MNA� By Leader Ayat. Khamenei�s decree, Ali Akbar Velayati has been appointed to the head of Islamic Azad University�s board of founders, a position previously held by late Ayat. Hashemi Rafsanjani.


�Due to the sorrowful loss of the head of the Islamic Azad University�s board of founders and trustees, and the silence of the statute adopted by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution on the election of the next head of board of founders, as well as the need for expediting the process of electing someone to hold this position, I hereby appoint one of the board�s members, Mr. Ali Akbar Velayati, to the presidency of the board of founders so that no interruption will occur in the legal management of this university which has an effective role on the country�s higher education,� Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote in his decree on Friday.

He further called on members of the board of founders and trustees as well as the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution to have the utmost cooperation in filling out the empty positions on the board.

Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the�founders�of�Islamic Azad University�and the�head of�its board of trustees, passed away on January 8 due to heart condition.

Ali Akbar Velayati is Leader�s senior advisor and the Head of Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council.