Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with the Minister of Science and University Presidents

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

I wish we had the opportunity to utilize this valuable moment and become acquainted with the viewpoints of some of you, the managers of educational centers; although I have heard the opinions of some university presidents during my travels or occasionally.

First of all, I welcome all of you and thank you for your efforts. In my opinion, what is essential is that we must believe in the importance of the university and science from the bottom of our hearts. If this happens, many of the tasks that need to be done will be accomplished by themselves. When I say "we," I mean all of you, the university officials, the officials of the Ministry of Science, the officials of the Ministry of Health, the officials of the Management and Planning Organization, and the senior officials who have a broad perspective and behavior in the country, must believe that science—of which one of its important pillars is the university—plays a crucial role for the present and future of the country.

Why should we believe in this obvious matter? Because despite having a rich scientific history and being recognized as people of knowledge throughout a long period of our history, in the last couple of centuries, with the rise of colonial and political movements and the global domination of Western powers, due to their policies, we have either become indifferent to science, or lost hope in pursuing it, or made mistakes in our methods; thus, this has resulted in our current situation. With their own efforts, they created a miracle by establishing Dar al-Funun during a certain period in this country. You see, today we still consider the establishment of Dar al-Funun as one of the honors of Amir Kabir. What is Dar al-Funun in relation to the vast and profound history that our nation has in science? We have been held back so much. Either we have shown lack of effort or indifference, and ultimately our situation has reached a quality that you are aware of.

Today, we must pay attention to the fact that just as science creates self-esteem and self-confidence in an individual, it does the same for a nation. You see, a knowledgeable person who values their place in scientific knowledge, when faced with any financial or political power, may appear to be compelled to bow and concede; however, in their heart, they maintain their dignity. They compare their existence with the poverty of the opposing party, thus they feel dignity, self-confidence, and pride. A nation is exactly the same. A nation that possesses knowledge and has scientific achievements and can innovate in science will naturally have self-confidence and dignity. If this self-esteem and self-confidence arise in a nation, many of its problems will be solved; it will accomplish great tasks, take risks, step into difficult arenas, and move mountains. The key to these endeavors is science. We must revive science in the country; this is the main point of the matter.

Science is not merely material science; human sciences are also a very important category that, God willing, if I remember during the talk, I will mention. In all fields of science, we must genuinely create a sense of self-esteem, a sense of being productive in science, and a sense of achieving scientific breakthroughs within ourselves as a nation and a scientific community. Whose task is this? One of the most important pillars of this is the universities.

The reason I insist on visiting universities and honoring professors and university administrators, and I always recommend to the country's officials to maintain contact with universities and scientific communities and listen to their words, is because I know this is one of the most important windows that can save our country from the chronic illness that has been imposed on it and, thanks be to God, a great transformation has occurred with the revolution. This is our main message.

Universities must give importance to science. Giving importance is not merely a matter of the heart; it requires action. This action necessitates preparation, planning, and serious commitment. Spending time and resources of the university on any non-scientific work will naturally diminish this scientific commitment. Now, if that work is necessary and at a level of necessity, there is no harm; however, excess in such matters will harm the scientific inclination, scientific movement, and the scientific growth that we need.

The successes that Dr. Tofighi mentioned regarding scientific issues—although all of these are very good; it is obvious that he would mention the positive aspects, which I am also pleased about and have no objections—are largely due to his professional and scientific inclination towards the university issue; because he is naturally a scientific person and from the beginning, he stated that he is pursuing the production of science and deepening and expanding scientific work in universities, and he has addressed this matter professionally. Thanks be to God, this is a part of the results; these results must be maintained. Of course, these are not results; they are preliminaries. If we want to interpret it with acceptable optimism, a movement has emerged within us. A movement is not the goal; it is the precursor to movement, and movement is the precursor to reaching the destination; all of these require work and must be pursued with seriousness.

Fortunately, we have very good professors in our country. About a year ago, through very good and trusted brothers, a research was conducted in the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council, and I was given the report. In that report, we saw that the status of educational and research facilities in our country and universities, from the perspective of professors, does not lack much compared to the advanced world. We have very good professors; the reason is the same as what Dr. Tofighi mentioned today: talent. For about ten years, with the information and statistics I have, I have emphasized the issue of talent. He mentioned that in global research, wherever Iranians are present, they are appreciated. Yes, that is true; I also have abundant information in this regard. We are a nation with great talent. There is no dimension in which our professors, due to this good talent, cannot achieve more than the average product of that amount with some effort. We have distinguished and good professors; in this regard, we do not have a shortage.

