In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and upon his Pure Progeny, particularly the remaining vestige of God on earth.
I am deeply, deeply thankful to Almighty God for allowing this joyful, vivacious, and hope-inspiring meeting to take place again following an abatement in the coronavirus problem.
Indeed, the presence of you young people, especially the young academic elites, generates hope. Your presence, wherever you are, creates hope. That is why those who don’t want the country to make progress, are not happy with your attendance in the places that you need to be present. Well, thank God for that.
I would like to say a few words about what our friends mentioned today. First of all, there were some good points mentioned. I found them really useful and it seems to me that the suggestions given are correct and most of them seem practical.
This is where one can really comprehend the fact that many of the problems that we have had in these past few years were managerial problems. Solutions existed [but] the managers didn’t pay attention to them.
We hope now that the current administration will, God willing, follow things up in a serious manner, and we can see the signs of it happening already. A number of ministers and the vice president are present here today. They need to raise this during their cabinet meeting and I will convey this matter as well. These points that have been given to me will be assessed in the office, [then] God willing, they will be conveyed to both the president and the government officials.
The subject that I have prepared to talk about today consists of two, three topics, which I will try to keep short. One is about the elite, the title of “elites”, the topic of academic elites. I want to mention two, three points about who the elite are and what they do.
Another topic that will be discussed, is what is expected of the academic elites. Now that we know who the elite are, what do we expect from the country’s academic elite?
The topic after that will be about the expectations we have of institutions to help the academic elite because the elite are young people and they need help, they need support. The type of support given should be identified. I will briefly talk about each of these things. There is another final point on my mind which I will also share with you.
Regarding the scientific elite, and the elite [in general], first of all, we must know and we do know — I strongly believe that we should all know this — that the scientific elite are one of the country’s most precious assets. Yes, the country’s natural resources are important, the geographical location and climatic conditions are important, all of these are important, but the existence of these scientific elites is one of the country’s most important assets.
The elite should be considered a great asset. Once we consider them a great asset, that is when we will try to produce more of them and will consider it a harm to lose them. We will avoid losing them as much as possible and we will treat them with benevolence. Once we understand that they are a great and important asset, our behavior toward them will be shaped accordingly. Therefore, we need to know this, everyone should know this, the country’s officials and influencers in the country’s public arena.
The scientific elite and basically the universities are among the pillars for the country’s progress. That is, universities are one of the most important pillars for the country’s progress, and the main constituents of the universities are the scientific elite. The reason you see that on different occasions — not just yesterday or the day before — attempts have been made to shut down universities or cancel classes so that students and professors won’t go to classes is due to the fact that universities play a fundamental role.
Now, the person who threatens a professor over the phone telling them that if you attend class, such and such will happen may not be the main operative. It is important to know who is operating behind-the-scenes. This is because universities are important and vital for the country’s development. They do these things because when they interrupt, close, damage, and impair the universities, it is welcomed by the country’s enemies who do not want to see the country progressing. So, universities are one of the pillars for the country’s progress.
Universities are one of the greatest obstacles that stand in the way of the arrogant powers. We need to realize that the goal of the world’s aggressors is to dominate. By what means? One day, they use weapons, another day, they use deception and the next day, they use science.
They also dominate using science. Universities prevent their domination. This means that if you can raise the scientific status of the country, you are creating an impediment to prevent domination by your enemy. So, that’s one point about the academic elite and universities.
Another point to note is that one element in creating the academic elite is their natural talent, good thought, good mind, good brain, which are all divine gifts. This is not someone’s doing, rather, it is God-given.
Now, why God has given these people this talent is a whole different topic for discussion. Almighty God has blessed this academic elite of ours with a powerful brain, a good mind, preparedness, and alertness. That’s one element.
The second element that makes someone an academic elite is their endeavors, efforts and work. Otherwise, there are plenty of people who have this God-given gift, but they don’t work, they don’t put in any effort, they don’t strive, they don’t get anywhere. They have no self-growth and they don’t help the country either. We have had plenty of these people, we still have them and there were even more of them in the past. So, the second element that is required for creating an academic elite is related to their effort, perseverance and things like that. That’s two elements mentioned there. There is also a third element which I will mention later on in this session.
