In a message marking the beginning of the new academic year at schools and universities, Ayatollah Khamenei paid tribute to students, teachers, professors and other members of the academic community who lost their lives in the recently imposed war, saying the reopening of educational institutions should herald renewed vitality, hope and determined movement toward a brighter future.
The Leader called on students to equip themselves with “knowledge and piety, hope and morality, and awareness and capability,” urging them to regard their schools and universities as their “second homes.”
He emphasized that students should protect the sanctity and integrity of these educational environments while continuously expanding their knowledge, insight, conduct, and character, turning them into centers of progress and advancement for Iran.
Ayatollah Khamenei also called on officials to plan wisely and take effective measures to improve the livelihoods of teachers and university professors, stressing the importance of supporting those entrusted with educating the country’s future generations.
Reflecting on the loss of students and members of the academic community during the recent war, the Leader said their absence would be felt in classrooms and universities throughout the new academic year. He said remembering those who lost their lives should guide the younger generation toward a proper understanding of the struggle between “good and evil” and “truth and falsehood.”
The Leader described the central responsibility of today’s students as acquiring knowledge, piety, hope, morality and practical capabilities, while breaking through the frontiers of science and reaching new heights of achievement. Such progress, he said, would enable them to fulfill their historic responsibility in advancing Iran.
He further urged students to cultivate sound thinking and innovation while remaining committed to their national identity, cultural dignity and independence, the Persian language and the country’s national and Islamic symbols.
In the concluding section of his message, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the “barbarism of the hegemonic system,” particularly by the United States and the Israeli regime.
“Power arising from knowledge accompanied by piety and morality is like a steel shield and a sharp sword that cuts off the hands of aggression against humanity,” he said.
The Leader also pointed to generations of Iranian students who had previously occupied the same classrooms and later contributed to the country’s defense and national strength, describing them as role models and guiding lights for the younger generation.
Hossein Amiri - Hossein Vaez
