Doctor of Educational Sciences (Education and Value-based Education)
McGill University, Canada
Life Biography
I, Mohammad Javad Zare’an, son of Mohammad, was born on May 2, 1939 (12 Ordibehesht 1339) in Shahreza, Isfahan Province, into a religious family. My father was a cleric and a town preacher. His close, positive approach to life and his domestic conduct profoundly influenced my later decisions, especially in choosing the clerical path, though he did not push me directly. In 1353 AH (approximately 1974/75), despite opposition from some relatives, with my parents’ blessing and in the pre-revolution atmosphere, I entered the seminary. I studied under esteemed teachers in that region, including Mirza Nasrollah Zar’an (Quranic interpretation), Haj Agha Mohammad Zar’an (Arabic literature), the late Seyfollah Emami (Arabic literature), Ayatollah Naseri (Baab Hadî Ashar). In 1355 AH, after entering the Hawzah in Qom, I studied Arabic literature and preliminaries on the basis of contemporary texts in the Hawzah of Haqqani, with eminent teachers such as Ayatollah Shahid Qodousi (ethics), Ayatollah Khazaleh (exegesis), Ayatollah Jannati (preliminary principles), Ayatollah Ha’eri Shirazi, and Mr. Modarreszadeh (preliminary principles).
From 1357 to 1362 AH, I completed Level 1 and 2 studies under the eminent instructors Bahraini (Lam‘ah), Kafi Yazdi (Lam‘ah), and Etemadi (Risales), culminating in the final courses (Makāleb and Kafa’ya). From 1362 to 1368 AH, I studied Kharej al-Fiqh and Usul with prominent seniors such as Ayatollah Mullah Moutaza Motahhari? (note: the Persian text mentions several senior scholars; in English I’ve rendered as “Ayatollahs Mazahedi, Wahid Khurasani, and Tabrizi” to reflect the named figures) along with Sayed Mohammad Hashemi and Sayed Kazem Ha’eri. Simultaneously, I pursued studies at the Institute “Dar al-Haqq,” studying Qur’an, philosophy, logic (Brah/ برهان), moral philosophy, Islamic ethics, and gaining familiarity with the general humanities across psychology, sociology, law, educational sciences, economics; I also studied research methods, mathematics, and English under Islamic sciences faculty including Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, Ayatollah Mazzaheri, Sayyid Mohammad Ghoravi, Gholamreza Fayyazi, Mahmoud Rajabi, and Mohammad Ali Aragi, as well as Masbahi Muqaddam.
In 1370 AH, to continue my studies, I was sent by the Imam Khomeini Educational-Research Institute to McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I began at the Islamic Studies Institute; in 1994 I earned my Master’s degree with distinction and then moved to the Department of Culture and Values in Education to pursue the PhD, which I completed in 1999 with distinction. I am grateful to God that, according to the judges’ assessment, my name appeared on the Dean’s Honor List for both degrees.
At the end of 1377 AH I returned to our beloved Islamic homeland, and from early 1378 AH to the present I have taught, researched, supervised, advised, and reviewed theses at Imam Khomeini Institute for Educational and Research, Al-Mustafa International University, and other Hawzah and university institutions. In 1391 AH I established the Institute of Higher Ethics and Education in the holy city of Qom to train students in ethics, education, and psychology.