Of course, my belief is that we must give young professors the opportunity. A very significant portion of our teaching capacity and talent—of which I mentioned—relates to these young individuals; young people who have studied in recent years. Some have gone abroad and benefited, while others have worked in our universities or research institutes. Today, we have many young and very talented professors with bright futures. We must make the utmost use of the experience and depth of seasoned and experienced professors and also open the field for these young individuals to come and grow. These not only provide benefits but also grow themselves.

There is an important point regarding youth that I have repeated many times. The most important point about youth is patience. We older individuals understand this well; young people themselves may not fully realize it. When a person experiences the passage of time and the aging of life, sometimes they have talent, desire, and inclination; however, they lack patience. The tool of patience is the most important foundation for youth. A young person has patience, seeks work, and digs into issues until they reach a conclusion. We must make the utmost use of this youthful patience that gives them the spirit of inquiry, curiosity, and deep exploration. These young individuals must be given opportunities.

Talents must also be attracted to universities. There are very good talents outside universities. As much as possible, these talents must be attracted to universities.

A few years ago, I first raised the issue of the softwar movement at Amir Kabir University. The softwar movement means that in the field of science, a movement and a great effort should emerge in the production of science and breaking the boundaries of knowledge. This proposal was welcomed, and today I see that this point is emphasized in the words of professors and university officials. Of course, for a while, some said they did not even know what this statement meant! Some also raised doubts, asking how science could be produced! They were discussing the linguistic aspect and asking why I said the production of science! You can call it whatever you want; the meaning is clear. The softwar movement means do not sit idly by in scientific knowledge, extending your hand for others to plant and harvest the fruits and bring whatever fruits they do not need to you. Go work, go irrigate, go build upon the foundations that others have laid; this was our goal. Some said we do not understand! I have also heard from various corners that some are spreading despair: can we do it? Yes, we can. We can do things in various fields and in the realm of scientific knowledge today that are still novel in the world; this is entirely possible in all areas.

He referred to the issue of nanotechnology. Of course, we have not yet done significant work in nanotechnology, but we have understood the subject early; that is, we did not wait forty years to understand that such a thing has emerged in the world. We understood this topic early on, and we are still pursuing it. If what he mentioned is done well—if budgets are allocated, encouragement is provided, and individuals are appointed to follow up on this work—you will see that it will not be long before we reach the forefront of the world. To say we cannot is the greatest obstacle in the way of being able and progressing; we must say we can. The truth of the matter is that we can.

Today, we have accomplished many tasks. Because for many years, issues of the country have been reported to me from the time of the presidency until today, I see what tasks were once a legend for us; but today they are part of our ordinary work. One night during the presidency, several officials of the country came to our office—heads of the other two branches were also there—to prove to us that we could not build a certain thermal power plant that had been left unfinished since before the revolution. We did not yield; we said if you cannot, others who can should come and build it. That power plant was built, its product was delivered to the country, and it was utilized; and of course, many similar plants were built.

Spreading despair is very harmful. The true audience of this speech is the professors and you gentlemen who are the managers of educational centers; you are the ones who must mobilize and activate the professors for this work; provide them with resources; believe that they can; and accordingly, work for them, plan, and create the necessary groundwork.

One of the points that I find very important is the issue of the twenty-year outlook document. This document is a well-researched document. Anyone from the economic experts associated with various sectors who has commented on this document has praised it. We have also found its reflection in political negotiations, in political documents, and in the impressions of political audiences abroad. It is worth working on this document. In this document, there are sections related to universities—the chapters that Dr. Tofighi also referred to—it is worth researching the various sections of this document; extracting research and scientific projects from this document; and then comparing the progress of work within a year or two. After all, twenty years cannot be covered in a single step; a twenty-year movement can be accomplished in twenty years, of course, if done well. Therefore, after a year or two, it should be clear whether we have progressed in this area or not. This is the work of professors and universities to sit down and work on this document; assess the obstacles; assist and guide government officials and the country's authorities to remove the obstacles. This is one of the very important tasks.