So the groundwork must be laid in order for the academic elite to be able to show their inherent talents and in order for them to find the opportunity to make an effort. A groundwork for the elite’s efforts is really important. Sometimes we have an elite, and they are ready to undertake different tasks, but the groundwork has not been prepared for them.
This groundwork did not exist during the period of pre-revolutionary regime (Pahlavi Kings), and if it did exist, it was not among their official policies. The groundwork did not exist. There were many talented individuals who were prepared to work and who worked, but they were browbeaten. Not only was the groundwork not laid out for them, but counteractions were also used against them. That’s how it was during the period of pre-revolutionary regime.
The groundwork was established thanks to the Islamic Revolution and I say this clearly and boldly, that this is something that cannot be doubted. From the beginning of the Revolution, I was present in the student associations in Tehran University and in other universities. I constantly met with lecturers and students there. That is why I wholeheartedly say this, and I am able to provide evidence for this statement, that with [the victory] of the Islamic Revolution, the groundwork was laid for the growth of academic elites.
First of all, universities have spread. Which part of the country have you seen where there isn’t a university? Now, some complain that universities have been established in some places without the necessary amenities. Very well, so the motivation to establish a university was there, that’s very important. There are universities all over the country. The universities in some remote cities are outstanding, a person can see this. They have very good lecturers, distinguished professors lecturing at universities in certain remote cities, we know some of them. So, that is about the spread of universities.
And there are the academics. The number of academics, both students and professors, has increased. The number of students in the country —now I have mentioned these statistics many times before, but I don’t remember it exactly right now, the sources weren’t available to me when I was writing down these notes — there has been a 25-fold increase in the number of students in the country. A 25-fold increase is very high!
Lecturers, in the first years after the Revolution, around 1980 or 1981, when I was discussing issues related to universities, there were about 5,000 faculty members in the country as I recall. Today, there are over 100 thousand. There are over 100 thousand faculty members today! The country’s population has more than doubled but this [faculty] has increased twenty-fold. These are important [matters]. These statistics speak for themselves. What has the revolution accomplished?
Well, there is a multitude of research institutes in the country, think-tanks and research institutes. They are abundant in many parts of the country. The scientific development we are seeing in the country is something that is really valuable. It is a part of the groundwork that is needed for nurturing the elite. We should truly appreciate the academics. Our academics have not allowed the country to become dependent on the west.
Because when a country has universities but no professors, one of the things that comes to mind is to go get professors from outside the country, [but] our academics did not allow this to happen. They trained people to become professors instead. Around ninety percent of our professors today have come from the generation that was trained by our own university professors. They worked hard and put in the effort. The Islamic Republic wanted to expand its universities and make them powerful and thankfully this has happened. Universities also took advantage of this historical opportunity and developed themselves. This is one issue.
Another issue is that it is not an exaggeration when I say that the academic elites of the country have become a source of honor for Iran. You are the young generation of elites. There were many elites before you, the generations before you, who brought honor to the country during the past forty years. Whatever issue our scientists encountered and focused on, they did something that garnered admiration within the world’s scientific circles. Now, I will mention some examples here, which I’m sure you are all aware of.
For example, the research and achievements of Royan Research Institute, not just regarding stem cell research, but also in cloning live animals. This was something rare in the world, but it happened here. I saw that living animal myself, I am not narrating this from others. I went and saw the living animals that had been created, and there wasn’t just one, there were a few of them.
We have seen these things happen, it was not a small task. May God’s mercy be upon the soul of Kazemi-Ashtiani’s, as he was the one who laid the foundation for this and then our brothers who are there now, pursued it and have reached this stage now. That’s one example.
Advancements in biochemistry and achieving a UNESCO Chair in this field, [they have] admitted it themselves. You know that in these international chairs, one of the basic tasks of the enemies is to interfere, infiltrate, and prevent Iran from getting a seat and becoming a member. Despite this, our elites have achieved this victory.
Or another example is that they’ve sent satellites into space, only a few countries have done this. Not all countries have it, a lot [of countries] have satellites in space, but it doesn’t belong to them. They didn’t launch it themselves.