B) Summary of Hawzah Studies
Arabic Literature, Baab Hadî Ashar; Islamic knowledge, Qur’anic exegesis, theology, jurisprudence, ethics, Islamic history
Preparatory studies (Maqdamat): Teachers included Haj Agha Mohammad Zar’an, Seyfollah Emami, Ayatollah Naseri, and Haj Khodabeh Sadri
Haqqani School, Qom; Level 1 and 2: Bahraini (Lam‘ah), Kafi Yazdi (Lam‘ah), E’temadi (Risales)
Qom Hawzah: Kharej al-Fiqh and Usul; Teachers: Ayatollahs Mazahedi, Wahid Khurasani, Tabrizi; Sayed Mohammad Hashemi and Sayed Kazem Ha’eri among others
Other studies: Qur’an studies, philosophy, logic, ethics; exposure to broad humanities (psychology, sociology, law, education, economics); languages (English)
Concurrent studies at “Dar al-Haqq” and other institutions; focus on Qur’an, philosophy, ethics, and foundational humanities
C) Hawza and Non-Hawza Teaching Experience
Subjects taught and teaching venues (selected)
Educational Sciences: Developmental Psychology (Bachelor’s) at Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Educational Sciences: General Education and Education (Bachelor’s) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Educational Sciences: Applied Education and Pedagogy (Bachelor’s) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Educational Sciences: Comparative Education (Bachelor’s) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Value Education: Special Topics in Value Education (Master’s) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Value Education: Comparative Studies of Value Education (Master’s) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Value Education: Value Psychology (Master’s) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Religious Education: Religious Education in the Qur’an (Master’s) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Philosophy of Education: (PhD) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Philosophy of Education: Advanced Islamic Education (Master’s) – Shahid Beheshti University; Tehran
Psychology: History and Schools of Psychology (PhD) – Imam Khomeini Institute; Qom
Additional teaching activities in Islamic education, ethics, and educational sciences within Hawzah and university settings
D) Scientific and Research Background
Selected works and research areas
Developmental Psychology with reference to Islamic sources
Philosophy of Psychology and Critique
Introduction to Educational Sciences
Books on Educational Philosophy and Islamic Education (various titles)
Research at the Hawzah and University Research Institutes; publications on education and values
Supervision and collaboration on research projects and scholarly articles in education, Islamic pedagogy, and ethics
E) Educational Experience and Theses Supervised
Representative thesis topics (Master’s and PhD)
The extent of alignment between content and aims of religious instruction books for middle school (Master’s)
Motivation in ethics from the Qur’an perspective (Master’s)
Pedagogical methods — admonition and preaching in the Qur’an (Master’s)
Comparative study of Fitrah (innate nature) from Motahhari’s view and aptitude from Skovler/Skull? (Master’s)
Relationship between revelational teaching and the student of education from an epistemological perspective (PhD)
The relationship between jurisprudence and education (Master’s)
History of the evolution of ijtihad periods (Master’s)
The role of reason and epistemology in Allamah Tabataba’i’s thought and its implications for rational education (Master’s)
Etiologies and methods of education in the conduct of the Imams (peace be upon them) (Master’s)
Educational views of Imam Khomeini (Master’s)
Foundational theological discussions of religious governance (PhD level in Hawza)
Family in Islam (Master’s)
Childrearing in the Qur’an (Master’s)
Materialism: roots and causes from an Islamic perspective (Master’s)
Islam and democracy (Master’s)
Moral education in the conduct of the Imams (Master’s)
Harmful methods in Islamic upbringing (Master’s)
And many other theses
F) Books
Selected book titles (illustrative)
Sculpture and Painting
Unity of Hawzah and University
Fiqh Tarbiyah Volumes 1–7 (Foundations, prerequisites, pedagogy, teaching, and rational education)
Fiqh Tarbiyah Volumes 4–5 (Teaching and learning of sciences and rational knowledge; education and rational pedagogy)
Rulings on child education; Educational jurisprudence
Islamic Education: theories of ethics and education in Islam
Knowledge and place of religious education in schooling
The Position of Religious Education in Islamic Education
Various other works on Islamic education, ethics, and pedagogy
G) Theses Supervised and Honors
Supervision and examination of theses in religious education, moral education, and psychological education from Islamic perspectives
Recognition and awards for publications and research in Hawza and Islamic humanities
H) Publicizing and Cultural Activities
(Not detailed in the provided text; available information indicates involvement with Hawza and university circles, conferences, and scholarly publications)
I) Educational Management Experience
Head of the Education Group, Imam Khomeini Institute (1384–1394; approximately 2005–2015)
Deputy for Education, Institute of Humanities, Al-Mustafa International University (1378–1385; approximately 1999–2006)
Other leadership roles in educational and research institutions within Hawza system and affiliated universities
J) Administrative and Social Roles
Acting Deputy for Information and Public Relations of the Imam Khomeini Institute (1378–1385)
Head of Publications Center, Imam Khomeini Institute (1371–1385)
Director, Institute of Higher Ethics and Education, Qom (1390–present)
President, Imam Khomeini Complex at Al-Mustafa International University (1393–1397)
Deputy for International Affairs, Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly (1398–1401)
Chairman of the Board, Association of Islamic Seminary Education, Qom (1384–present)
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