Another point regarding your work, gentlemen, is the issue of university professors. The professor plays a very important role; they have an influential role. In this regard, both you and the university board of trustees have a significant responsibility. A professor, because they can influence the student environment, has certain obligations; these obligations must certainly be adhered to; at least do not be satisfied with their absolute absence, nor should you ever be satisfied with their opposition. A professor must be filled with love for Islam and the revolution and national and religious pride; this is the ideal professor. A professor must truly feel national pride and religious zeal and be filled with a spirit of service; that is, they must genuinely want to work and nurture these young people as if they were their own children. A state of indifference, neglect, and merely passing the class is absolutely unacceptable for a professor.

A professor must be a defender of creativity, innovation, and initiative. Of course, we must reform the educational regulations. Educational regulations and unwritten regulations—because many of these regulations are unwritten—must be evaluated regularly; not that they change every day, but they should be evaluated continuously and changed at various intervals. This is one of the very important tasks that, of course, in this regard, both the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council can play a role, and the Ministry of Science has a role.

A professor must be aware of global developments. Our professor in the classroom, due to their influence, must know these things.

A professor must not be politically biased; not that they should not understand politics. The previous point we mentioned necessitates understanding politics; however, knowing politics and being politically biased are different from being politically active and politically motivated. Political maneuvering is bad. They must understand what they are doing; however, if all their actions revolve around a political motive, it is very bad; especially when political motives take on factional, personal, and party aspects, which becomes worse!

A professor must spend time with students. Of course, this issue is somewhat related to the livelihood of professors; I am aware of this and know it. Make it so that professors can spend time and do not have to work in several places. Now, if you ask a professor how many hours they teach a day, for example, they might say eight hours! How can a professor teach seven or eight hours? When do they study, when do they think, when do they transport themselves to the teaching location?! These issues have many problems. We must alleviate some of these concerns regarding their livelihood so that they do not have to run around so much.

The cultural dimension— which was mentioned and is very much on my mind—is very important. We consider culture to be the main foundation of human life; not just the main foundation for studying and learning science. The culture of any country is the main foundation for the general movement of that country. Its political and scientific movements also occur within a cultural framework. Culture means the characteristics and inherent qualities of a society and the essence of a nation; its thoughts, beliefs, and ideals; these are the foundations of a country's culture; these are what make a nation either brave, proud, audacious, and independent, or humiliated, degraded, subservient, and impoverished. Culture is a very important element. We cannot disregard culture and cultural growth and cultural nurturing. Culture, like science, is not a wild plant. Everything you see as signs and manifestations of culture in your society and in any part of the world undoubtedly has been sown by human hands. Of course, some hands are visible, but some are not; from inside the home, to the school, to the street, to radio and television, to satellites, to global propaganda, to the internet, and such things. Culture requires guidance and nurturing. Therefore, cultural work in universities is very important.

Of course, for many years, God Almighty has granted us the success of establishing a representative institution in universities. Today, fortunately, Mr. Qomi is truly an outstanding figure and a wise and enlightened cleric. Of course, I do not know all the gentlemen who are active in various universities; but I know that Mr. Qomi has valuable and good activities; however, it is not the case that this work is solely on their shoulders. University presidents must first assist them and facilitate their work so that they can truly have a spiritual, religious, and guiding presence in the university. Moreover, the university presidents and officials have very heavy responsibilities regarding cultural issues.

They are working with moral and cultural ailments. The things we sometimes say are often interpreted as estimates and guesses; however, fortunately, God Almighty sends us scientific and tangible evidence to preserve our dignity; although what we say is not merely a guess; it is based on reports and analytical work.

I have repeatedly stated that the enemies of the Iranian nation need more than anything else to spread corrupt cultural foundations than to rely on guns and weapons. I read in the news that one of the officials of an important political center in America said instead of dropping bombs, send them short skirts! He is right; if a country promotes sexual desires and promiscuity between men and women and boys and girls, leading the youth to paths that their instincts naturally incline towards, then there is no need to use guns and weapons against a nation. Corruption will inherently ruin and destroy a nation and ruin its future. Today, even Americans are afraid of their own future; I see this in some of their enlightened articles; it is not related to the present; this phenomenon has been present in America for ten to fifteen years. Some of their thinkers observe the current generation of America and the growth of corruption within it; the prevalence of homosexuality, the destruction of families, the multitude of street children, and the rise of juvenile crime are all observed; they know that this situation will bring down even a country with American civilization, with all its scientific and technological advancements, in the not-so-distant future; therefore, they are warning. For a long time, their recommendation has been this—and they even pressure Hollywood and other places—to show family films on television instead of showing lustful and violent films, which have also been published in novels. They have even mentioned the names of the authors. Of course, their movement and path towards corruption have reached a point that is beyond prevention, and they cannot stop this corruption. They may delay it slightly, but they cannot stop it. However, we can; we are still far from those dangerous slopes.