There are only a few countries that have launched [satellites] themselves. Of course, we are behind, but we launched them, we were able to do it. Our scientists concentrated on this, and now one of our brothers here mentioned that these things have been achieved in the field of space. [For example] building a humanoid robot in Tehran University is important. Why would we ignore these things?
Fundamental achievements in the nuclear industry, the issue of nuclear technology is a long story. There is a lot to be said in this regard, but our time is limited now. We have gained access to fundamental issues in nuclear industry. We are not seeking weapons or bombs or things like that, but this industry itself has many benefits. We were able to gain access [to it].
The first producer of nuclear technology was Germany during Hitler’s time. The Americans then took this technology from them and some other countries were able to take it from the Americans through different kinds of scientific theft. And then those countries gave the technology to other like-minded countries, and so on. So, that is how they have gained access to it.
Not us! Of course, the very first insufficient groundwork that was laid out was from abroad and it was very insignificant. But the actual work that was done was carried out by Iranian elites and they did it with power and they did it with hope.
A few years ago, when photographs of our advanced missiles and drones were released, some said that they were photoshopped [Leader and audience laugh]! But now they’re saying: “Iranian drones are very dangerous, why are you selling it to so and so, why are you giving it to so and so?” [Audience laughs]
Well, these are things that the Iranian academic elite have accomplished, these things are a source of honor for the country. [Another example is] the production of complex vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine and the like, there are many things. That’s another point, that the Iranian elite have been able to provide the country with honor.
I am saying these things because I want you all, the academic elites, to appreciate yourselves. I want those sitting outside to appreciate you. I personally have great appreciation for you. I hope we will be able to help you.
As for the third element — I already spoke about two of the elements. There is a third element now, what is the third element that makes you an academic elite, that makes you become an elite, that makes you become considered as an elite?
The third element is divine guidance and paving of the way by God. Without a doubt, you need God to pave the way for you and provide you with divine guidance in order to become and to be considered as an elite. Merely having a talent and using this talent doesn’t make someone an elite.
You might see that a person is extremely smart and clever, but they use this cleverness, they use their intelligence to embezzle! Haven’t we seen it happen? Or they might use it to steal. Is this person an elite?
No, he is a thief, he is an embezzler, he’s not an elite. An elite is someone who is literally chosen. An elite is someone who is selected and distinguished. A clever thief who can unlock all sorts of complicated car locks and steal cars — is he someone who is distinguished? No, he is a thief, he’s not an elite. An academic elite is someone who does his job with the help of God and moves forward with divine guidance.
Well, I will elaborate a bit more on this issue of thieves and embezzlers. I believe that someone who becomes a genius in physics and [uses this to] produce an atomic bomb, that person is not an elite in my opinion. An academic elite is not someone who uses their knowledge in chemistry to make mustard gas and chemical gases that will create problems for others for the rest of their lives. An elite is not someone who uses advanced mathematics and engineering principles to control space — both the very high space above us, and people’s living spaces — where you talk in [the privacy of] your own home without realizing that someone else is secretly listening to you and it’s not just associated with mobile phones, no there are other ways too. A person who abuses knowledge [and science] in that sense is not an academic elite.
During the age of colonialism — which initially arose from Portugal and Spain and the like, then gradually reached other places such as Holland, Belgium, England and France — the west was able to gain access to weapons before anyone else. So, one of the things that the industrial revolution did in the 17th and 18th centuries was that it made advanced weapons. They used these advanced weapons to occupy other countries, such as India for example — a country with all its glory, and a geographical area that is ten times greater than the British Islands. [Of course], it wasn’t just [current] India, they occupied India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, [that is] the Indian subcontinent.
They also occupied other countries in the area like Myanmar. They destroyed the national industries of these countries. [I suggest] you read the book Glimpses of World History. Unfortunately, you don’t read books much. Glimpses of World History is a book written by Jawaharlal Nehru, where he has described the manner in which the British entered India and the things they did there.
I recently came across a book written by one of our own authors — whom I am not familiar with — called The History of Colonialism (by Mehdi Mirkiaei). It consists of fifteen or sixteen volumes, each volume consisting of around 120 to 150 pages. It describes how colonialism was able to create wealth for itself by destroying the wealth of countries in the American and Asian continents. England was not rich, France was not rich, the European countries were not rich. They took the wealth of other countries.
