Educational Development Council sets, will be responsible for the settlement job.

Article 22

Central Insurance of I. R. Iran is required:

1. To take on all the commitments of the research center made to the ministries, governmental institutions, general public entities, banks, municipalities, and other legal and natural persons (including faculty members and employees) or based on the agreement of the right-holders, assume the research center commitments by itself.

2. To reclaim all the privileges and properties that have been granted to the research center through public resources such as banks and municipalities or to submit the agreement of the right-holders for yielding the privileges and properties to the research center.

Article 23

After the fulfillment of the aforementioned commitments in Article 22, the settlement of all the legal affairs, the final approval of the abolition of the research center by the Educational Development Council of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology, the payment of all the debts, and announcement of the settlement end by the settlement board, the rest of the research center’s properties will be transferred to Central Insurance of I. R. Iran.      

Note: The settlement board is required to keep minutes regarding the above-mentioned matters that must be signed by all the members of the board. A copy of the minutes must be sent to Central Insurance of I. R. Iran and a copy to the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology.

Article 24

The issues not which were not anticipated in this statute are subject to the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology.

Article 25

Any change to the content of this statute is only possible if approved by the Educational Development Council of The Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology.

Article 26

This statute comprised of 26 articles and 7 notes is approved by the Educational Development Council of the Ministry of Sciences, Research, and Technology on 2006/01/07 and since its notification date, it is enforceable.