The issue of the relationship between universities and industry, which was mentioned, is important, and I also emphasize it. I know that good work has been done, but it must be pursued further.

There is also a point regarding the political issues that the gentlemen mentioned. The politically active student constitutes a very small percentage of the total student body; you all know this, and it is obvious that it is so. In our youth, it was the same. At that time, the politically active elements in universities were few, and of course, they also influenced the university environment.

Of course, I am in favor of political movement among students; you know this; I have said it many times. Even when I said these things, they did not have much support in the political environment of the country at that time; they would get upset when I said, "Curse be upon those who suppressed and destroyed political activity in universities!" I said this ten or twelve years ago in this very Hosseiniyeh. I am in favor of political movement among students.

Of course, the notion that we must draw students into politics, I do not accept this "must"; there is no need for a "must". Young students have emotions, they have energy, they have a tendency towards this meaning; there is no need for us to impose a "must"; however, the emotions of young students are primarily directed towards seeking justice. What attracts students more than anything else is the pursuit of justice; strengthen and reinforce this aspect in them.

Of course, they may have many objections to various officials of the country; however, their objection is that of a young person, and there is nothing wrong with that. When I participate in student gatherings—you have either been there and seen it up close, or you have observed it on television—you see how thousands of students express their feelings. I know that in this group of several thousand, a significant percentage have objections to me; but if I were to divide my affection among this group, I would not give them one grain less. They are also young, they are also my children, they are also the students of this country. Even if they have objections to an issue—rightly or wrongly—what is the problem? Having objections is not an issue, but the basis and foundation of their work must be correct.

The last point also relates back to scientific issues. We sometimes encounter problems in our research work and in publishing our scientific articles in I.S.I journals. Of course, as mentioned, the volume of articles published from us is good; however, I am aware—especially in the field of human sciences—that some I.S.I journals do not publish our researchers' articles at all; why? Because they do not align with their principles. Yes, it is possible that we have something to say about philosophy, psychology, education, and other discussions; our researcher has conducted research and reached a point—exactly what we want—and has opened a boundary that does not align with the origins of this knowledge—which is Western and aligned with its values; therefore, they do not publish the article! This also answers the naive assumptions of some who think that the liberal-democratic world is genuinely open and anyone can say whatever they want; no, they even measure scientific research by their standards! This is one of the warning and instructive matters. If you are unaware, investigate; you will reach what I am saying.

We had heard that during Stalin's time, it was said that Stalin's government would tell its scientific research institutions, "I want this result!" Science was not free. Of course, this issue was also mentioned by Americans and Westerners. At that time, we were certain that it was so, but now I doubt it. As I see them speaking contrary to the truth, I say perhaps this was also a slander against Stalin! They said—whether true or false—that if a scientific inquiry yielded results contrary to dialectical principles, Stalin would not accept it; he would say you must conduct research in such a way that it reaches this conclusion! Now we see this in the liberal-democratic world; however, in a modern and organized manner, with politeness and dressed in suits and ties! The scientific research of a Muslim researcher who has said something contrary to the frameworks of I.S.I reviewers cannot be published in that journal!

Let us think about establishing an Islamic I.S.I center and negotiate with Islamic countries in this regard. Fortunately, we are advanced among Islamic countries. Of course, establishing this Islamic center does not mean cutting off our relationship with I.S.I journals in the world; no, let us create this center to belong to ourselves; this can also become a credible reference. The more of these works you do, God willing, the more you will help the progress of the country.

It was a very good meeting; the only flaw was that we could not hear from you and benefit from your statements. I wished this could have happened, but it did not. God willing, if there is life and opportunity, we can hold such a session in the future, and in that session, I will not say anything and only you will speak.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.