TEHRAN // Growing up in the city of Hamadan, in western Iran, Mehran dreamed of becoming a university professor.
For years, he studied hard and in May 2009 he was accepted into a master’s degree programme at Tehran’s prestigious Sharif University of Technology.
But only four months later the government suspended him from university for alleged political activities and he was detained for questioning.
Mehran is one of Iran’s so-called starred students, pupils who arrived at university to find a star on their academic transcripts.
The star was a sign that the intelligence ministry deemed the student a threat. Their university IDs were revoked and they were banned from campuses in an attempt to keep them from influencing other students and also as a warning to others wanting to express dissent.
Mehran recalls the outrage he felt when he saw a star next to his name.
“We were a group of more than 1,500 students in master’s programme that were denied access to enrol and attend our classes in 2009,” said Mehran, who, like others interviewed for this article, did not give his full name.
The second half of 2009 was a tumultuous time for Iran as then president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clung to power amid mass protests and allegations that results of a June presidential election were fraudulent. His successor, the relatively moderate Hassan Rouhani, has made headlines for a deal with world powers to curb Iran’s uranium enrichment in return for limited sanctions relief.
He has also instituted domestic reform by expanding the country's food handout programme and promising fundamental changes to the university system, including allowing starred students to resume classes.
Last week, in his sixth appearance among academics in his first seven months as president, Mr Rouhani asked students and professors to play a more active role in the political life of the country.
“Some groups threaten students and professors but this government considers them a national asset and they must be allowed to be critical,” Mr Rouhani said.
While the election of Mr Rouhani as president has offered thousands of so-called starred students a glimmer of hope there has been little action besides promises.
And even the limited actions are criticised by conservatives.
In September, Mr Rouhani ordered that students who were starred between 2011 and 2013 be permitted to resume their studies but the decision was opposed by conservatives in Iran’s parliament.
“Those hardliners who were in charge four years ago are still in the parliament and rejected changes in the ministry,” said Mehdi, 28, from Tehran, another starred student.
Mehdi thinks the reason he was marked as a starred student is linked to articles critical of Mr Ahamadinejad’s policies published in his university newspaper during his undergraduate studies.
Students generally discover stars on their transcripts when they are attending graduate courses, although undergraduates may also face suspension for political activity.
University officials never warned him about his articles at the time, Mehdi said.
In Mehran’s case the alleged offence was more clear.
“I was named a starred student and banned from continuing my education for running one of the campaign headquarters of Mehdi Karroubi in Iran’s 2009 presidential election.”
Mr Karroubi, along with Mir Hossein Mousavi, were presidential candidates in that election. Both men have been under house arrest since 2011.
While Mehran believes his political activities did not break any laws, he has given up on his studies and now works in a low-level position for an engineering company owned by a relative.
He still has not told his father, a day labourer who worked seven days a week so Mehran could afford to study, that he was barred from university.
In an attempt last month to block the government’s promised changes, three legislators filed a complaint against the minister of sciences, research and technology, Reza Faraji-Dana, for the ministry’s decision to permit about 400 starred students to continue their education.
“Mr Faraji-Dana must provide lawmakers with lists and political backgrounds of the students for further review,” Mohammed Ali Pour-Mokhtar, a conservative legislator, said last week.
Legislators also threatened to impeach Mr Faraji-Dana last week for replacing the most conservative heads of several leading Iranian universities.
“There is so much pressure on Rouhani that prevents him from making active political decisions. He speaks about changes but his hands are tied,” said Mehdi, who delivered a letter, signed by a group of fellow students, to Mr Faraji-Dana two months ago requesting that they be allowed to return to university.
Another important factor in the debate over Iran’s starred students is the 2016 parliamentary elections.
Students said conservatives are preventing reforms at universities as part of a larger effort to maintain their positions in parliament.
“Universities are their front line in their battle against reform, especially with the upcoming parliamentary elections,” Mehran said.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
Results
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EElite%20men%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Amare%20Hailemichael%20Samson%20(ERI)%202%3A07%3A10%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Leornard%20Barsoton%20(KEN)%202%3A09%3A37%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Ilham%20Ozbilan%20(TUR)%202%3A10%3A16%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Gideon%20Chepkonga%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A17%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Isaac%20Timoi%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A34%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EElite%20women%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Brigid%20Kosgei%20(KEN)%202%3A19%3A15%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Hawi%20Feysa%20Gejia%20(ETH)%202%3A24%3A03%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Sintayehu%20Dessi%20(ETH)%202%3A25%3A36%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Aurelia%20Kiptui%20(KEN)%202%3A28%3A59%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Emily%20Kipchumba%20(KEN)%202%3A29%3A52%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If%20you%20go
%3Cp%3E%0DThere%20are%20regular%20flights%20from%20Dubai%20to%20Addis%20Ababa%20with%20Ethiopian%20Airlines%20with%20return%20fares%20from%20Dh1%2C700.%20Nashulai%20Journeys%20offers%20tailormade%20and%20ready%20made%20trips%20in%20Africa%20while%20Tesfa%20Tours%20has%20a%20number%20of%20different%20community%20trekking%20tours%20throughout%20northern%20Ethiopia.%20%20The%20Ben%20Abeba%20Lodge%20has%20rooms%20from%20Dh228%2C%20and%20champions%20a%20programme%20of%20re-forestation%20in%20the%20surrounding%20area.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4