Professors call for end to interference in universities

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 15 May 2015

A group of 700 Iranian university teachers have sent a letter to the government calling for an end to what they say is “unprecedented interference” in the internal affairs of universities, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The Islamic Association of University Teachers of Iran said the signatories addressed the three branches of government to stop “extralegal” pressure on Iranian universities, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported last week.

The signatories did not specify the individuals or entities they accused of interference. But they cited several examples of powerful entities exerting such pressure. There was a reference to a cancelled concert at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, in northeast Iran, earlier this year. There was also mention of a cancelled speech at the University of Tehran by lawmaker Ali Motahari, a relative moderate who has drawn criticism from hard-liners.
Full report on the RFE/RL site

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