Akbar Jafari Resigns from Sharif University Following 'Summons' and Interrogation

Akbar Jafari, a physics professor at Sharif University and a supporter of protesting students, was forced to resign due to government pressures and 'summons and interrogation.' In a letter published in the Sharif University newspaper, he cited his decision as stemming from 'the summons meeting last year and the events that followed.' Jafari described his resignation as 'one of the most painful decisions of my professional life' and noted the date of his resignation as November 20. Ali Sharifi Zarchi, a dismissed professor from Sharif University, reflected on this news in a post on X (formerly Twitter), describing Jafari as 'the youngest full professor of physics at Sharif University' and addressing the government by stating, 'They simply deprived the country of a young and prominent quantum physics professor.' Jafari, a board member of the Iranian Physics Society, also referred in his letter to financial pressures and the consequences of his criticisms of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's mismanagement, writing, 'If I am to remain under the shadow of baseless accusations in the current unrest in the country, this is beyond my tolerance.' This critical professor had previously detailed the suspension of hiring at Sharif University during Ahmadinejad's presidency in a Facebook post. The Islamic Republic News Agency had previously referred to Jafari as 'the best young researcher' at a national conference on superconductivity advancements. Following the widespread protests last year triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, many students joined the protests, and several university professors supported the protesting students. The Iranian government has not only suppressed protesters and students but has also removed many professors who do not align with its policies and figures supporting the protests from universities. Previously, dozens of academic figures abroad protested the expulsion of professors, considering this action by the Islamic Republic as a continuation of four decades of pressure and suppression in Iran's educational environments. Additionally, a member of the eleventh parliament criticized the widespread expulsion, suspension, and dismissal of school administrators, stating that 'purification' during this period continues severely from universities to education and executive bodies. Furthermore, Mohsen Barahani, a suspended professor at Tehran University, recently stated that the government of Ebrahim Raisi had been planning to restrict universities and expel professors days before Mahsa Amini's death and the onset of nationwide protests. The newspaper Etemad previously reported that thousands of professors had been expelled from Azad University in the new academic year, with 'first or second semester doctoral students' replacing them. Additionally, 32,000 adjunct professors were expelled from Azad University, with 20,000 doctoral students replacing them. Jinous Taghizadeh, a multimedia artist, previously told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic's efforts to 'militarize universities' have been ongoing for years, noting that brilliant professors were removed after the cultural revolution, and this wave has been repeated in various periods.