One of the least publicized but most important aspects of US-Iran diplomacy — cultural and academic exchanges — may get a boost with the election of Hassan Rouhani as Iran’s president.

US-Iran cultural diplomacy has a long history dating back to 1834, two decades before the two countries had formal diplomatic ties. Americans founded some of Iran’s most prestigious academic institutions and tens of thousands of Iranians have studied in the US. After rising to record levels under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, this cross-pollination dwindled following the 1979 Islamic Revolution but was revived during the 1997-2005 presidency of Mohammad Khatami and has continued with occasional hiccups ever since.

During the campaign and in his first post-election utterances, Rouhani — himself educated in part abroad in Scotland — has stressed the importance of cultural exchange. “Our art is our best ambassador in the world,” he remarked during the second election debate. In a press conference after he was elected, Rouhani said he didn’t want to see “more tension” with the United States, adding, “Both nations need to think more about the future and try to sit down and find solutions to past issues and rectify things.”

A new report released June 27 by the Atlantic Council recommends a number of steps to increase cultural and academic interaction between Iran and the United States in apolitical fields of mutual benefit. Among the recommendations: establishing a non- or quasi-official “US-Iran Cultural Exchanges Working Group” made up of “bilateral representatives from academia, the arts, athletics, the professions, and science and technology [to] help both governments develop, coordinate and administer these programs.”