Mohammad Ali Najafi
Encyclopedia
Mohammad Ali Najafi (born January 13, 1952) is an Iran
ian politician
and university professor
in mathematics
. He was Minister of Science and Technology
in the Cabinet of Mir-Hossein Mousavi
and after that Minister of Education
in the Cabinet of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. After that he became Head of Center for planning and budget in the Cabinet of Mohammad Khatami
. He has run for a seat in Tehran
City Council in the local election of 2006
. He was elected leader of Executives of Construction Party
on 1 April 2011.
in Mathematics
from the Aryamehr University of Technology (Isfahan University of technology). He went on to enroll in the PhD program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, but dropped out in 1978 during the Iranian revolution
and returned to Iran. As of December 2006, he has been an instructor at the Department of Mathematic Science at Sharif University of Technology
since 1979, working on representation theory
.
Starting as a consultant to Mostafa Chamran
and later the president of Isfahan University of Technology
(1980–1981), Najafi served as the Minister of Culture and Higher Education from 1981 to 1984 in the cabinet of then Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi. In 1988 he became the Minister of Education under President Hashemi Rafsanjani and served until 1997. In 1997, he was appointed Vice President and Head of the Planning and Budget Organization by President Mohammad Khatami
, but after a merge of his organization with another and a renaming to Organization for Management and Planning, he was succeeded by Mohammad Reza Aref
. Najafi was an advisor to President Khatami and the senior advisor to the Minister of Industries from 2001 to 2005.
, Najafi ran for a seat in Tehran
City Council. He headed a list named "The Union of reformists
" (ائتلاف اصلاحطلبان). This was the first time Najafi ran in a general election in Iran.
candidate for the 2005 presidential election
, but he denied his interest in favor of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
's candidacy and was then favored to become vice president under Rafsanjani. After Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in the election, Najafi has been suggested as a presidential candidate in future elections.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and university professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. He was Minister of Science and Technology
Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (Iran)
The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology is the government ministry of science, research and technology in the Islamic Republic of Iran...
in the Cabinet of Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh is an Iranian reformist politician, artist and architect who served as the seventy-ninth and last Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989. He was a Reformist candidate for the 2009 presidential election and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election...
and after that Minister of Education
Ministry of Education (Iran)
The Ministry of Education established in 1964, is an Iranian government body responsible for the oversight of K-12 education in Iran.-External links:*...
in the Cabinet of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. After that he became Head of Center for planning and budget in the Cabinet of Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
. He has run for a seat in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
City Council in the local election of 2006
Iranian City and Village Councils elections, 2006
The Iranian City and Village Councils election of 2006 took place on December 15, 2006. People elected representatives for City and Village Councils, who in their turn elected the mayors....
. He was elected leader of Executives of Construction Party
Executives of Construction Party
The Executives of Construction Party is a political party in Iran, founded by several members of the cabinet of the then President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani...
on 1 April 2011.
Education
Najafi earned a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from the Aryamehr University of Technology (Isfahan University of technology). He went on to enroll in the PhD program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, but dropped out in 1978 during the Iranian revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
and returned to Iran. As of December 2006, he has been an instructor at the Department of Mathematic Science at Sharif University of Technology
Sharif University of Technology
Sharif University of Technology is a university of higher education in technology, engineering and physical sciences in Tehran. Sharif University of Technology is one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and is considered Iran's MIT...
since 1979, working on representation theory
Representation theory
Representation theory is a branch of mathematics that studies abstract algebraic structures by representing their elements as linear transformations of vector spaces, and studiesmodules over these abstract algebraic structures...
.
Political career
After the Iranian revolution of 1979, Najafi returned to Iran, immediately beginning his political career.Starting as a consultant to Mostafa Chamran
Mostafa Chamran
Mostafa Chamran Savei was an Iranian scientist who served as first Defence Minister of post-revolutionary Iran and as member of parliament, as well as commander of paramilitary volunteers in Iran–Iraq War. He was killed during the war...
and later the president of Isfahan University of Technology
Isfahan University of Technology
Isfahan University of Technology is one of the most prestigious engineering universities in Iran. It is located 15 Kilometers north west of Isfahan and is one of the major universities and research poles in Iran in the fields of science, engineering and agriculture...
(1980–1981), Najafi served as the Minister of Culture and Higher Education from 1981 to 1984 in the cabinet of then Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi. In 1988 he became the Minister of Education under President Hashemi Rafsanjani and served until 1997. In 1997, he was appointed Vice President and Head of the Planning and Budget Organization by President Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
, but after a merge of his organization with another and a renaming to Organization for Management and Planning, he was succeeded by Mohammad Reza Aref
Mohammad Reza Aref
Mohammad Reza Aref is an Iranian academic, electrical engineer and politician and a professor at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran. From 2001 to 2005, he was the Vice President of Iran under President Mohammad Khatami. He was succeeded by Parviz Dawoodi.Aref was a chancellor of the...
. Najafi was an advisor to President Khatami and the senior advisor to the Minister of Industries from 2001 to 2005.
Candidacy for Tehran City Council
In the Iranian City and Village Councils elections, 2006Iranian City and Village Councils elections, 2006
The Iranian City and Village Councils election of 2006 took place on December 15, 2006. People elected representatives for City and Village Councils, who in their turn elected the mayors....
, Najafi ran for a seat in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
City Council. He headed a list named "The Union of reformists
Iranian reformists
The Iranian reform movement , or the Reforms Front also known as 2nd of Khordad Front is a political movement by a group of political parties and organizations in Iran who supported Mohammad Khatami's plans to change the system to include more freedom and...
" (ائتلاف اصلاحطلبان). This was the first time Najafi ran in a general election in Iran.
Presidential ambition
During the autumn of 2004, Najafi was a common favorite to be the reformistIranian reformists
The Iranian reform movement , or the Reforms Front also known as 2nd of Khordad Front is a political movement by a group of political parties and organizations in Iran who supported Mohammad Khatami's plans to change the system to include more freedom and...
candidate for the 2005 presidential election
Iranian presidential election, 2005
Iran's ninth presidential election took place in two rounds, the first on June 17, 2005, the run-off on June 24. Mohammad Khatami, the previous President of Iran, stepped down on August 2, 2005, after serving his maximum two consecutive four-year terms according to the Islamic Republic's constitution...
, but he denied his interest in favor of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is an influential Iranian politician and writer, who was the fourth President of Iran. He was a member of the Assembly of Experts until his resignation in 2011...
's candidacy and was then favored to become vice president under Rafsanjani. After Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in the election, Najafi has been suggested as a presidential candidate in future elections.