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INTERVIEW WITH ALINOUSH TARIAN, THE FIRST WOMAN PHYSICS PROFESSOR IN MODERN IRAN
Payvand, Iran
Dec 19 2007
The first Iranian woman, teacher of physics, the founder of the first
solar telescopic observatory in Iran, was graduated from Sorbonne
University in Paris, and after teaching for 30 years in universities
is now resting in an elderly house; her best memories regards the
successful students who are today professors.
Alinoush Tarian, was born in an Armenian family in 1920 in Tehran.
She graduated in Khordad 1326 [1947] from Tehran University Science
Department and began her career in physics laboratories of the same
university and was elected as the chief of laboratory operations in
the same year.
She could not convince her teacher (Dr Hessabi) to pay for her studies
abroad and was obliged to go to Paris on her own where she began
studying in Atmospheric physic in Paris University. She graduated
in 1856 and after rejecting a teaching job in Sorbonne University
came back to Iran to become an assistant professor in thermodynamics
physics in Tehran University.
She studied on solar physics observatory for 4 months by a scholarship
of German government and finally became the first female professor
of physics in Iran on 1964.
In 1966 she became a member of the geophysics committee of Tehran
University and in 1969 finally was elected as the chief of the solar
physics studies in that university and began to work in the solar
observatory which she was one of its founders. She was retired on 1979.
Alinoush Tarian has dedicated herself to teaching students in this
country and is now living in an elderly house. We went there with
one of her colleagues to have an interview with her.
When asked for her best memory from the teaching days, she answers:
All my memories from those days are nice. I loved the students and
they loved me as well. So I did not have any difficulty during my
teaching career.
Q: What is you best memory?
A: Thirty years of teaching and the construction of the solar
observatory.
Q: What was the reason for your success?
A: Human attitude. One day a colleague asked me why do the students
come to see me but did not go to him? I said maybe his attitude was
not good enough to attract the students.
Q: Did you use a scholarship to study abroad?
A: My grades were always good. When I graduated, I asked for a
scholarship but they did not accept because I was woman. I went to
Paris by myself. I did not accept to work in Paris University because
I loved my country and told them I had to go back and serve my country.
Q: Did you have a trip to Germany?
A: The German government gave me a scholarship to study the basics
of solar observatories and I went to study there for a few months.
Q: What made you think of building a solar observatory?
A: When I returned and started to work in the university I requested
the building of an observatory for the students to become familiar
with this type of observatory.
Q: How many languages do you know?
A: My mother studied in Switzerland. My father and mother knew French,
English and Armenian. My brother and I learned Persian and Armenian
from childhood. We studied French to understand what our parents say
and caught them by surprise. I know Turkish and English as well.
Q: Were you satisfied with your salary?
A: My salary was very low. Unfortunately in Iran teachers are not
remunerated well. When I graduated, my father's friend suggested
working for his company with 10 times the university salary; but I
preferred to work in the university.
Q: Have you been to Armenia?
A: Unfortunately no. I wished to go to Armenia when I was young but at
that time if someone went to Armenia he would be sacked from his job.
Q: If you had the opportunity to go back what would you do?
A: If I were to go back, I would do the same thing because I love
studying and teaching. I am honoured to see my students' success
in physics.
Q: Any recommendation for students and teachers?
A: Teachers must study continuously and keep themselves updated. The
students should study hard.
Note: Original article published in Persian by Fars News Agency.
Translated for Payvand.com by BMarz translators: http://www.BMarz.com
Photos at http://www.payvand.com/news/07/dec/1183.html
Payvand, Iran
Dec 19 2007
The first Iranian woman, teacher of physics, the founder of the first
solar telescopic observatory in Iran, was graduated from Sorbonne
University in Paris, and after teaching for 30 years in universities
is now resting in an elderly house; her best memories regards the
successful students who are today professors.
Alinoush Tarian, was born in an Armenian family in 1920 in Tehran.
She graduated in Khordad 1326 [1947] from Tehran University Science
Department and began her career in physics laboratories of the same
university and was elected as the chief of laboratory operations in
the same year.
She could not convince her teacher (Dr Hessabi) to pay for her studies
abroad and was obliged to go to Paris on her own where she began
studying in Atmospheric physic in Paris University. She graduated
in 1856 and after rejecting a teaching job in Sorbonne University
came back to Iran to become an assistant professor in thermodynamics
physics in Tehran University.
She studied on solar physics observatory for 4 months by a scholarship
of German government and finally became the first female professor
of physics in Iran on 1964.
In 1966 she became a member of the geophysics committee of Tehran
University and in 1969 finally was elected as the chief of the solar
physics studies in that university and began to work in the solar
observatory which she was one of its founders. She was retired on 1979.
Alinoush Tarian has dedicated herself to teaching students in this
country and is now living in an elderly house. We went there with
one of her colleagues to have an interview with her.
When asked for her best memory from the teaching days, she answers:
All my memories from those days are nice. I loved the students and
they loved me as well. So I did not have any difficulty during my
teaching career.
Q: What is you best memory?
A: Thirty years of teaching and the construction of the solar
observatory.
Q: What was the reason for your success?
A: Human attitude. One day a colleague asked me why do the students
come to see me but did not go to him? I said maybe his attitude was
not good enough to attract the students.
Q: Did you use a scholarship to study abroad?
A: My grades were always good. When I graduated, I asked for a
scholarship but they did not accept because I was woman. I went to
Paris by myself. I did not accept to work in Paris University because
I loved my country and told them I had to go back and serve my country.
Q: Did you have a trip to Germany?
A: The German government gave me a scholarship to study the basics
of solar observatories and I went to study there for a few months.
Q: What made you think of building a solar observatory?
A: When I returned and started to work in the university I requested
the building of an observatory for the students to become familiar
with this type of observatory.
Q: How many languages do you know?
A: My mother studied in Switzerland. My father and mother knew French,
English and Armenian. My brother and I learned Persian and Armenian
from childhood. We studied French to understand what our parents say
and caught them by surprise. I know Turkish and English as well.
Q: Were you satisfied with your salary?
A: My salary was very low. Unfortunately in Iran teachers are not
remunerated well. When I graduated, my father's friend suggested
working for his company with 10 times the university salary; but I
preferred to work in the university.
Q: Have you been to Armenia?
A: Unfortunately no. I wished to go to Armenia when I was young but at
that time if someone went to Armenia he would be sacked from his job.
Q: If you had the opportunity to go back what would you do?
A: If I were to go back, I would do the same thing because I love
studying and teaching. I am honoured to see my students' success
in physics.
Q: Any recommendation for students and teachers?
A: Teachers must study continuously and keep themselves updated. The
students should study hard.
Note: Original article published in Persian by Fars News Agency.
Translated for Payvand.com by BMarz translators: http://www.BMarz.com
Photos at http://www.payvand.com/news/07/dec/1183.html