Intensification of Security Atmosphere in Educational Environments; 18,000 'Revolutionary' Students Replaced 'Contract' Professors

The head of Azad University has confirmed that at least '18,000' 'contract' professors have been dismissed and replaced by 'young revolutionary' students. According to Iranian media, Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, the president of Azad University, announced the 'expansion of revolutionary space in Azad University' and the widespread removal of professors not aligned with 'revolutionary thought' during a meeting with some students and representatives of the university's organizations. He noted that the implementation of 'teaching assistant' and 'affiliated faculty member' programs, initiated at the beginning of this year following last year's nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the 'morality police', represents 'a leap in expanding the revolutionary space of the university'. In the wake of last year's protests, which centered around the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom', many universities across the country defended the protesters and condemned their suppression, leading to severe security crackdowns on students. Concurrently with the protests and strikes by students, and the response of the security and governmental institutions of the Islamic Republic, some university professors also joined or supported the students' protests. The president of Azad University stated that 'the revolutionary atmosphere' can be achieved by attracting 'young professors', adding that '18,000 young revolutionary doctoral students' have replaced 'contract' professors at this university. Following the dismissal of several university professors in Iran, dozens of academic figures abroad expressed solidarity with the Iranian academic community in a statement on September 20. The signatories of this statement referred to the 'resurgence of the suppression of professors and their replacement with ideologically aligned individuals' as a 'long-standing policy of the Islamic Republic to impose ideological oversight on universities'. Earlier, in mid-September, the Jam-e Jam newspaper, the press organ of the Islamic Republic's broadcasting organization, described the university as 'a breeding ground for training opposition' and urged Ibrahim Raisi's government to more decisively expel 'deviant' professors. The removal of 'non-aligned' professors and staff with the policies or ideology of the ruling regime in Iran began in 1979 under the orders of Ruhollah Khomeini, termed 'Cultural Revolution', aimed at what was called 'revolutionary cleansing', and this process has been repeated in various forms in recent decades. Voice of America has covered the issues of summons, suspension, dismissal, case-making, and forced exile of students and professors across Iran under the pretext of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' uprising in various news reports, analyses, and exclusive content on its website and television.