Well, they were able to do these things with the use of weapons. They had creative minds, it’s true. They tried very hard, they were risk takers.
These are all good characteristics of the Europeans, but for what they used these characteristics? They used it for creating a system of domination in the world - imperialism!
One of the great disasters in the world today, which has not yet ended, but will end by the will of God — is imperialism. Imperialism is the practice of dividing the world into two categories — the dominating and the dominated. A few must rule over the entire world with power, while other countries should obey them under different guises. That’s what imperialism is. Europe’s scientific advancements created imperialism. Therefore, the term elites, does not fit into this category as a description of values.
A scientific elite, as a value description, is a person who has the talent to work hard, put in the effort and someone who has benefitted from divine guidance. Sometimes he does not realize that this guidance is from God, but it is in actual fact divine guidance. The incredible moments of discovery that the great discoverers of the world came across, were the works of God. This is divine guidance. They discover gravity, they discover microbes, these discoveries come from divine guidance.
Now, fortunately, you young people don’t have hearts that have been contaminated. You are young, young people might make mistakes here and there, but your hearts are pure, your conscience is clear.
You can really benefit from this divine guidance. So [you should] be able to become an elite in the literal sense of the word which means having talent, working hard and benefitting from divine guidance. “Whoever has faith in Allah, He guides his heart” (Quran 64:11). Faith brings guidance. So, these were a few points about the academic elite.
Now we have some expectations from the elite as well. I will try to make it short. Firstly, we expect you to turn your God-given superior capacities — which are your personal capacities — into national capacities. Thankfully, this was also mentioned in your speeches that the elite should turn their personal capacities into national capacities. And that means using these abilities to solve the country’s problems.
There are many problems that need to be worked on, a few of which you mentioned. You mentioned mining, transportation, space, other issues. These are the country’s important issues. Use your abilities in these areas.
Unfortunately, some people do not do this. Some of the elite — here I mean talented people, and based on the definition I previously gave, maybe the word “elite” isn’t fit for them — some of them grow here, and when it’s time for them to bear fruit, they give their fruit to others, which are sometimes our enemies.
Sometimes they become tools for global arrogance for the occupation of nations and enmity with nations. They become a tool in their hands. Some people do this.
This is being ungrateful and they do not end up benefiting from it. I do not think these people who turn their backs on their own people will benefit from it. The elite should stand next their own people. I am not saying they should not migrate, or study [internationally], or go to whatever top-ranking university or [research] center, no, they can go, but they should go for the sake of their own people, they should go in order to return here and work for their own country, not to become tools in the hands of [the enemy]. This is a very important issue. Our academic elite should solve this issue in the presence of their own conscience, and in the presence of God.
Another thing we expect from the elite is for them not to be neglectful. There are two types of neglect here, one type is neglect toward their own abilities. If you are neglectful of your own abilities, you will not endeavor. Some of our academic elites stop trying after they reach a certain point, that’s being ungrateful, that is being neglectful. Advance, move forth, endeavor for as long as you can, do the best in your ability, which is endless, to not be neglectful of your own abilities. Your abilities are endless. The more you use your talents, the more this spring will flow inside of you, and the more talented you will become. It will increase the more you use it. Do not get tired, do not give up. Do not get caught up in harmful hobbies. Some hobbies are harmful, and that is a form of neglect. Whether it is social media or other hobbies, do not get caught up in them.
Another form of being neglectful, is neglecting the country’s capacities. Now, you have come here and talked about your field of work and expertise. Very well, your information is very useful. But do you know about all the other disciplines? Are the country’s elites aware of the vast number of capacities in the country? I doubt it. I mean, I know that not everyone is aware of this. Most don’t know about it.
There was a time when someone said that compared to the US, we are nothing when it comes to weapons. [He said] for example, they can attack us in such and such a way in one hour. In response to that, I suggested that a tour should be organized for these gentlemen, so they can go and see our military weapons and our arms industries so they won’t be mistaken anymore.
