Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi

Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi (born 1953 in Kerman) is an Iranian politician and was the former minister of science and technology in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi
Head of Parliament of Iran's Commission on Education and Research
In office
12 June 2012[1]and 2019 for second time – 28 June 2018
Preceded byAli Abbaspour
Succeeded byMohammad Reza Aref
Member of the Parliament of Iran
Assumed office
28 May 2012
ConstituencyKerman and Ravar
Majority150,825
Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia
In office
22 November 2009[2] – 11 October 2011[3]
PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded byMehdi Khandabadi
Succeeded byJalal Firouznia
Minister of Science, Research and Technology
In office
19 August 2005 – 9 August 2009
PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded byJafar Towfighi
Succeeded byKamran Daneshjoo
Personal details
Born1953 (age 67–68)
Kerman, Iran
NationalityIranian
Political party
Alma materTarbiat Modares University
Signature

Mr zahedi was approved by Iran's parliament with the fewest supporting votes possible (supporters had only one vote more than opponents). He was elected as a Member of the Parliament in 2012 election. He was reelected in 2016. On 1 January 2017, he was announced that he would run for presidency in 2017 presidential election. His nomination was rejected by the Guardian Council.

Academia

Zahedi received his PhD in Mathematics from Kerman University where he is currently a "full professor". He is the first graduate of a PhD in mathematics in Iran..[7] Zahedi has 15 scientific articles in ISI with very few citations (most of them self citations). He repeatedly called himself "one of the greatest mathematicians of the time".[7][8][9] With such a minor scientific achievement he was promoted to full professorship in 1999 (when he had only published 11 articles). Zahedi's profile claims he is a member of New York Academy of Sciences. An investigation by BBC Persian in July 2009 debunked this claim.[10] His profile also claims that he was named among the most prominent Mathematicians of the century by American Mathematical Society for which there is no evidence found on American Mathematical Society website.

Expulsion of university scientists

In 2006, the Ahmadinejad government systematically forced numerous Iranian scientists and University professors to resign or to retire. It has been referred to as a second cultural revolution.[11] The policy has been said to replace current professors with younger ones.[12][13] Many University professors received letters indicating their early retirement unexpectedly.[14]

However many believe that the government's main goal is to replace Iranian scientists with fundamentalists and finally convert the universities into Hawza (traditional religious schools).

Despite huge demonstrations and protests of Iranian students, Zahedi appointed several mullahs with no academic degrees as chancellors of several Universities (the most prominent example being that of Tehran University).

Expelling the politically active students

Zahedi has expelled dozens of politically active students and those who were working in internal newspaper of university by refusing to enroll them for the new academic year (Fall 2006).[15] He first denied the existence of such students but recently he said that those students had criminal cases such as robbery and sexual harassment. This made the students very angry and they asked the MPs for his impeachment.

Ignoring scientific merit in appointments

Zahedi's appointments and dismissals at the Science, Research and Technology Ministry were not based on merit. University chancellors had been formerly appointed after consulting university professors. However, the situation changed as Zahedi become Iran's minister of science and the criterion of meritocracy has been ignored.[16]

Zahedi appointed Abbasali Amid Zanjani, a cleric with no academic degree, as the chancellor of Tehran University.

See also

References
  1. زاهدی رئیس کمیسیون آموزش و تحقیقات مجلس نهم شد
  2. محمد مهدی زاهدی سفیر ایران در مالزی شد
  3. انتصاب سفرای جدید ایران در 10 کشور
  4. "تداوم سوال از وزرا/پاسخ های رحمانی فضلی و طیب نیا به دو عضو پایداری در مجلس" (in Persian). Islamic Republic News Agency. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  5. "ترکیب جدید جامعه اسلامی مهندسین مشخص شد/ خروج نبوی و غفوری‌فرد و ورود زاهدی به جمع مهندسان سیاسی+ مروری بر سوابق اعضای شورای مرکزی مهندسان سیاسی" (in Persian). Khabaronline. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  6. "زاهدی در گفت‌وگو با فارس خبر داد: حضور جبهه "یکتا" در انتخابات مجلس با توصیه آیت‌الله موحدی‌کرمانی" (in Persian). Fars News Agency. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20061021103408/http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016771.shtml. Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2006. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Archived March 22, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  10. کامبیز فتاحی بی بی سی، واشنگتن (1970-01-01). "BBC فارسی - ايران - آکادمی علوم نیویورک: وزیر علوم ایران عضو ما نیست". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  11. Archived October 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Mohammad Ali Abtahi". Webneveshteha.com. Retrieved 2014-05-28.
  13. Behnegarsoft.com. "آفتاب - انتقاد خوش چهره از خانه نشين كردن اساتيد". Aftabnews.ir. Archived from the original on 2006-05-31. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  14. Behnegarsoft.com. "آفتاب - ابعاد خانه نشین شدن استادان دانشگاه". Aftabnews.ir. Archived from the original on 2006-08-24. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  15. Esfandiari, Golnaz (2006-09-29). "Iran: Government Pressures Student Activists". Rferl.org. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  16. Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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