Aydin Aghdashloo’s students included a daughter and grandchildren of Iranian religious figures.
Mr. Aghdashloo has taught a large number of students in his academy from all walks of life and many of these students were from religious families. The fact that such religious female students with strong beliefs were also a part of his classes shows that the environment of these workshops were conducted in a professional manner with respect to his female students. He has taught thousands of students over the course of his career and never discriminated against his students based on their religious beliefs, social class or family ties.
If it is true that female family members of the above officials participated in his school, it only demonstrates his appropriate conduct otherwise he wouldn’t be able to keep his workshops active in the religious conservative atmosphere of Iran with such powerful witnesses present in his academy.
Since the Cultural Revolution in Iran in the early 80s, Aydin Aghdashloo and other artists like him were banned from teaching in universities by the new regime. He has, from that time, made many guest lectures at universities around the world including Oxford University, University of California and University of Toronto and also in Iran, primarily pro bono, on many topics in which he has expertise.
Aydin Aghdashloo has held no official or non-official positions in Iran since the 1979 Revolution.