What Happens When the Shadow is Lifted?
A personal story on the weight of censorship and the lightness of intellectual freedom.
The Weight of Silence
In open societies, we often take the syllabus for granted. We view a university classroom as a given space for debate, where ideas clash, evolve, and refine one another. But in Iran, and many authoritarian contexts, education exists under a heavy, pervasive weight: the shadow of censorship.
It is not just about redacted books. It is about the “internalized guardrails”, the questions a student is afraid to ask, the topics a professor knows to skip, and the constant, low-level anxiety that intellectual curiosity might be interpreted as a political crime.
At ISSH Graduate School (Academia) our mission has always been to provide an alternative: a digital geography where that shadow does not exist. But describing “freedom” is abstract until you hear it from someone who has crossed that border.
We recently received a testimonial from an alumnus of the ISSH Graduate School that stopped us in our tracks. It vividly captures the transition from a monitored education to a liberated one.
“A Space Built on Dialogue”
Here is the full story from Hadi Miri Ashtiani, shared in his own words:
“Before joining ISSH Graduate School (Academia), I had known about it for years. It was always something I intended to pursue someday. But life, work, and other academic obligations kept pushing that plan further into the future. When I finally enrolled, the experience turned out to be unlike anything I had previously encountered in academic spaces. It not only challenged what I thought a university could be, but also reshaped how I understand knowledge, power, and the role of critical thinking.
Perhaps the most striking difference was the freedom. At ISSH Graduate School, I encountered an uncensored and open engagement with the social sciences and humanities, something virtually impossible inside Iran. There, censorship touches everything: research topics, syllabi, classroom conversations, even the tone of academic writing. It is always present, sometimes blatant, sometimes internalized, sometimes imposed, sometimes simply feared. But always there.
In contrast, ISSH Graduate School offered something rare: a space built on dialogue, intellectual honesty, and critical inquiry. That’s not to say critical thought doesn’t exist in Iran, on the contrary, there are bold scholars, unwavering intellectuals and activists, powerful texts, courageous initiatives. But all of it exists under the shadow of censorship. ISSH Graduate School showed me what happens when that shadow is lifted.“
—Hadi Miri Ashtiani
The People Behind the Infrastructure
What strikes us most about this reflection isn’t just the relief of escaping censorship; it is the recognition of the human labor required to maintain a free space.
Institutions are often faceless, but a charity like ours is built on the backs of specific, dedicated individuals. The student continues:
“Another defining part of my experience was the people. The sincerity and dedication of those behind ISSH Graduate School was unlike anything I’d seen.
stands out as one of the most committed individuals I’ve encountered, always available, always listening, always doing the quiet, difficult work that keeps everything running. You often find yourself wondering: how does he carry so much care? is just the same, constantly envisioning new directions, new possibilities, always building. And the entire team embodies this spirit: welcoming, responsive, and unburdened by institutional ego. ISSH Graduate School feels like a community, not a bureaucracy.”—Hadi Miri Ashtiani
A Democratic Academic Space
True education requires more than just books; it requires a culture of mutual respect. Hadi, highlighted the specific faculty members who make this culture a reality:
“The faculty, Nayereh Tohidi, Saeed Paivandi, Mohammad Reza Nikfar, Zeynab Peyghambarzadeh, Kazem Alamdari, and others offered a vision of academia grounded in mutual respect and collaboration. In place of hierarchy, there was dialogue. In place of distance, curiosity. Their approach to teaching reflected a different way of being an academic, one that is not only more human, but more intellectually honest.
ISSH Graduate School (Academia) also brought together people from remarkably diverse backgrounds to learn, teach, question, and collaborate. It was a democratic academic space in the truest sense: independent, inclusive, supportive of research in one’s mother tongue, and genuinely committed to free and accessible education...
For me, being part of Academia was an invaluable opportunity. I found a space where learning felt real, where conversations mattered, and where community wasn’t just a word but a practice.”
—Hadi Miri Ashtiani
Help Us Do “The Quiet, Difficult Work”
Hadi Miri Ashtiani’s testimonial reminds us that intellectual independence isn’t a luxury; for many, it is oxygen.
When you support ISSH (Trust.Education), you aren’t just funding a website or a course. You are supporting the “quiet, difficult work” that Ali, Sajad, Asefeh, Hani, Dara, Golsa, Elly, Zeynab and many more and our faculty do every day. You are ensuring that when a student logs on from a place where thoughts are policed, they find a community where the shadow is lifted and the lights are on.
We are a charity, and a 501(c)3 foundation, and we rely on the support of those who believe that critical thinking is a cornerstone of a free society.
If this student’s journey resonates with you, please consider becoming a sustaining partner of our work. Your contribution ensures that the next student who is waiting to start the next cohort of the graduate school finds the doors open, the syllabus uncensored, and the community waiting.