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Gov't Policy on Universities Irreversible

Gov't Policy  on Universities Irreversible
Gov't Policy  on Universities Irreversible

President Hassan Rouhani says the policies of his administration toward universities are unchangeable.    

During a ceremony held in Tehran on Sunday to commemorate Student Day, Rouhani made a reference to a string of rejections of his candidates for ministry of higher education by parliament and said the current minister will pursue the policies of his predecessors who either failed to gain a vote of confidence from parliament or were impeached, IRNA reported.

Parliament voted to approve Mohammad Farhadi who was Rouhani's fifth choice for minister of higher education in late November ending a months-long standoff between the Majlis and the president.

  Watershed in Student Movement   

Rouhani said, "Student Day is a watershed in the student movement" and the movement is "far beyond factionalism."  

Student Day is the anniversary of the killing of three students of University of Tehran on December 7, 1953 by police during the rule of the ousted dictator Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The three students were killed when police forces opened fire on the students of University of Tehran going on strike in protest at the resumption of Iran's relations with Britain and then US vice president Richard Nixon's visit to Iran, following the1953 coup d'état, which removed the democratically elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

The president also urged students to take a more active role in cultural and political spheres and said, "Students should have a critical view and oversight of what is taking place around them."

The administration encourages "sympathetic" and "honorable" criticism because without that approach, progress would be impossible.

Rouhani once again reiterated that he will remain committed to the pledges he made during his presidential campaign and stated, "Today we should join hands to address domestic and foreign challenges."

Rouhani was elected in June 2013 promising to create a government based on "prudence and hope" as well as "moderation and transparency" in the manner the country is run.  He also pledged to address civil rights and promote social freedoms and the standard of living, among other things.

Financialtribune.com