The temporary head of the Ministry of Science and Technology announced that all faculty members or students who feel their rights have been violated in any way should contact the ministry to request a review of their situation.
In an interview with ISNA on Saturday August 24, Jafar Tofighi stressed: “The ministry is responsible for processing these complaints.”
During the eight-year administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, many professors were forced into early retirement or dismissed in a kind of political cleansing campaign.
In addition, numerous students were expelled or suspended for their political activities.
Jafar Tofighi was appointed as supervisor of the science ministry after Hassan Rohani’s choice for Minister of Science did not meet with Parliament’s approval. Until Rohani proposes a new appointee, Tofighi has been chosen as the ministry’s caretaker.
Tofighi emphasized restoring an atmosphere of “progress and energy” to the universities, adding that the rules and regulations in place for student activism allow students to remain active within a reasonable framework.
He added that the main objective of universities is scientific development, and “political extremism has no place in universities.”
Jafar Tofighi, who is closely linked to reformists, served as science minister in the reform government of former president Mohammad Khatami.
