In recent weeks, the Student Affairs Office at Amirkabir University of Technology has implemented another security measure, making lunch distribution in the university cafeteria conditional on the use of facial recognition systems. This move—previously implemented in Spring last year at Shahrood University of Technology, Isfahan University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, and Razi University of Kermanshah—is seen as a clear example of “securitizing the university environment.”
According to numerous reports sent to Amirkabir Newsletter, the facial recognition devices installed in the cafeteria have caused repeated malfunctions and failed to recognize some students, leading to long lines, confusion, and humiliation. Some students reported having to perform unusual movements in front of the devices just to receive a simple portion of pasta salad.
Furthermore, with the removal of student ID card and temporary barcode options in the food system, students who are unable to attend lunch hours due to jobs, illness, or class schedules have lost the ability to have their meals picked up by friends or roommates. University officials have offered no solution for these students and have completely denied responsibility in response to complaints.
In some cases, sensitive student information—including national ID numbers—has been openly displayed on the devices, constituting a clear violation of privacy. Many students said this system tramples on their dignity and treats them like “imprisoned criminals” under biometric surveillance, while university entry requires nothing more than showing a student card from a distance to security guards.
Additional reports indicate the system’s ineffectiveness, mismatches between meal reservations and facial recognition, and a lack of response from university officials. Students have expressed frustration, stating “we shouldn’t be humiliated for low-quality food,” and have compared this measure to repressive tactics used at other universities like Tarbiat Modares and Isfahan University of Technology. Meanwhile, Polytechnic administrators have failed to provide even a minimally acceptable justification. Claims such as preventing the resale of meals among students are not only legally questionable but also fuel suspicion that officials may be misappropriating student food budgets—since these are allocated per student and should not be withheld based on usage.
Amirkabir students have announced that if the facial recognition system is not removed and conditions reverted to the previous state, they reserve the right to civil protest, including hunger strikes and boycotting the cafeteria. Reports suggest that welfare policies at Amirkabir University are increasingly shifting toward reduced service quality and greater pressure on students—a trend students believe can no longer be explained merely by “poor management.”
