President Rouhani made the remarks here on Tuesday among deans, professors and personnel of the Islamic Azad University in a ceremony to inaugurate projects carried out by researchers and students in different branches of the university.
Stressing that the Islamic Azad University must welcome the best of Iranian scientists residing abroad, President Rouhani added, “every great mind is entitled to respect and dignity and no one has a right to treat citizens outside the framework of law.”
He noted that any measure, be it cultural or scientific, that is left in the hands of people and experts can be conducted much better and faster than if it was assigned to the government; “what the Islamic Azad University has accomplished within 33 years could have never been done by the government due to budget restraints and bureaucracy.”
Rouhani further deemed freedom and independence the most important features of universities, saying “I strongly advocate the limiting of interference in universities affairs and the academic sphere.”
“We must create an atmosphere which would facilitate the traveling of Iranian professors, scholars and students living abroad back to their own country,” he said.
Rouhani further urged the recognition of all Iranians’ right to their own country, saying “every Iranian in any part of the world is the owner of his or her motherland, and they must all be treated within the framework of law.”