The following are excerpts from a report by Iranian TV on 18th May:
His Eminence Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i today received the minister and
officials of the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education, as well as the heads of higher
educational and research centres.
In the course of important remarks, he said that the possession of
knowledge, faith and capability on the part of the officials in charge of the country's
higher educational establishments was a fulfilment of God's decree. He emphasized that the
administrators of the country's educational establishments had the important
responsibility and great historic duty to use these resources for the growth and
sophistication of the nation and the country...
The eminent leader referred to the substantial growth in universities
since the victory of the Islamic revolution, saying: I obtain information from various
sources about what is going on in academic and educational centres and I am also well
acquainted with the nature of the universities. On the basis of this, I believe with all
my being that in Islamic Iran the universities have undergone a lot of change, both for
academic reasons and because of religious enlightenment and the depth of religious belief.
Yet, at the same time, our universities have not yet become Islamic. The eminent leader
pointed to the emphasis that is repeatedly placed on university reform and added: It is
now time to take action, wisely and tactfully. If you do not do this, the nation will fall
behind by several years and will suffer harm, thus depriving you of the honour of having
achieved this.
His Eminence Ayatollah Khamene'i said that the Islamization of
universities was a delicate, precise and academic task. He said: The correct thing to do
is to preserve the academic nature of the university while moving towards its
Islamization. You should know that if you perform this task correctly, others will imitate
you and humanity will benefit. The eminent leader of the Islamic revolution pointed to the
importance of attending to the ethical and organizational dimensions of
universities, adding: Religious elements, those who are committed to Islam and the Islamic system and
who believe in the revolution and its aspirations with all their beings, should be
empowered to work in the universities and university management and administrative
departments could play an effective and important role in this respect. He said that the
officials and staff of the Ministry of Culture and Education were responsible for the
Islamization of universities, saying: The Islamization of universities involves a radical
change which will be permanently recorded in the history of this country. In order to
realize this objective, it is necessary to take a big, practical decision and to implement
a correct, planned, legal, rational and calculated method.
Our universities today are not Islamic and they should become so. To
achieve this, there is an unavoidable need for a profound, radical, sympathetic,
long-term, planned and comprehensive movement. His Eminence Khamene'i also emphasized the
need to strengthen the activities of the Supreme Islamic Revolutionary Council... The
eminent leader strongly opposed the issue of the privatization of higher
education, saying: IN the country's current situation and in spite of foreign enemies and the
weakness of academic and publicity output as heard in the country, the privatization of
higher education is neither practical nor acceptable and no-one should plan for it.
On the question of whether students should continue their university
education abroad, the eminent leader said: I have doubts about this issue, because if
young people can be taught by prominent teachers inside the country, why should they go
abroad to study for their doctorates under non-experts? In this context, the officials of
the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education should present valid reasons for this to
continue.
His Eminence Khamene'i considered that the insults hurled by some
university lecturers or by some irreligious and apathetic students at basiji
students, who
fought so hard during the Holy Defence era 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war , was disagreeable and
unpleasant. He said: The officials of the Ministry of Culture and Education should dismiss
those university lecturers who fight against the sanctities of the Islamic system and
should replace them with religious and faithful individuals who accept the aspirations and
values of Iran's Muslim nation. Today, in some universities, religious elements are being
treated unkindly and you should stop this and direct the universities towards Islamic
objectives, while at the same time preserving their academic nature.
The eminent leader of the Islamic revolution ended by saying that the
existence of offices of the leader's representatives in the universities were vital for
growth and teaching in higher education. He stressed that it was important for those
involved in higher education and in charge of universities to be united in their
activities with these offices...