Now, this tour should be held for all of you. It is one of the important steps that needs to be taken. I believe this is one of the things that needs to be undertaken by the Science and Technology Vice Presidency. Acquaint the youth with the things that exist in the country, the capacities that exist and the work that is being done. I am aware that many people don’t know about them.
Some, like that ignorant [Qajar era] Shah, even deny that we have these resources. One of the kings was told that a black, foul-smelling substance called crude oil was boiling up from the ground in some places. They told him, that these poor foreigners are prepared to come and take it away. The king said, very well, let them take it so we can get rid of it!
And now the same thing is happening with our nuclear technology. They tell us that there is a troublesome thing called nuclear technology in the country, let them come and take it away, don’t keep it here. They say these things!
They are lying when they say that the world has turned away from nuclear energy and nuclear technology. A total lie! Every day they are adding to and increasing their nuclear facilities — not military facilities, [but] industrial facilities. We need it as well, if we had not started working on nuclear technology back then, we would have had to enter this field 10 years later after that and we would not have accomplished anything until 30 years after that! This is not something that a country can ignore. Well, that’s that issue.
Another form of being neglectful is neglecting the enemy. Our academic elites should not be neglectful of the enemy. The enemy sometimes presents itself as a scientific figure. I know about this, what I am saying is a fact, I am not guessing or making speculations. Many of the scientific centers that invite professors or sometimes students have members who have infiltrated into the faculty — CIA and Mossad agents and the like — they portray themselves as scientific figures and they sit down and communicate with [the students and professors].
Now God knows where these communications lead to, the least that will happen is that they will try to contaminate their minds. If they are unable to attract [the elites], if they can’t deceive them, the least they will do is to contaminate their minds. That’s how the enemy acts. They present themselves as very polite and intelligent individuals, and later on one realizes that one was being deceived.
The expectations that we have from institutions is also very important, in one word: support! We expect the institutions to support the elites. This support should not necessarily be just financial support, sometimes giving money will do more harm than good. Rather, this support needs to be logical and sensible, with all aspects taken into consideration.
The academic elite, whether it is someone who studied in Iran or someone who studied abroad and has come to Iran, has two expectations. One of the ways we can show them our support is by meeting these two expectations.
One of their expectations is to have a job that is aligned with their knowledge. Another expectation is they want to be able to continue their research work and communicate with scientific centers around the world. These are the two expectations that our elite have. It’s not much.
I am well aware that when some elites wish to join the academic faculty of a university, they are prevented from doing so, via all kinds of tricks. Why? Why don’t you make use of these elites? Some of our elite, are distinguished individuals who have studied abroad and have come back here in the hope that they can provide some sort of service to the country. However, once they encountered these sorts of behaviors, they turned around and left. They decided they cannot live here. Well, what do you expect from this young person? They must be supported. Whatever we spend in this field, will not be an expense, but rather an investment.
Our respected ministers should work hard and make an effort in this regard. Don’t let the elite get discouraged from university. The least we can do is to allow them to enter the universities and find a position there. Some people pretend to care about the elites. They keep saying elites, elites, but in practice they do nothing but discourage, frustrate and create hindrances for this group. I believe the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can also play an active role and provide great assistance in communicating with scientific centers around the world.
Another one of our expectations is for the Elite Evaluation Index to change. Today, the evaluation of professors, the elite, and others is mainly based on their publications. That should not be the case. I have said this before and have repeated it many times, evaluations should be based on problem-solving. Give them a problem and ask them to solve it. The elite, this group of talented people, this talented individual, this talented professor, should solve problems in their relative field. Promotions should be based on this, acceptance of top-ranking [students] should be based on this. That is another point.
Another point is that our academic elite should be shown bright horizons. Some people make our elite lose hope and paint a dark future for them. That is not the case, the horizon is bright, this should be shown, they should be encouraged. Professors, higher education managers, media —whether it be the state media or the press — and owners of knowledge-based industries and companies, as some of you have also mentioned, should create an encouraging atmosphere for the elite.
Today, discouraging the elites and making them lose their hope in their future is, in my opinion, the enemy’s soft war strategy. The enemy is striving to show a bleak future for the country’s elites. Now I should also add that the country does have its weak points, I am not denying this, and there is not only a few, but many weak points. However, we need to see the strengths alongside the weaknesses. The enemy strives to magnify the weaknesses and cover up our strengths and we should not help the enemy in this regard.
