Jafar Towfighi (born 19 March 1956) is an Iranian chemical engineer, academic, politician and senior consultant of the ministry of science, research and technology who served as minister of science, research and technology for two terms. First in the cabinet headed by President

Mohammad Khatami Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...

from 2003 till 2005, and second in 2013 as acting minister.

Early life and education

Towfighi was born in Tehran on 19 March 1956. He holds a master's degree in chemical engineering, which he received from

Shiraz University Shiraz University ( ''Dāneshgāh-e-Shirāz'', 1979 revolution, formerly known as Pahlavi dynasty, Pahlavi University دانشگاه پهلوی ''Dāneshgāh-e Pahlavi'') is a public university located in Shiraz, Fars province, Fars, Iran, establ ...

in 1981. Then he obtained a PhD again in chemical engineering from Bucharest Polytechnic Institute in

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

in 1986.

Career

Towfighi began his academic career at

Tarbiat Modares University Tarbiat Modares University (: ''Dāneshgāh-e Tarbiyat Modarres'', lit. "Professor Training University") is a graduate public university located in Tehran, Iran. Faculties Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) was established in 1982 and is a comp ...

in 1987. He served at different positions at the university until 1996 when he was appointed advisor to deputy education minister. In 1997, he was appointed deputy education minister and was in office until 2003. Then he was named as minister of science, research and technology, and his term lasted until 2005. After working as the dean of the faculty of energy at

Sharif University of Technology Sharif University of Technology (SUT); (, romanized : Dāneshgāh-e sana'ti-e sharif) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is widely considered to be the nation's most prestigious and leading institution for science, technology ...

from 2008 to 2010, he began to work at Tarbiat Modarres University's faculty of engineering as a full professor. He was

Mohammad Reza Aref Mohammad Reza Aref (, born 19 December 1951) is an Iranian engineer, academic and reformist politician who is the eighth and current first vice president of Iran since 2024, under President Masoud Pezeshkian. He is also currently member of the E ...

's campaign manager during the 2013 presidential election. On 17 August 2013, he was appointed acting minister of science by

Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani (; born Hassan Fereydoun, 12 November 1948) is an Iranian peoples, Iranian politician who served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. He is also a sharia lawyer ("Wakil"), academic, former diplomat and Islamic cl ...

following the nominated candidate for the post was rejected by the Majlis on 15 August.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Towfighi, Jafar 20th-century Iranian engineers 21st-century Iranian engineers 1956 births Iranian campaign managers Iranian chemical engineers Vice ministers of Iran Living people Ministers of science of Iran Politehnica University of Bucharest alumni Shiraz University alumni Academic staff of Sharif University of Technology Academic staff of Tarbiat Modares University Politicians from Tehran