In the frameworks of educational cooperation, signed between IRI and Republic of Armenia, Roman Smbatyan started a PhD program at the University of Esfahan. On January 2005 he was accepted as a PhD student in the department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities.
Mr. Smbatyan did his PhD program in the field of History of Islamic Period of Iran.
On 18th January 2010 Mr. Smbatyan defended his PhD thesis on “The role of Caucasus in the Policy of Iran under Nader Shah” and received a PhD degree in the abovementioned field.
After his return to Armenia he pursued a position of Assistant Professor at the department of Iranian Studies, Yerevan State University. On April 12, 2010 Dr. Roman Smbatyan’s PhD degree received in the Islamic Republic of Iran was nostrificated by the Supreme Committee of Attestation and Accreditation of the Republic of Armenia.