This is the last thing that I would like to speak about. I will talk about this horizon and how we can correct it. Since the beginning of the revolution, the west has waged a propaganda campaign against Iran in which they claimed that the Islamic Republic is declining. They [would say] it was declining from the very first days. Sometimes they would say that the Islamic Republic will be finished in two months, in one year, or in five years, they would set specific times! Some people inside the country also promoted these claims, either out of neglect or with malevolent intentions.
There was a newspaper, which I will not name, during the time of Imam Khomeini (ra) which wrote a long article, I believe they made it a headline too, that proclaimed that the government is on the verge of collapse! Imam Khomeini replied saying, “you yourselves are collapsing and the Islamic Revolution is standing firm and strong!” So, they even said these things during the time of Imam Khomeini, even with that sense of authority [that he possessed].
After Imam Khomeini passed away in 1989, there were a number of people — among whom there were some well-regarded and experienced individuals — who made declarations about how the “the government is on the edge of an abyss.” They tried to imply that the government would collapse any day now. When? In 1989.
In 2003, a number of parliamentarians wrote a letter to me, it was really an unfair letter, very unfair. They said some things, they asked some questions that they had to answer themselves. Because both the parliament and the administration were in their hands. They needed to answer those questions, [but] they were demanding answers from me! In summary, the letter stated that “you need to surrender, otherwise you’ll be finished!” That was in 2003.
We did not surrender. We stood up to them and God willing we shall continue to do the same. Our enemies have kept doing this repeatedly.
The thing that we should look at in this context, is to see what our analysis of the situation is, let’s conduct a proper analysis. There are two analytical systems that exist: one analytical system believes that standing up to the widespread global norms is useless, that there’s no point in doing it. [They say] that there are international norms and governments have been formed and have gained power based on these norms. The powerful and wealthy US has been shaped according to these norms. Europe is the same, other countries are the same. Don’t waste your time standing up these norms. You will be destroyed. That’s one kind of analysis.
And it’s not just today that they are saying this. Like I said, they have been saying it repeatedly over the past forty years. And then those who have this analysis assume that others, like me, who have a different analysis of the realities of the world are delusional! [They say] that these people are delusional and think they are going to get somewhere like this. That’s one type of analysis.
The second type of analysis, is a realistic analysis. This type of analysis sees the reality, not just the good facts, but the bad facts as well. I have never denied the weaknesses. In the meetings that I have with officials, in the Ramadan gatherings, I point out the weaknesses more than anything, and I do so much more in our private meetings. We pay attention to the weaknesses, it is not that we do not notice them. I have said many times before that we are behind, there is no doubt in that.
But on the other hand, we started a rapid movement from the end of the line, and now we are almost at the front, this is a fact. We have not yet reached the front, but we have advanced a lot, and we will continue to advance even further. We have advanced in many of the country’s affairs, we have advanced in science, we have advanced in management. Weaknesses do exist, some of our officials, some of our governments have had some shortcomings. These do exist, but this movement is the movement of the Revolution, it is the progress of the Revolution.
Look at where the Islamic Republic was 40 years ago and where it is now. [See] where it was 20 years ago and where it is now. After four decades, we can understand which of these two analyses are realistic, [we can see if] the analysis of the westoxicated and the west is realistic, and that we are delusional, or if the Revolution’s analysis is realistic, and that they are the ones who are delusional! That is the reality of the situation.
The Revolution’s progression is strong, and you young people are one of the biggest proofs of this. You are a group of the academic elite, but you are not the only ones. There are many other elites, some great talented people who are faithful to the Revolution and believe in this path, who are endeavoring, after four decades, after all this enmity and all this propaganda. Is there any better proof to show that their analysis is wrong and the correct analysis is the Revolution’s analysis?
Dear God! Keep us steadfast in your path.
Dear God! Lead us to a steady movement in the right path with your guidance and blessings.
Dear God! Make the enemies of the Iranian nation become beaten and defeated by the Iranian nation.
May God’s greetings, mercy and blessings be upon you.
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