Farhad Rahbar Dismissed from Presidency of Azad University in Emergency Meeting

On Sunday, August 19, the Board of Trustees of Azad University voted to dismiss Farhad Rahbar from the presidency of the university in an 'emergency meeting.' His dismissal coincided with the publication of criticisms from an advisor to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the same day. The news website Tabnak reported that during the 'extraordinary and urgent' meeting of the Board of Trustees, attended by Ali Akbar Velayati, the head of the Board and advisor to the Supreme Leader, members voted to remove Farhad Rahbar. Rahbar, who was previously the president of Tehran University during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, was dismissed just a year after his appointment as the head of Azad University in August 2017. Following this decision, the Board of Trustees appointed Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi as the interim successor to Rahbar. Tehranchi had previously been responsible for Azad University in Tehran Province and the central Tehran unit. However, the announcement of Rahbar's dismissal coincided with comments from the head of the Office for Cultural and Student Affairs at Azad University and a media advisor to the IRGC commander criticizing the management of the university. According to Tasnim News Agency, Hamid Reza Moghadamfar criticized Rahbar for not employing 'young and revolutionary forces' at the university. He stated, 'Regarding the employment of young and revolutionary forces, despite repeated warnings from the Board of Trustees and especially the esteemed representative of the Supreme Leader in universities, there has been negligence.' Nevertheless, reports did not specify the reasons for Rahbar's dismissal, only noting that the decision was made after reviewing 'management issues at the university.' Rahbar's year-long management of Azad University was marked by controversial statements, restrictions on holding speeches and student activities, and the dismissal and purging of professors. Following the death of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and the appointment of Ali Akbar Velayati by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the head of the founding and trustee board, the university underwent significant changes.