Feature > Short Stories > MEETING A CULTURAL INSTITUTION DR. FEREYDUN JONEYDI BY DR. MANOUCHEHR MOSHTAGH KHORASANI
Founder of the Renowned Bonyad Neyshaboor
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I was in Germany when Ms. Mithra Etezadi informed me that Dr. Fereydun Joneydi would be the speaker before me in the upcoming conference entitled “Acquaintance with Nanotechnology during the Safavid Period” that was planned to take place on the premises of University of Cultural Heritage (Markaz Amuzesh Aali Miras Farhangi) in Tehran on 14 Esfand 1385 (March 5, 2007). I was truly honored, and at the same time, I knew that it would be extremely difficult to hold a speech after a legendary personality with the high calibre of Dr. Joneydi. I arrived in Tehran on Friday March 9th, and I was scheduled to meet Dr. Fereydun Joneydi in Bonyad Neyshaboor the following day.
Dr. Fereydun Joneydi is the founder of Bonyad Neyshaboor, headquartered in Tehran, Iran. Many top Iranian researchers work and contribute to this cultural institution, among them top historians, art historians, language experts (among them different dialects of Farsi and other Iranian dialects) and also ancient languages, such as the Avesta and the Pahlavi). The list of books and articles published by Bonyad Neyshaboor is truly impressive, and it is even more impressive to observe that many leading Iranian universities, universities dedicated to Iranian Studies in the region as well as European universities, consult Dr. Fereydun Joneydi and his team of researchers about their investigations and publications. One can truly assert that Bonyad Neyshaboor and Dr. Joneydi are the most important centers of Iranian studies around the world. Dr. Fereydun Joneydi teaches different classes in Bonyad Neyshaboor, among them “The Grammar and Language of the Avesta,” “The Grammar and the Language of the Pahlavi,” and “Explanation and Interpretation of the Shahname.” It is even more impressive to know that all classes provided by Dr. Fereydun Joneydi are free of charge and open to the public as Dr. Joneydi wants to share his knowledge with as many people as possible. His classes are always full, and one can see many dedicated people who listen to his lectures carefully. His students come from different walks of life, among them university professors, professionals, corporate leaders, students, journalists, lawyers, pensioners, pupils, workers, and diplomats. Many researchers and inhabitants of the neighboring countries also visit his lectures at Bonyad Neyshaboor, among them many Afghan and Tajik citizens. Prior to the opening of the Embassy of Tajikistan in Tehran, the number of Tajik students of Dr. Fereydun Joneydi had risen to such high numbers that people used to dub Bonyad Neyshaboor in Tehran as “The Embassy of Tajikistan” (see Joneydi, 1385:20).
Among the countless publications of Dr. Fereydun Joneydi is the lexicon of the terms of the Avesta
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entitled Dictionary of the Avesta (Farhang Vajehaye Avesta) that was published in four volumes. Dr. Joneydi wrote this lexicon together with Mr. Ehsan Bahrami. This lexicon is 1,663 pages with an additional 199 pages of a list of the word entries. This is the most complete lexicon about the terms of the Avesta. Each word is written in its original version in the Avesta language with phonetic alphabets in Latin and modern Persian so that a correct pronunciation would be possible. Additionally, the meaning of each word is given both in English and in modern Farsi. Dr. Fereydun Joneydi has also been preparing a very comprehensive lexicon on the terms of the Pahlavi that will be published in Tehran soon. This will also be the most comprehensive lexicon on the Pahlavi language on the market with state-of-the-art research in language and lexicography. Another fascinating research project conducted by Dr. Fereydun Joneydi is the analysis of the verses of the Shahname. Dr. Joneydi is the world renowned expert on the Shahname, and based on a detailed and painstaking analysis, Dr. Joneydi proves which verses had been added to the original manuscript of the Shahname after the death of Ferdowsi. Hence, he has been compiling a Shahname in its original version that had been penned by Ferdowsi. The results of his detailed research and analysis will be published in Tehran soon. This is, without doubt, the most important research on the manuscript of the Shahname that will be provided to the researchers worldwide.
Dr. Fereydun Joneydi truly believes in the individual contribution of each member to the research and is critical of the trend towards accumulation of academic degrees and institutions where the original research and thoughts are suppressed in favor of academic acceptance and institutionalization. Dr. Fereydun Joneydi points out and is critical of the times where Iranian scholars specialized in Iranian studies used to look for acceptance outside the borders of Iran (see Joneydi, 1385:46). Fortunately, these days are long gone, and many international scholars and experts seek the advice of Dr. Joneydi and his team of scholars on questions related to Iranian studies. This is the philosophy of Dr. Fereydun Joneydi, who rightly believes that to study the indigenous culture, one needs to study in the country and to know the customs and the habits of the related culture. Bonyad Neyshaboor teaches the Pahlavi language in three levels: beginners, intermediate, and advanced. Among the top scholars who teach the Pahlavi language in Bonyad Neyshaboor, one could name Ms. Salume Beheshti, Ms. Nasrin Furutan, Ms. Nazanin Nur, Ms. Delaram Amir Azadi, Mr. Mohammad Reza Shademani, Ms. Azade Ehsani, Ms. Mastane Arvand, and Ms. Marjane Arvand (see Joneydi, 1385:53). Among other scholars who contribute to the cultural achievements of Bonyad Neyshaboor are Mr. Hossein Shahidi Mazandarani (Bijan) with 20 years of research experience in the history
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