سید حسن مدرس

Modares- In my opinion, one of the major pillars of our education system is establishing a center for translating foreign scientific books into Persian. We have been hearing for the past forty years that [our students] go to Europe to study and they come back with the title of Doctors. … Why don’t they translate the books, that they studied abroad, into Persian to make them available to other Iranian children? If these books become available in our language, they could be read by a hundred thousand people, while the books in other languages are useful for only one thousand individuals. In fact, students [in Iran] have to learn a foreign language for four-five years first, and then start studying sciences as their majors. Therefore, if the Minister of Education agrees, the necessary books must be collected; the books on industry and sciences that are needed for our country but they don’t exist in the nation, and the books that can aid us with leading the country toward civilization and developments. And if it is necessary, [the Minister of Education] should search for experts and scholars of those sciences and invite them to translate the books.

We have been hearing about the ones who study law. I still do not know what it means. They all have doctorate degrees. Is this major prognostication and augury that cannot be translated and published for me and others to read? For instance, Ali Khan studied mathematics abroad; he came back and he translated books. My point is that we need to translate and publish the necessary books. If the ones with a doctorate degree don’t know how, they should request assistance. They should admit that they don’t know; just as I do. There is no shame in not knowing something. And, if they know, they should do it. The Ministry of Education should establish a department for the translation and publication of foreign educational books. This is my opinion.