The Language Center of the University Linked to Ahmadinejad is 'Illegal'

According to the Director General of the Expansion Office of the Ministry of Science, the activities of the Language Center of the Iranian University, associated with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are illegal and no license has been issued for its operation. Hossein Hosseini, the Director General of the Expansion Office of the Ministry of Science, stated on Wednesday, December 3, in an interview with Mehr News Agency that the Language Center of the Iranian University must have a license from the Comprehensive Scientific and Applied University to operate, saying, 'We do not have anything called the Iranian University that has a license in the country.' According to Mr. Hosseini, the activities of the Language Center of the Iranian University are illegal and no license has been issued for it. Recently, the Language Center of the Iranian University announced that it is accepting language learners. The non-profit Iranian University received its license from the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution in the last days of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency. Ahmadinejad had announced that he intended to dedicate more time to this university after his presidency. Meanwhile, since the news of the establishment of the Iranian University was published, various reports of violations in the licensing process for this university and the financial resources allocated to it have emerged. The Ministry of Science also announced at the end of September this year that the Iranian University lacks the license to operate and conduct educational activities. In its announcement, the Ministry of Science stated that the Higher Education Expansion Council of this ministry had revoked the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution's resolution granting Ahmadinejad a license to establish an international university in Tehran. In this context, a few days later, Karan Abri-Nia, the Director General of Non-Governmental Higher Education at the Ministry of Science, told Tasnim News Agency that 'the Ministry of Science has informed Mr. Ahmadinejad in a letter that the educational and research activities of this university cannot continue, and since the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution has nullified its previous resolution, there is no resolution in the Higher Education Expansion Council of the Ministry of Science as a license for this university's activities.' According to Mr. Abri-Nia, the letter emphasized that any educational, research, and university activities of this university will have legal consequences for its officials. On the other hand, the status of the 16 billion tomans embezzlement case of the Iranian University is still unclear. The issue of the withdrawal of 16 billion tomans from the government's account dates back to the last day of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency in the executive branch. This money was deposited into a joint account in the name of Mr. Ahmadinejad and his former deputy, Hamid Baqai, while it was claimed that it was supposed to be used to establish the Iranian University. Ultimately, the Court of Audit ordered the freezing of this account, and all 16 billion tomans were returned to the government's account, although the officials of the Iranian University claimed that they returned the 'received assistance' from the government to the presidency 'to avoid creating suspicion.'