TEHRAN – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivered a speech at the University of Tehran on the occasion of Student Day in which he underlined the need for communication between the government and the universities. 

Speaking on Wednesday morning during the celebration of Student's Day held at Tehran University, Ayatollah Raisi called this day a symbol of anti-enmity, insight and a sense of responsibility for the country's student community, and added, "Indeed, December 7 should be a symbol and expression of growth, and the knowledge of the conditions of the country by the universities should always be respected".

Referring to the continuous communication between the government and the student community of the country on all days of the year, President Raisi said, "I consider the communication between the government and the university to be a necessity and I truly believe that the university, as the think tank of the government, can help the government in solving the country's problems. I have emphasized to the statesmen that communication with the elite society should be considered along with presence among the people," according to the official website of the Iranian presidency.

Ayatollah Raisi stated that before attending this ceremony, some people advised me not to participate in this ceremony, and clarified, "I answered that those who seek to shut down science do not go to university, and the 13th Administration wants to strengthen science and increase science in universities. It was for this reason that after the improvement of the country's COVID-19 conditions, the government made its first priority to resume the activities of the universities, because the vitality and dynamism of the country as well as the progress and honors of the country's scientists are the product of the university".

He added, "Today, our university defeated the enemy, and for that reason, they wanted to create chaos in this space and close the classrooms, but the educated professors and students did not allow them to do so".

Emphasizing the difference between unrest and protest, Ayatollah Raisi stated that the protest aims to improve affairs and construct things, but the result of unrest is destruction and insecurity, and clarified, "A strong Iran is definitely not desired by the Americans, and they are looking to destroy Iran like Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and other countries that have been invaded by this country, but Iran, unlike other countries and territories, has men and women with honor and dignity who will never allow such conspiracies to be carried out by the Americans".

Expressing why the enemies are angry with the country's universities and student society, President Raisi said, "Our universities are the source of all progress in the country today, and the honors of our scientists in science and technology, nuclear industry, aerospace, and defense and security achievements are the product of the university".

Despite all the efforts and conspiracies, today our oil exports have increased to the pre-sanctions level, our connections with Asian infrastructure have been established through the Shanghai and Eurasia agreements, the country's foreign trade volume has increased by 48%, and hundreds of semi-closed or closed factories have returned to the production cycle.

Referring to his meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations and his apology for his inability to lift the drug embargo in our country during the COVID-19 era, Ayatollah Raisi said, "I said to the Secretary General of the United Nations that today, despite all the pressures and sanctions, we have not only produced six types of vaccines to meet the needs of our country, but we have also become the exporter of the vaccine".

Ayatollah Raisi emphasized, "Today the most authoritarian and dictatorial government in the world is the ruling body of the United States of America, and December 7 is the day to fight against the super dictator of the world, that is, America".

President Raisi said about the appointment of managers in the 13th Administration, saying, "The main condition of the government in this field is the ability of the managers to carry out the mission. In relation to the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, he had a very successful performance in various fields of housing and urban development as well as rail, air and road transportation, but unfortunately, he got a serious illness and we had to change him".

Regarding the promise of building 4 million housing units by the 13th Administration, Ayatollah Raisi said, "The need to build 1 million housing units per year is not just a government promise, but a definite need of the country, which the law is clear about, and the 13th Administration will definitely be true to its promises".

In response to another student's question about the state of the Internet, President Raisi said, "We remember the promises that were made about cyber space, but the point is that if the enemy wants to use this space to cause chaos in the country, what should be done? The reason for the restrictions is the enemy's attempt to create insecurity in the country on the basis of this space, and you must know that the situation will be different after the normalization of the situation".

Ayatollah Raisi also stated about the government's use of the capacity of cultural and academic centers, saying, "The government listens to the opinions of others, even if there is a difference in political tastes, and the 13th Administration definitely welcomes the activation of universities to solve problems".