Criticism from 500 Student Activists on Proposed Minister of Science and Defense of a Reformist Representative

Simultaneously with the criticism from 500 student publication activists regarding potential candidates for the Ministry of Science, a reformist representative in Parliament announced that Mansour Gholami, the proposed candidate by Hassan Rouhani, is not 'ideal', but due to the 'deadlock' created, his introduction as the proposed minister 'could be a solution'. According to ILNA, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of the Hope faction in Parliament, reported that Mansour Gholami, the president of Hamadan University, is to be introduced as the proposed minister of science. In recent days, there have been many criticisms of Mr. Gholami's management, with some student activists from this university stating that he has not granted permits for reformist student publications and organizations and has not supported them. In contrast, some conservative representatives from Hamadan, including Hamidreza Hajibabaei, have supported Mr. Gholami. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Sadeghi announced that he, along with Fatemeh Saeidi and Jalal Mirzaei, met with Mr. Gholami in Mohammad Reza Aref's office. This reformist representative stated that Mr. Gholami 'is far from our ideals', but due to the fact that 'the introduction of about 10 to 12 potential candidates has been fruitless', he could be 'an acceptable option'. Mr. Sadeghi had previously reported that 'the president has introduced more than 10 candidates for the Ministry of Science who have not been approved by the leadership'. On Tuesday, October 24, Ali Motahari, the deputy speaker of Parliament, attributed the delay in introducing the Minister of Science to 'Hassan Rouhani's method' in selecting a minister, stating that he wants to 'gain the satisfaction of all institutions, which is impossible'. In his remarks on Friday, Mr. Sadeghi stated that 'the non-issuance of a permit for a reformist student organization', 'not supporting student activities', and 'appointing a person close to the Stability Front as cultural deputy' are among the criticisms raised by student activists regarding Mr. Gholami's management at Hamadan University. He also stated that Mansour Gholami 'is one of the genuine forces in higher education, with high experience and also with a reformist essence', who also served as the president of Hamadan University during Mohammad Khatami's government. According to Mr. Sadeghi, 'the restrictions' in Hassan Rouhani's government compared to Mohammad Khatami's government 'have increased', and for this reason, Mr. Gholami's performance and that of some other university presidents have changed compared to that period. He added: 'It seems that aging also affects how individuals deal with issues. Dr. Gholami was born in 1953, and sometimes when people age, they lose that enthusiasm and dynamism'. Mr. Sadeghi also mentioned that the president of Hamadan University denied the accusation of not supporting student publications and stated that the university's legal department has supported students against the actions of 'institutions outside the university'. In recent days, many student activists on social media have expressed concern about the possibility of Mr. Gholami being introduced as the proposed Minister of Science. Various videos and news of Mr. Gholami's 'inappropriate' and 'threatening' behavior towards some students have also been circulated on social media. However, Mr. Sadeghi claimed that some of the students criticizing Mr. Gholami 'besides political and student issues, sometimes had ethical cases as well' and 'try to hide some of their ethical and non-political problems behind political issues'. This representative of Parliament also stated that some criticisms of Mr. Gholami's performance are valid and that in the current government, 'university managers lack the necessary decisiveness, clarity, and courage', and this type of behavior has become 'widespread'. 525 student publication activists criticized potential candidates for the Ministry of Science. Hassan Rouhani, in the days leading up to the presidential election on May 29 this year, repeatedly announced his support for the political and cultural activities of students and promised that his government would strive to distance the university from a 'security atmosphere'. He even stated on April 10 of this year in a press conference that under his government, the atmosphere of high schools and universities has become 'less security-oriented'. Meanwhile, 525 student publication activists wrote a letter to Mr. Rouhani, referring to his election promises, stating that some of the candidates proposed for the Ministry of Science 'have played a significant role in the regression of the university system in recent years through their passivity or even complicity with some institutions outside the university'. The statement did not mention the names of the proposed candidates for the Ministry of Science. However, according to the authors of this statement, the prominent figures proposed for the position of Minister of Science 'have a dark record in failing to support students and protecting their rights and freedoms'. These student publication activists emphasized that introducing these individuals as Minister of Science 'leaves no room for doubt about the government's capitulation to irresponsible and unaccountable individuals who are determined to undermine the idea of a safe, free, and independent university'. Previously, student organizations and some members of Parliament have criticized the continuation of the security atmosphere in universities during Rouhani's first term. For instance, in August, more than 8,000 student activists criticized the 'pressure on student organizations and publications and the silence of Ministry of Science officials', stating that 'the problems and crisis in higher education centers, like many other areas of the country, have reached a warning point'.