University of Tehran; Teymourtash or Foroughi? On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of its establishment

Mahoozi, Reza

doi:10.22035/jicr.2025.3217.3692

University of Tehran; Teymourtash or Foroughi? On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of its establishment

Document Type : Scientific Research Manuscript

Author

Reza Mahoozi

Professor of Philosophy, Research Institute for Cultural, Social, and Civilizational Studies, Tehran, Iran

10.22035/jicr.2025.3217.3692

Abstract

University of Tehran, the first and largest institution of modern higher education in Iran, has been the subject of numerous analyses and descriptions. Many of these analyses have focused on the why and how of its establishment. Many individuals have insisted on having a role in the story of University of Tehran's birth. However, the emergence of such an important institution cannot be reduced to individual concerns and efforts. In light of this, the present paper discusses the why and how of the establishment of University of Tehran in the context of two discourses: "progress" and "Iranian modernity," represented by Abdolhossein Teymourtash and Mohammad Ali Foroughi. This paper, with a historical and analytical approach, re-examines the statements, actions, and events of the first decade of the Pahlavi government, particularly concerning the development of higher education (higher education) to show why the discourse of progress, which focused on the creation of a small and limited Dar al-Fonun, ultimately gave way to the discourse of Iranian modernity, which envisioned the creation of a large university with multiple branches; a discourse that served as the basis for the establishment of University of Tehran, which later contributed to the content of this discourse.

Keywords

University of Tehran

Iranian modernity

Dar al-Fonun

oil

Teymourtash

Foroughi

Subjects

Scientific Societies and Iranian Universities

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