Sharif University — An Urgent Appeal
“Today they bloodily attacked our sisters & brothers & took many away..”
*An Urgent Appeal to Universities and Educational Institutions around the World — 3rd October 2022*
Sharif University of Technology is considered Iran’s leading institution for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The University trains some of the brightest scientific minds of the country, many of whom have left the country.
If you work in a scientific field in a Western University, the chances are that you might know someone who has studied there. They might be your student, your mentor, your peer, your friend.
Notable alumni include the late Maryam Mirzakhani — Stanford’s Professor of Mathematics — the first woman to be awarded a Fields Medal — the “Nobel Prize” of mathematics.
Last night, security forces attacked the students, rounding them up. Some have been kidnapped, some have been injured, some have been killed. The fate of many, this morning, is uncertain.
The world’s media has been tellingly silent on the movement in Iran which commenced with the murder of 22 year-old Mahsa Amini.
On Saturday 1st October, whilst young people were losing their lives in Iran, over a million people gathered in organised protests in over 200 cities of the world, with very little coverage in the global media.
Please, be their voice.
I implore on all academic institutions, around the world, to show solidarity with the students and staff of Sharif, solidarity with Iranian women and solidarity with the youth movement.
