Image of Expelled Sharif University Professor Next to World-Renowned Scholars

Ali Sharifi-Zarchi, a professor at Sharif University of Technology, published a photo of himself alongside seven prominent scholars from around the world after being dismissed in recent months amid protests over the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. In his post on the social media platform 'X', he expressed pride in serving Iranians interested in bioinformatics alongside Professor Paul Pozner, the most recognized bioinformatics scientist globally. He introduced the other members of this scientific group as 'very distinguished scientists' from Harvard, Cambridge, Boston, Sharif, and the Broad Institute of MIT. Ali Sharifi-Zarchi, a faculty member in bioinformatics and artificial intelligence at Sharif University, had written earlier in September that he received his dismissal letter from the university. He was among the professors summoned by security agents last year during nationwide protests in support of protesting students. In August of this year, he shared a government document on his X page, revealing the Iranian government's efforts to secretly recruit fifteen thousand 'faculty members aligned' with the regime. Following the emergence of protests against the dismissal of protesting professors from Iranian universities, Rasoul Jalili, the president of Sharif University, claimed that the 'termination of collaboration' with a faculty member [Ali Sharifi-Zarchi] was 'legal, is legal, and will be legal.' According to the 'Iran Watch' website, during a gathering of faculty members in September, he referred to reactions to the dismissal of professors as 'hysteria' and 'media pressure,' stating that 'we are not afraid' and that this process will not be influenced by protests. At the same time, following the dismissal of several university professors in Iran, dozens of academic figures abroad issued a statement expressing solidarity with the Iranian academic community, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic 'targets universities' after every major political crisis and increases 'pressure and security measures' against professors and students. A former Sharif University professor expressed concern about the migration trend, stating that the current situation is a 'mass exodus.' The wave of protests against the dismissal of professors; the president of Sharif University claims it was a 'legal' action. An Associated Press report on the crackdown on universities and the security atmosphere in Iran marks the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. Akbar Jafari, a physics professor at Sharif University, resigned following his 'summons' and interrogation.