Dear Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen:

 On behalf of Persian Circle, I am delighted to welcome you here tonight for the first tribute to the Iranian-Canadian Academia.

 Any person’s life journey can be described as a series of challenges, both personal and social. We all invest our utmost efforts into overcoming the problems we encounter along the way as we grow into more mature and successful human beings. Of course, throughout our journey, our surrounding environment plays a major part in our evolution. The social relationships that are established along the way are stepping stones for us to overcome these challenges with greater ease as they are presented to us.

 For those who have established social and cultural roots in their environment over many generations, their comfort level and social network has evolved over the years. Yet this luxury is not available to those individuals who have come to this country looking for a chance at a better career and a better life. Therefore, we can clearly see how much greater these challenges must be to overcome for someone who does not have these social and cultural roots as aids during their life journey in a new land. Even the thought of an individual who chooses or is forced to leave his or her country and comes to another and face such barriers can be overwhelming. This makes the achievements of those celebrated tonight even more astonishing.

 With that background, I would like to share with you three main thoughts. My first point is addressed to all Iranian professors and researchers. On behalf of the Iranian-Canadian community, I would like to say that we are both very thankful and proud of the many accomplishments you have displayed throughout your careers and present day work. We are proud of your many talents, your perseverance, your curiosity to always learn more and to push your understanding to higher levels and all in all proud of your never-ending efforts to set your goals higher and higher and still surpassing them. Lastly we would like to thank you for setting the example that even as first generation Iranian-Canadians, through hard work and sheer determination you were able to beat all odds against you and succeed by all measures in your adopted homeland.

 My second point is addressed to all of the second generation Iranian-Canadians. I would like you to look around tonight and find role models for yourselves within our first generation of established Iranian-Canadians and learn from each and every one of their experiences when facing the challenges outlined earlier. Let them be an open road for you to explore all of your career goals and display your true potential as the upcoming generation of Iranian-Canadians. Mostly, I would like you to be able to present yourselves as future role models to the third generation of Iranian-Canadians that will follow in your footsteps.

 My third and final point is addressed to our honourable guests whom are not part of the Iranian-Canadian community but have kindly joined us tonight in our celebration. Let us stand behind the core idea that all of us work together to form the society in which we live in. We must therefore be able to acknowledge each and everyone’s cultural backgrounds and form much stronger relationships between ourselves to grow as individuals, as a community, and as a society. Tonight, the Iranian-Canadian community would like to use this event as a showcase to all the other communities in Canada that we have indeed established a very strong and successful link in the chain of our society.

 Day by day, we see that our community is growing and becoming more culturally diverse. It can be said that a society works much like an orchestrated symphony, where the different instruments represent the different cultural communities within that society. Yet the basis of an orchestra lies in its harmony. If there is harmony within the orchestra then the performance is flawless. The same can be said for a society; if we all work in harmony and in equality then we will grow not only individually but as a group as well. The final result is a more successful, stable and peaceful future for all of us.

On behalf of Persian Circle I would like to thank you all for your attention and hope that you enjoy the remainder of the evening.

Dr. Abdolreza Abhari
Ryerson University
Department of Computer Science

Dr. Khosrow Adeli
University of Toronto
Department of Biochemistry

Dr. Majid Ahmadi
University of Windsor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Hekmat Alighanbari
Ryerson University
Department of Aerospace Engineering

Professor Bita Amani
Queen's University
Faculty of Law

Dr. Parham Arabi
University of Toronto
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Nasser Ashgriz
University of Toronto
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Dr. Mostafa Atri
University of Toronto
Department of Radiology

Dr. Reza Baraheni
University of Toronto
Department of Literature

Dr. Kamran Behdinan
Ryerson University
Department of Aerospace Engineering

Dr. Soosan Beheshti
Ryerson University
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Shervin Erfani
University of Windsor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Ebrahim Esmailzadeh
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Ashkan Golshani
Carleton University
Department of Bialogy

Dr. Ali Grami
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Faculty of Business and Information Technology

Dr. Hossien Honarmand
Ryerson University
Department of Business Management

Dr. Kourosh Khalili
University of Health Network
Department of Medical Imaging

Dr. Reza Kianoush
Ryerson University
Department of Civil Engineering

Dr. Ali Lohi
Ryerson University
Department of Chemical Engineering

Dr. Mohammad Reza Maleki
University of Toronto
Division of Respiratory Medicine

Dr. Ali Miri
University of Ottawa
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Javad Mostaghimi
University of Toronto
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Dr. Saeed Rahnema
York University
Department of Political Science

Dr. Arash Reyhani Masoleh
University of Western Ontario
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Alireza Sadeghian
Ryerson University
Department of Computer Science

Dr. Shayan Sharif
University of Guelph
Department of Veterinary College

Dr. Farrokh Sharifi
Ryerson University
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Dr. Shahin Sirouspour
McMaster University
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi
University of Toronto
Department of Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations

Dr. Shahrokh Valaee
University of Toronto
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Shahram Yousefi
Queen's University
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Farrokh Zandi
York University
Department of Business Management

Dr. Saeed Zolfaghari
Ryerson University
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Diamond:

Gold:

Silver:

Bronz:

گزارش نخستین برنامه گرامیداشت استادان ایرانی تبار دانشگاه های کانادا

 نخستین برنامه گرامیداشت گروهی از استادان ایرانی تبار دانشگاه‌های کانادا روز پنجشنبه 11 ماه می 2006 در هتل وستین پرینس تورنتو برگزار شد. در این برنامه بیش از 400 نفر، از جمله استادان و پژوهشگران، گروهی از مقامات سیاسی-اجتماعی کانادایی از جمله شهردار تورنتو، چند تن از نمایندگان پارلمان فدرال و استان انتاریو، نمایندگان انجمن شهر تورنتو و ریچموندهیل، رئیس پلیس منطقه یورک، چند تن از نمایندگان نهادهای اجتماعی و فرهنگی از کامییونیتی‌های مختلف و شخصیت‌ها و میهمانان ایرانی حضور داشتند.

 گرداننده این برنامه ژیان قمیشی چهره محبوب و آگاه شبکه رادیو تلویزیونی سی‌بی‌سی بود که چون همیشه با مهارت و جذابییت خاص برنامه را اداره کرد. در آغاز برنامه آرشیا تبریزی بعنوان یکی از بنیان‌گزاران پرشین  سیرکل خلاصه‌ای از هدف‌های این نهاد اجتماعی-فرهنگی و غیرانتفاعی را بیان کرد، سپس دیوید زیمر نماینده پارلمان انتاریو از منطقه ویلودیل در شمال شهر تورنتو پیام ویژه نخست وزیر انتاریو به این مراسم را خواند و پس از آن دکتر محمد تاج‌دولتی مدیر اجرایی پرشین سیرکل هدف‌های برگزاری مراسم گرامیداشت استادان و پژوهشگران ایرانی-کانادایی را تشریح کرد. در بخش بعدی نیما احمدی رییس انجمن دانشجویان ایرانی دانشگاه رایرسون که این مراسم با همکاری آنان تهیه و اجرا شد، گزارشی از آخرین اطلاعات جمع‌آوری شده مربوط به تعداد و رشته‌های فعالیت و تدریس استادان ایرانی-کانادایی همراه با نمودارهای مختلف ارایه داد. 

در بخش بعدی برنامه یکی از مقامات دانشگاه رایرسون درباره نقش و میزان فعالیت و مشارکت دانشجویان و استادان ایرانی در دانشگاه رایرسون سخن گفت. پس از آن دیوید میلر شهردار تورنتو بعنوان سخنران اصلی برنامه به تاثیر و اهمیت حضور و فعالیت‌های جوامع مختلف قومی و فرهنگی در همه  جنبه‌های زندگی مردم و کشور کانادا اشاره کرد و بعنوان نمونه تاکید کرد که جامعه مهاجران ایرانی به کانادا توانسته است بعنوان یکی از کامییونیتی های موفق در میان بقیه کامییونیتی‌ها جای شایسته‌ای برای خود بدست بیاورد.

 در پی سخنان شهردار تورنتو بخش اصلی برنامه آغاز شد که در آن آرشیا تبریزی با اعلام نام همه استادان و پژوهشگرانی که در برنامه حضور داشتند و رشته‌ها و دپارتمان‌هایی که در دانشگاه‌ها به تدریس و تحقیق مشغول هستند از آنان دعوت کرد که ضمن دریافت لوح‌های تقدیر بر روی صحنه در کنار هم بایستند. زمانیکه 33 استاد و پژوهشگر ایرانی‌تبار دانشگاه‌های کانادا بر روی صحنه و در کنار هم ایستادند حاضران در سالن به پا خواستند و با دست‌زدن‌های ممتد دقایقی به تشویق و قدردانی از آنان پرداختند. هیجان و احساسات برانگیخته شده همه استادان و پژوهشگران و نیز حاضران در سالن تا دقایقی چند فضای حاکم بر محل برگزاری مراسم بود. در این بخش از برنامه پروفسور مجید احمدی، استاد مهندسی کامپیوتر در دانشگاه "ویندزور" در استان انتاریو با ابراز سخنانی از طرف استادان و پژوهشگران حاضر در مراسم از برگزارکنندگان مراسم سپاسگزاری کرد و در پایان چند برنامه هنری شامل رقص‌های محلی ایرانی توسط گروه رقص آیدا مفتاحی و نیز برنامه موسیقی توسط گروه موسیقی آوا و چند تن از دانش‌آموزان ایرانی کلاس‌های موسیقی دبیرستان‌های ریچموندهیل اجرا شد.