October-18-2013
President Rohani has called for an end to restrictions on academic freedom and, in particular, asked that Iranian scholars be allowed to attend more international academic meetings.
Rohani told a group of Tehran University students and professors that it’s “a shame” Iranians can’t pursue all the educational opportunities they desire due to pressures from hard-liners.
He called specifically on the Intelligence Ministry and other security organs to stop banning students from attending gatherings of scholars abroad, describing such trips as a mission of “scientific diplomacy” that should not be closed down.
Under the Ahmadi-nejad Administration, university professors were increasingly hemmed in and restricted from travel to foreign conferences amid accusations that they were recruited to spy on Iran at those conferences or encouraged to defect.
Curiously, the state news agency, which is under Rohani, did not report what he said about allowing trips abroad for scholars. It instead quoted him as lauding the extent of freedom of expression in Iran and commenting that such freedom cannot be found in all countries.
Rohani’s remarks are just the latest in a string of similarly minded comments he has made.
Previously, he called for an end to limits on Internet access, an easing of the police enforcement of the dress code and the lifting of the ban on viewing foreign television stations.