On the 4th of February 2026, the Policy Futures International Webinar Series hosted an insightful keynote presentation on'Universities and Authoritarianism in Iran' and 'Higher Education against War and Repression in Autonomous Northeast Syria/Rojava'. 

Shahrzad Mojab, University of Toronto and Mahdi Ganjavi, University of Torontowill gave a talk on ‘Students Revolt, State Revenge: Universities and Authoritarianism in Iran’

Saardar Saadi, Wageningen University and director of the institute of social sciences at the University of Rojava gave a talk on ‘Reclaiming Knowledge, Rebuilding University: Higher Education against War and Repression in Autonomous Northeast Syria/Rojava’