The Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INST) of Sharif University of Technology founded the biennial conferences on Nanostructures with the special support of Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) in 2006 after a timely perception of the need of scientific and technological society to interact, exchange and discuss the newfangled fields of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology which had been experiencing fast progress.

In this regard, Sharif Workshop on Nanostructures (SWNS2006) was held in March 2006 as a start to achieve this target. Aiming for bigger impacts, the workshop turned to be a larger gathering and the Second (NS2008) and Third (NS2010) Conferences on Nanostructures was organized. The largest gatherings of national scientists and researchers in the country in the field of Nanoscience broadened its topics and attracted more participants. Expriencing such a wide welcome, the Fourth International Conference on Nanostructures (ICNS4, 2012) was held with a high emphasis on participation of international professors and researchers and hosted participants from more than 30 countries. Sharif University of Technology continued the successful event with the Fifth International Conference on Nanostructures (ICNS5, 2014) hosting many distinguished scientists among them Prof. Sir. Andre Geim (2010 Physics Noble Laureate) and Prof. Michael Gratzel (2010 millennium Technology Grand prize winner). In 2016, ICNS6 hosted distinguished scientist as Prof. Sir Mark Edward Welland, Prof Paul. S. Weiss, Prof. Kenneth Suslick, Prof. Ali Khademhosseini, and many other renowned scientist from around the world and was greatly welcomed by national and international participants. ACS NANO wrote about “independent development of Nanoscience in Iran in the past decade” and “Iranian scientists’ desire for international engagement”, after its three editors attended ICNS6. ICNS7 was held on 27 February-1 March, 2018 in Tehran keeping the same high standards of the previous events and now INST is planning to organize the 8th of ICNS series.

ICNS8 is organized to be held on 20-22 April 2020 in Tehran.