Earlier today (May 3, 2025), during Ali Larijani’s speech at Shahed University, the power went out—an outage that is nothing new for the students there. After a brief pause, Larijani calmly remarked, “What should we do now? Beat our chests?!” But for students who deal daily with two-hour power outages followed by water cuts in the scorching heat of Shahed University’s desert-like surroundings, the joke was far too bitter to be funny.
Shahed University, located far from the city in the sweltering outskirts of Tehran, faces frequent and prolonged power outages that have practically paralyzed dormitory life. Students have repeatedly raised concerns about the difficult conditions, lack of backup generators, and the administration’s indifference. Yet, the administration’s constant response has been silence and inaction.
A student told Amirkabir Newsletter: “When the power goes out, so does the water. As we approach summer, the heat becomes unbearable. There’s no ventilation, and students are forced to study by candlelight. At this point, can we still call Shahed a ‘university’?”
