Gordafarid Festival Held by Alifard University of Applied Science (Sunich)
The Gordafarid Festival was held on February 24, 2025, by Alifard University of Applied Science (Sunich) at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. Supported financially and spiritually by Sunich Industrial Group, this festival was designed and implemented in two sections—Shahnameh reading and painting with the aim of promoting Iranian culture and art, especially among the youth and adolescents.
This event featured attendees including faculty members of the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Persian Literature at the University of Tehran, executives and board members of Sunich Industrial Group, professors from other universities across the country, and guests from all over Iran. Discussions focused on the history of Persian literature and Shahnameh recitation in Iran.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Touraj Zehfroush, President of Alifard University of Applied Science, spoke about the university's activities and elaborated on the features and details of the Gordafarid Festival. He emphasized that the university aims to establish a strong connection between industry and academia. Regarding the university's research achievements, Dr. Zehfroush shared that significant accomplishments have been made, particularly in research, with many projects being commercialized through startups.
The president also highlighted the festival’s impact on introducing youth and adolescents to Shahnameh, stating, “Every year we host research-focused startups, but this year we chose to organize this event to bridge the gap between industry and culture. The goal is to familiarize young Iranians with legends, poets, and thinkers from Persian literature.”
Dr. Zehfroush noted that the age range for participants was between 12 and 30 years, aimed at engaging youth and adolescents with Persian literary culture. According to him, following announcements made through the Ministry of Science, Ministry of Education, and social media, 311 submissions were sent to the festival. Out of these, 21 works in the painting category and 10 works in the Shahnameh reading category were selected in the first stage to compete in the second stage.
Dr. Zehfroush expressed hopes that Gordafarid Festival would officially be recognized under the name of Alifard University of Applied Science. He also announced plans to expand the festival's scope to include other themes such as Shahnameh music, photography, and calligraphy in the coming years.
According to Alifard (Sunich) Public Relations, Dr. Alireza Ghiamati, Shahnameh scholar, writer, university professor, and member of the Ferdowsi Foundation’s board, described Gordafarid as one of the best Shahnameh-related festivals. He added, "This festival undoubtedly inspires motivation among the youth and adolescents." Evaluating the festival's submissions as commendable, Dr. Ghiamati expressed optimism that Gordafarid will thrive and broaden in future editions.
He further elaborated on the importance of Shahnameh recitation, stating, "Shahnameh has a profound influence on our actions, speech, and behavior and can shape the character of children and adolescents. When a child or young person reads this masterpiece, it brings significant changes to their speech, behavior, and thoughts. Shahnameh is not exclusive to a specific group passionate about Persian literature or culture; it is something that people from all ethnicities, disciplines, and social classes must read. Shahnameh is our identity card and essential for understanding Iran." He emphasized the significance of Shahnameh, describing it as "the greatest epic work in the world, encompassing Iranian values of morality, justice, wisdom, and joyful reflection."
During the closing ceremony of the festival:
After evaluations conducted by the jury panel, the winners in the Shahnameh recitation category were announced for the 12 to 18 years and 19 to 30 years age groups. The first-place winners in both age groups were each awarded 100 million Tomans. The second-place winners received 80 million Tomans, while the third-place winners were awarded 60 million Tomans. Additionally, the winners in the painting category for the 12 to 18 years and 18 to 30 years age groups were also announced, with prizes of 100 million and 80 million Tomans granted to the top artists.
